For this lesson we recommend: Digital Filmmaking 101

Getting Started On Your DIY FilmThere are a few things you should know about being a DIY Filmmaker. They're mostly common sense, but if it's your first time, here are some things that will save you time, money and effort. They'll also make you a better filmmaker in the long run.
Keep Your Cast and Crew SmallThe idea behind DIY Movies is to, well, do it yourself. First, it's the best way to learn all about making films. Second, the less energy you spend trying to manage a crew, the more you'll be able to spend on your movies. Third, if you're working with really motivated people, they're going to want to do as much as they can. Give them plenty of opportunity to contribute and they'll be a much happier, more productive crew.
A small cast and crew also forces you to be creative about the way you tell your story. It forces you to use the words and images that are already available to you.
Simple Equipment Works FineEspecially for your first DIY Movies, and also for products that are going to the Web, start with simple equipment. To get started, you need a camera, a PC and some editing software.
You can use a basic camcorder, and your images will be fine. As you get more experience, you will want to improve things like lighting, shot composition, color, graphics, movement, and more. But to start, you want a tool that will help you document your story. For that, a basic camcorder works fine.
You can also use a basic PC. It is great to have killer processor speeds and massive hard drives. In fact, ultimately it will be necessary to have killer processor speeds and massive hard drives, since film content is so intensive. But to start, you can use what you've got.
You can get editing software for very little money. Several of the programs are less than $100. Microsoft even puts out "Microsoft Movie" along with Windows XP. Not a particularly fantastic program, but it will help you get started.
Once you establish yourself as a DIY Filmmaker and start building some experience, you will want to invest in better equipment, obviously. If you are a film school student, you will need to build your skills on higher-end cameras, faster PCs, and better software.
Be All DigitalDigital is now the only way to go. You can shoot straight to digital tape, firewire (download) the content straight to a PC, edit directly on the PC, and then distribute your final product. It is so convenient and cheap, you can't afford to mess with the older options.
Use the MiniDV format, since the cameras are inexpensive (and getting cheaper), the technology keeps getting better, and it gives you the most flexibility. High8, various forms of VHS, and older technologies will only cause you headaches with video cards, noncompatibility, and slow performance. Be all digital.
Imagination: The Best Special EffectDIY Movie scripts are designed to require minimal investment in props, equipment, and special effects. You won't need car crashes, lasers, or exploding buildings to create a DIY Movie (if you write them in, you're on your own, and at your own risk!).
It's better, and more challenging, to use your imagination to make the script come alive. Use great dialogue, memorable characters, and plot twists to engage your audience.
Once you learn how to leverage the assets you've already got, then you'll be ready to start creating special effects. Most of them are created with software, anyway. So as you learn to use editing software, you can also learn to create and integrate special effects. Don't crash cars. Don't burn buildings. Don't simulate massive battlefield maneuvers. Yet.
Be VisualFilm is a visual medium. (DUH!) So think about how you would tell your story if you couldn't use words. Some time, hit the mute button when you're watching TV. Can you still tell what's going on in the story? Not the details, necessarily. But can you get the gist of it? If you can, the filmmaker has done a great job of developing the story visually. You want to do the same.
As Robert Rodriquez says..."Be Scary."Experiment. Innovate. Create. Shift. Twist.
Movie scripts are just skeletons. You flesh them out with your imagination and talents. Dont' be afraid to switch things around. Mix and match scripts to come up with entirely new stories, even new genres.
The great thing about filmmaking is the audience appetite. People are always looking for something new. They may get tired of it quickly, but they're drawn to new forms of art and entertainment. Give it to them.
Be tasteful. Be smart. An audience loves to be pulled into a story, then surprised. Filmmaking is one of our generation's great ways of speaking from the heart. Have fun.
Determine Your FormatThe first crucial decision you are going to want to make before you start working on your DIY Movie is its final format. Every DIY Movie script is designed to be made into a variety entertainment products.
