Completing a film shoot on time and under budget is an act of sheer will. I won’t be going into the details of what a shoot entails. However, here’s a list of things to watch out for: The tighter the schedule, the lesser the time to think. The more well-planned you are, the more freedom … Read more
If nothing else, an independent filmmaker must: Provide adequate, tasty and nutritious meals to all its cast and crew members, never treating anybody with prejudice as regards their designation, skill or experience. Provide comfortable travel (even if cheap), and ensure the cast and crew don’t have to struggle to find a location or place of … Read more
A film crew is made up of many people, of varying skills, with different goals in life. The ability to bring them together to achieve a common objective is a valuable one indeed. Movies that have the budget make this happen by throwing around money. There are too many experienced and talented professionals without work, … Read more
This post will concentrate on how you go about finding actors. The single-most important element in a movie (sometimes even more important than the director), is the casting. If your actors suck, no matter what else you do, the movie will fail (at least on a critical level). Therefore, be wise in your casting choices, … Read more
In the final part of the technology series, let us talk about post production. Post production involves the following steps: NLE (non-linear editing software) Titles and Motion Graphics Software VFX (visual effects) Software Grading and finishing software Authoring Software Hardware for all of the above Sound Editing and mixing software Sound Editing and mixing hardware … Read more
Let’s talk about sound. I consider sound to be more important than your visuals. One can create great visuals for a particular scene; but even if the scene is shot with a consumer camcorder with available light, if the acting is right and the script is taut, then it wouldn’t matter. The only thing that … Read more
In this post, I will outline the process I used to find my camera
The question is simple: can we create the same look and feel of big-budgeted feature films using technology that is cheaper?
As of writing this article, the simple and unpopular answer is: No, we can’t.
Now that I had the script (and the money) in place, I was on the lookout for a great location to shoot the film. It had to be an odd and possibly scary looking house, run down but still safe to shoot. Also, I didn’t want to spend one rupee on production design or artwork. … Read more