Short-Filmmaking: A Creative Process of Storytelling
You know how it brings chills to the spines when you see your work on the big screen which is appreciated by all. All the hard work, random ideas, notebooks filled with concepts and discussions and so much more.
Filmmaking is not a jack’s job at one go, you need to understand the nerve of filmmaking in every aspect to make your imagination come to reality. Reality deals with the distinctive concept, the right storyboarding, scripting, cast and crew, lights, camera, and the right actions with emotions.
Short films are exactly the place where you can start small and think big if you are a beginner. Remember you master an art by making all kinds of a mistake right from the beginning. So, keep learning and keep making mistakes that would always teach you something valuable each time.
When we speak of short filmmaking or for that matter any filmmaking process, it has to go through these three phases. Each phase must be attended with sincerity and creativity because they all complement each other. These three phases are known as Pre-production, Production, and Post-production.
PRE – PRODUCTION = PRE–PLANNING
As the topic suggests, it’s all about planning and plotting. This is where all your crazy ideas take their form on paper. Here is where you picture and print your vision, which needs to be filmed. While keeping in mind your ideation you also need to understand what resources you need to support your short film.
CREATING YOUR CREATIVE HUMAN CHAIN
When I say human chain, I mean you need to understand who will be actively on board with you to make your short film. To begin with, you need to first sketch your idea in the form of a storyboard that clearly defines the camera angle, location, characters, emotions, cohesive narratives, and most importantly the sequence of the scenes.
To successfully create a storyboard or write the script, you need to first do an in-depth study of your concept and see what characters can come to life and who would be the right fit to play the role. Then we move towards the casting and crew, who will be involved with you in the process of making the short film. You can then look into the equipment requirements, locations, costumes, budget, etc.
Once you are done with all the planning and arrangements, it’s important now for you to create the film production timeline. This schedule becomes your guiding principle throughout the shoot and organizes things for you. Last-minute changes are always expected!
PRODUCTION = LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION
This is where you get all pieces of the jigsaw together to make the entire picture. This phase is towards the technical side, where you deal with the editing part which includes colour grading, sequel mixing, visual effects, motion graphs, sound mixing, etc. making the raw footage a complete package, ready to be sold. Here you, stitch all the elements together creating a balance and conveying the tonality of the short film.
To bring out the best of production, you need to have an eagle’s eye for creativity with perfection: the camera angle should be good and clear, the lights should play their magic in creating the mood of the scene, and the mic should be good while capturing the sound, the actors should be on point while delivering the dialogues and emotions, and there should always be a backup for everything. Most importantly with everything you need to make sure that the director’s vision and essence of the short film come out the same.
Attention! never forget to make mistakes here and have fun in the process because you keep learning the most in this phase.
POST-PRODUCTION = COMPLETING THE JIGSAW
This is where you get all pieces of the jigsaw together to make the entire picture. This phase is towards the technical side, where you deal with the editing part which includes colour grading, sequel mixing, visual effects, motion graphs, sound mixing, etc. making the raw footage a complete package, ready to be sold. Here you, stitch all the elements together creating a balance and conveying the tonality of the short film.
This is how you can enjoy, learn and experiment with your filmmaking journey and master the art of short film making. We at Garage Productions (Short Film Production Company) are fully involved in the entire process of making short films for our clients. We work on a structured guide catering to all three stages for all our projects creating the best results. Now it is time to decide what’s next on your plate of creativity. So, vouch for your success and touch the sky!!!