The various formats you might create from a DIY Movie script:
TV commercialMovie trailerShort filmMusic video DocumentaryTV Program (Half hour or Full hour)Full length feature film
There might be even more formats. You can certainly create your own. This list does not split out Web-based video, and that is another entirely new opportunity.
So you might not use the exact same script for a TV commercial as you would for a full length feature film. But you might. You could be that creative; only you know for sure.
Make the Format Your First ChoiceYour choice of formats is going to have an impact on every other part of your production. It will determine how much script you need. It will determine how much preproduction you have to do. It will determine how much video you actually shoot.
It will determine a whole host of things that we can't even predict until you start making your DIY Movie. That's part of the fun of filmmaking. It's incredibly creative. You never really know what you're making until you get started.
How to Choose a FormatObviously, depending on your project, your format might already be chosen. If you know you're working on a short film for a film festival, or if you're looking for some fresh ideas for your next TV commercial, then you already have your format.
Beyond that, common sense might suggest that you shart with a short format and move up from there. So, maybe you start with a short, short film, then expand to longer formats. That may or may not be a good idea.
For almost any story, there are ways to tell it within different time frames. "Boy meets girl" might be done in 30 seconds, 30 minutes, an hour and a half, or three hours. Same essential story, different time frames.
The most important thing to do is to tell your whole story within the time frame available. Make sure the story is complete from beginning to end.
Now having said that, beginning with a shorter format is a great idea because it lets you get used to all of the technology and processes in a limited way. Once you've settled on a format, then you can decide how you want to tell your story
Assignment 1 (For your own benefit and pleasure)
Module 2: Your Screenplay












For This Lesson, we recommend: The Screenwriter's Bible

The Screenplay: Your Movie's DNAYour script, or screenplay, is the heart and soul of your movie. It is the backbone, the foundation. It will be the first thing that determines your success.
A great script can make actors and directors better. A bad script can make them worse. A good script can elevate a mediocre acting or directing job. But it rarely works the other way.
So begin your movie by spending some serious, quality time with your script. It will pay off.
Your script tells your movie's story. In many ways, your script is your movie's story.
More than just a bunch of lines set out in sequence, your script determines where, when, how, and even suggests why your movie happens. It sets the tone, directs the director, and manages the pace.
Here is a major script writing secret: Always remember that what you are doing with a script is telling other people how to tell your story.
Read that sentence again. What you are doing, when writing a script, is telling other people (actors, directors, set builders, whomever) how to tell your story.
Script BasicsMovie scripts are composed of scenes . Each scene is a "block" of action that moves the story forward. Don't miss that. Each scene in your movie must move the action forward.
Generally, a great model for creating scenes is Viki King's idea of "cause and effect, cause and effect." The action in one scene should cause the action in a later scene.
Your viewers may not know it consciously, but they expect scenes. They actually watch your movie as a series of mini-stories. Each of your scenes is going to be a mini story.
Lately, it has become fashionable to shoot micro-scenes, scenes that are just a few seconds long, if that. Some very fine filmmakers have turned this frenetic practice into an art form.
You might not be ready for machine-gun pacing in your scenes. But you can take a great lesson from the filmmakers who are using this strategy: Use as little time to tell your story as possible.
It is called "coming into the scene late." You want to start the movie action as late in the scene as possible.
For example, if you are going to show a scene of a wheelchair athlete winning a 100 yard race, you may need to show the entire race. But you don't need to show the athlete pulling up to the track, positioning the chair in the starting frame, receiving best wishes from his trainer--on whom he has a secret crush. Just show him at the starting line, shoot the gun, and show the race.
Now, obviously, if all of the other elements are important to the story you're trying to tell, add them. The idea chop out anything that is not important to your story.
Remember, your audience is giving you a block of their time and attention. They expect you to use it, use it respectfully, and use it to entertain them.
Script ElementsYour script will be made up of three elements: Description, character direction, and dialogue. You will use all three of these to tell your story.
