Ok, so, I wasn’t sure what to write today’s blog about until about 5 minutes ago when someone in a message board asked me “Seriously, what do you need to make films?”
About a week ago, someone asked me a similar question. “I want to be a film maker too when i get older. How many years of college do you need?”
I answered each of these people individually… but you, my readers, may have similar questions. So here we go:
“What do you need to make films?”
1) A Script. There’s a famous saying. “The plot’s the thing.” This is absolutely true. If you have no script, you have no story. If you have no story, you have nothing. Also, if you have no script, you have no characters. And if you have no characters, you have nothing to drive the story. If nothing drives the story, there’s no story… and without a story you have nothing. Sure, writing a script takes a while and some may find it hard to do.. but just remember, “The plot’s the thing”. No script, no plot, no movie.
2) A camera. You’re making a movie. A movie is a VISUAL medium. If you don’t have a camera, to get the visuals, then you don’t have a movie.
3) Lights. Think about it like this: if you film something and have no light source, you’re shooting in total darkness. What will the audience see? A black screen.
4) A microphone. Actually, it’d be cool to have a full multi-million dollar sound studio… but since I’m willing to bet you don’t have that (if I’m wrong, please let me borrow it!), a microphone in your camera’s mic jack will work. If you’re poor like me and have a piece of crap camera that doesn’t even HAVE a mic jack… save and get a camera that does, or borrow/rent someone elses.
5) Actors. Your story needs characters… so you need someone to BE those characters!
6) An editing program. Editors are important. Perhaps the most important position on a film crew. The editor is the guy that puts all your footage together into a cohesive film.
“How many years of college do you need?”
Answer? None. Sure, there are positives to film school. You get the experience. You get the know-how. You get the networking. You get damn good equipment. But, if you DON’T go to film school, and decide to read books, talk to people on film forums, and shoot your own movies, you’ll get all the same stuff… just not as good equipment.