How to make a movie: The Five Stages of Production
December 2nd, 2008 by Guest Teacher Blogger
By Nils Osmar, artistic teacher in Seattle teaches a range of artistic expressions. From learning how to write stories to drawing portraits, Nils is a great resource for all of your artistic needs.
Thinking about making a movie, but not sure where to start? Here are “The Five Stages of Production” in order create your very own movie:
STAGE 1: Preparation
The first stage is Preparation. Laying the groundwork by learning the principles and techniques that go into making good independent films. During this stage, you’ll be learning about the language of film making. From camera angles such as close-ups to medium shots and long shots — and what each of them communicates. Plus, it’s a good time to get an understanding about the equipment most indie filmmakers use (camcorders, lighting, and microphones), and the software people are using nowadays to edit movies, such as Premiere, iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
STAGE 2: Pre-production
After you’ve done your prep work, the next phase is Pre-production, gearing up to make a particular film. The steps within this stage include planning your movie; writing a good,and film-friendly script; finding actors and crew; lining up locations; making or buying props and costumes; planning your shots; and doing the storyboarding.
Photo courtesy of *Solar Icon*
STAGE 3: Production
The third stage is Production, when the actors are on the set, the cameras are rolling, and you’re actually filming the movie. Production is actually the shortest of the five stages. Most independent films spend weeks or months in pre-production, a few days in actual production.
STAGE 4: Post-production
The fourth stage is Post-production. When the filming is finished, the footage needs to be scanned into your computer and edited. Then when the visuals have been edited, you need to go over the sound, adding foley and sound effects and music.
STAGE 5: Distribution
When you’ve finished your post production, it’s time to start working on the Distribution, or getting your movie out for the world to see. This can involve submitting it to film festivals, uploading it to Youtube, Vimeo or other web pages, and showing it to distributors.
Taking some good film classes can help guide you through these stages, and save you a good chunk of time and money. For example, before buying or renting a camcorder, it’s good to learn about the types that are available, and their features, so you don’t waste money on one you may not need. A good film making course should be able to help with this.
There are a number of good classes in Seattle. Here are some classes you should start with:
For more information about the above classes, visit my website: http://www.classesandworkshops.com.
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