Description will be a paragraph or so that tells the director and actors about the scene. It sets the place, time, people, weather, and any important visual elements you need.
Example:JOE, KELLY, and NICK grip the ship's rail. A brisk ocean breeze ruffles their hair. Kelly and Nick are pressed lightly against one another. Joe stands a discrete few feet away.
· From this description, we know that these three are on a ship, probably a cruise ship. We know that Kelly and Nick are probably intimates, and that Joe is a third party, but not necessarily uncomfortable about it. (Below, under formatting, we'll add some detail about the setting.)
Notice that we haven't dictated anything about the actors' looks, hair, clothing, etc. Those details can be worked out by the actors, unless they are important to the story (i.e., "Joe, still wearing the shirt he went snorkeling in, stands a discreet few feet away.")
Character direction is the scriptwriter's tool for creating an exact movement, motion, or action from a character. It should be used sparingly, as actors and directors will often have their own ideas about these things. However, sometimes a specific gesture or activity is crucial to the story and should be added as a character direction.
Example:JOE, trembling, looks directly at KELLY and NICK as he clutches the ship's rail to climb over.
· Dialogue is the selection of words your characters will say to one another. Their interaction will fill in the detail of the story you are telling visually with description and character direction.
Generally, you will want your dialogue to be made up of short one or two line interactions. Even in a full length feature film, usually only one or two moments lend themselves to long speeches.
Your audience will be much more engaged by short "bursts" of conversation (or yelling, or whispering, etc.). If you character has a lot to say, position him or her with another character and write the dialogue in a conversational format.
ExampleNICK: JOE, don't jump! It's not worth it...
JOE: Oh, yeah. Now you say that. You steal my woman. You two cheat me out of my inheritance. You embarrass me in front of a whole shipload of people.
KELLY: Oh, JOE. NICK didn't steal me. I went to for the money.
JOE: Sure. That's supposed to make me feel better? I don't have a life. I don't care anymore.
NICK: You can start all over. You can begin again.
JOE: Oh, shut up.
· You get the idea. Make your dialogue sharp, punchy and interactive. It doesn't necessarily have to be Shakespearean. In fact, in a movie, it will be better if it's not (unless you've got Mel Gibson to play your Hamlet).
Practical FormattingThere is a standard format for writing your script. The format defines the way the script will look on the page. It contains the "rules" for your script's appearance.
For example, it calls for description to be indented 'x' spaces, dialogue to be indented 'y' spaces, and character names to be CAPITALIZED at certain points. These kinds of rules give scripts a standard look and feel that Hollywood likes.
If you are going to format your script (DIY or otherwise) for Hollywood, you will want to focus on the Hollywood standards for formatting. Get a copy of one of the books listed above, The Screenwriter's Bible, and it will give you all of the proper formatting conventions.
However, if you are going to actually make a DIY Movie, you want to format your script so that you understand it. Don't worry about Hollywood. Write the script so that you, your actors, and your crew can follow it.
Be practical. If you think you can follow a script without indenting, don't indent. If you think you can follow a script without capitalizations, don't capitalize.
But whatever you do, be consistent. If you are going to indent dialogue one tab space, do so for the whole script. If you are going to give character directions in italics, do so for the whole script.
The spirit of the DIY Movie Script archive is to make it possible for you to Do It Yourself. So be a little flexible. A lot of movie projects get held up because it is hard to write a "proper" script. The DIY Movie Scripts will give you a real advantage in this area. Use it to make great movies.
Be VisualYour audience is going to think of your movie as a visual experience. They will expect to be stimulated visually, even if your movie is a serious piece about serious ideas. So be sure to think and write in visual terms.
Any time you have the choice between saying something and showing something, show it. Have your characters show what they are thinking in the way they act, their facial expressions, their body language and, then, in their words.
A note about artistry is in order here. Many filmmakers consider themselves artists, and rightfully so. However, some take the notion a little too far. They build in so much symbolism and metaphor that audiences either don't get it, or it blows right past them.
Modern movies tend to move quickly. Make your movie as deep as you need to, to tell your story. But make sure that you do so visually.
Scene WritingYour scene shifts every time action changes. Every time you "move" a character or an action, you will need to create a new scene.
This will help your story's pace. It will also help you organize your preproduction and shooting. And it will give your movie a sense of drama that engages your audience powerfully.
There is no particular formula for the number of scenes in a movie. Scenes can be as short as a few seconds. Generally, they shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes, unless there is a specific purpose within the story.
As you write a scene, write it from start to finish. It does not absolutely have to have a "beginning, middle, end" sequence, but many scenes do.
For each new scene you create, be sure you understand exactly how the scene contributes to the overall story. Be sure it adds something new, rather than repeating something from an earlier scene.
CharactersYou will need to create and work with characters to tell your story. Normally, your story is going to be about people. It might be set around a particular historical or fictional event; it might be a documentary about rocks. But to be an effective story, it will still need to be about people.
The most important thing you must do for your characters is to make them memorable. Make them lovable, hateable, honorable, devious, or anything in between. There is almost no sin for a movie character so awful as that of being boring.
Most characters we see in movies are composites of people in their writers' lives, or idealized fantasies the writers dream up. You can do the same thing with your characters.
As a general rule, you want to "get to know" your main character, your two or three leading characters and any important supporting characters as well as possible. Invent them as completely as possible, even beyond the action they will portray in your movie. Develop full personalities and especially flaws for them.
The more you know about your characters, the more depth you will give them in your movie. The more depth they have, the more natural they'll seem, and the more your audience will identify with them.
It doesn't matter whether your audience "likes" your characters. Some characters, obviously, you'll want your audience to despise. But it doesn't matter. You want your audience to be touched, to be influenced, to remember your characters.
Some filmmakers take this as a license to make outrageous characters. If that works for you, go ahead. But be sure to do it in moderation. And make sure your characters fit with your story and vice versa.
Symmetry and consistency are keys to making your characters work and making them work within the lines of your story. Your characters can be "outside the lines," just not the lines of your story.
Assignment 2 (For your benefit and enjoyment)
Module 3: Pre-Production




For this lesson we recommend: The Filmmaker's Handbook

Preproduction: Getting All the Ducks in a RowThere is a surprising amount of work involved in making a movie, even a DIY Movie. It's called "preproduction." Most of it is non-glamorous, gritty work. But the more you do in preproduction, the smoother your shoot will go.
The secret to doing preproduction is anticipation. The more you can anticipate your production needs, the more effective your preproduction will be.
The amount of actual preproduction you will be required to do depends on your script. The more characters, locations, costume changes, special effects, etc., you use to tell your story, the more time, energy, and money you'll spend in preproduction.
Be careful as you're developing your script. If you are making a DIY Movie, one of the objectives is to, well, do it yourself. Be sure additional characters, locations, effects, etc., actually add to the story.
A great story, told well, can overcome a lack of big-budget production. But a poor story, or a story not told well, cannot.
That's why DIY Movie Scripts are purposefully kept a bit sparse. The scripts feature minimal characters, locations, effects, etc. You can add more if you want, of course. But the scripts don't call for overwhelming amounts of preproduction. We like to rely on the quality of the story.
There are several methods for doing preproduction. Some people like to use a storyboard. Some like to set up a "war room" with charts and graphs and easels. Some operate with an index card system.
You can use any system that helps you stay organized. A simple legal pad with a list of the scenes and each scene's "needs" and a planning sequence is a good place to start.
Take your script and list each scene on a legal pad. Then, next to the scene, list the scene's needs and also the scene's major challenges. The more challenges you can anticipate, the smoother your shoot will be.
Your preproduction "needs" will mostly relate to: People, Locations, and Equipment.
PeopleOne of the first things you'll want to know about your DIY Movie is who's doing what. For your early DIY Movies, especially, it is better to work with a small a crew as possible. The smaller the crew, the more experience you'll get with the actual nuts and bolts of filmmaking.
And, frankly, the smaller the crew, the less time you'll spend solving "people problems." On any movie set "people problems" can be annoying, to say the least.
Traditionally, films have been made by people with titles like Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, and of course Actor. You can do that, if you want. You'll just need to decide who is going to "direct," who is going to "produce," who is going to "act," etc.
But we find that most people who use DIY Movie Scripts to create their own films are pretty independent. So we have developed a slightly different approach for DIY Filmmakers. We use a system that is a lot like creating a Web site.
In the DIY system, the major filmmaker is considered a "film developer." The film developer's job is to oversee the entire project. Their objective is to take a raw story (a DIY Movie Script) and turn it into a media product (film, TV, video, etc.)
That means the film developer is involved with every aspect of the production. Their duties start at the very beginning and don't end until the film is sold, promoted, and distributed. Their work tends to be detailed, and may include scriptwriting, casting, directing, shooting, editing, deploying and distributing, and any other support and logistics associated with the film.
The film developer is highly involved with the general direction of the story and the details of the production. The developer uses film techniques to tell a story.
The DIY Filmmaker's objective is to stay as close to the action as possible. The simple rule of thumb is to use technology, creativity, and speed to substitute for money, people, and bureaucracy. The DIY Filmmaker's attitude and determination are their greatest filmmaking assets.
Even so, it is generally still impossible to create a film without involving other people. At the very least, a DIY Movie will involve actors and probably at least a skeleton crew.
Actors: One of the most challenging aspects of DIY Movie making is finding appropriate actors. Ideally, a DIY Filmmaker can find actors who have a passion for the story, some talent, and enough hunger to work on a limited-pay basis. (For a great discussion of pay, see Rick Schmidt's Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices, profiled above.)
Some of the best amateur or first-time actors are people who don't even know they're actors. Anybody with an especially expressive personality, no matter how they express it, is eligible.
To find your actors, finish your script, then keep your eyes open. Be sure to approach your potential actors in a professional, polite, and respectful manner. But do approach them. You might discover the next Meryl Streep.
Crew: Generally, unless you have a huge budget or amazing powers of persuasion, you want to work with as small a crew as possible. Do as much of the work yourself (DIY) as you can.
Teach yourself the processes involved with making films. It will save you money, headaches, and energy. And it will make you a much better filmmaker.
To determine how much crew you will need, take stock of your own talents and energies. If you want to go all the way with your DIY Filmmaking adventure, you will want to do as much of the writing, casting, directing, shooting, editing and distribution as possible.
Each of these processes can also be assigned to others. More important, the support for these processes can be assigned to others. So you may have needs for writers, production assistants, lighting and sound crew member(s), camera operators, editors (or editing software operators), and promoters.
Like actors, many of the best members of your crew may not know they're crew members yet. You may have to approach them and ask them to be a part of your DIY production. Keep your eyes open for people with the kind of talents you need, and see if you can recruit them.
A word of warning, it is generally not a great idea to put your friends on your crew, just based on the idea that they're your friends. If they're genuinely talented, or if they're the only people you can find who will work for free, that's great.
But filmmaking is harder than most people realize. A buddy who is "motivated" when the project starts may turn out to be "absent" soon after they find out how challenging the work really is.
Sets and LocationsYour script, and the way you interpret it, will also determine your needs for sets and locations. As a general rule, as a DIY Filmmaker you want use locations that are already easily available to you.
This is a great place to use your creativity. Your set or location can set a tone and evoke an emotion for your film. Your places will rarely be the "stars" of your films, but they can create memorable moments on film.
Obviously, your location should be accurate. If your script calls for an argument in the kitchen, you clearly need a room that at least passes for a kitchen.
If you were working on a Hollywood sound stage, somebody might build a set that looked like a kitchen. As a DIY Filmmaker, your best bet is probably to find and use a real kitchen.
To the extent that you can, use the same location or set repeatedly in your film. Of course, some films, especially action films, call for many locations and sets.
However, using multiple locations and sets is expensive. It costs money to arrange and prepare each location, and it costs every time you need to move your entire production.
As you arrange your scene list (described above), notice how many scenes are or can be shot in the same location. Then, plan to shoot those scenes together, while you are on that location. (Remember that you do not have to shoot scenes in the order in which they appear in the script. Shoot them in the order that is convenient for you, then edit them into the order you want to present them.)
Be sure that for any location you are planning to use, you secure a location agreement and/or shooting permit. Even when shooting in a public place, be sure to secure a permit. Generally, either the owner of the location you plan to use, a local government's film office, or a local film commission can help you secure the permits and agreements you need.
The DIY Filmmaker's rule is to use available, local sets and locations. If you need to make the scene seem exotic or cosmopolitan, try to use the script to manage the location issue.
For example, if your characters are meeting in a large city nightclub, focus on creating the nightclub atmosphere inside. That way you don't have to show the city or the outside of the club. You'll use the script to carry the idea your story is showing.
EquipmentThere are two major areas of concern related to equipment: props and shooting equipment.
Props are the physical items you will use to visually tell your story, including costumes. They can be as big as a dumptruck or as small as a slipper.
Some storytellers use props as symbols and strategic devices. This is fine for artistic expression, but not necessarily for DIY Filmmaking.
As a general rule, for your DIY Films, you want to keep your use of props as limited as possible. Stay focused on those props that actually move the story along.
Think about props from your audience's point of view. Especially in a short film, the action moves very quickly. The chance that your audience will actually sit and consider the symbolic or metaphoric importance of a particular character's hair color is very unlikely.
Make sure the quality of your props is consistent from scene to scene. And be sure that your props match your script. If your script calls for a high class Manhattan penthouse, make sure the furnishings, fixtures, and art match the need (as a DIY Filmmaker, if your script calls for a Manhattan penthouse, you might want to change the script, unless you have access to something that looks like a Manhattan penthouse).
As you did with locations, go through your scene list and, as thoroughly as you can, figure out the props each scene will require. Having them on hand before the shoot will save you time, energy, and shooting delays.
Shooting equipment is, of course, the electronic equipment you'll use to actually record your story. At minimum, you'll need a camera, a tripod, a microphone, and a lighting source.
For your early DIY Films, don't be afraid to use an inexpensive camera. Camcorder technology is advancing so fast that today's handheld cameras are much more powerful than professional cameras were, just a few years ago.
Your tripod will provide the stability you need for those shots where you want the camera absolutely still. It can be small and cheap, but it is a necessity to decent shooting.
Your camera will include an inline microphone. Don't depend on it for quality sound. Get at least one external, plug-in mic and use it to record your sound. Later, you'll record sound tracks and edit them into the final product. A decent quality mic will greatly enhance your film's sound.
You need at least one source for lighting. Most productions use two or three. You will need to be able to adjust the harshness of your light, either by switching bulbs, changing shields, or by using lighting accessories.
For your early DIY Film productions, you may find that you can use inexpensive lights from the hardware store, then adjust the light intensity with shields. As you experiment with lighting, you will find that it adds immeasurably to your productions. In the beginning, learning to use the lights effectively is an accomplishment itself.
· To the ShootIn the real world, your preparation will give you a great edge for success. It is impossible to prepare for everything, of course, so your attitude will also give you a great edge for success.
But do the best you can. It will really help when you're ready to start shooting.
Assignment 3 (For your benefit and enjoyment)
Module 4: Shooting Your DIY Movie






For this Lesson we recommend: The Little Digital Video Book

Lights, Camera...If this were a painting course, this is where you would finally pick up the brush. All of the planning and preparation are finished. It is time to start shooting.
Every filmmaker or movie expert has their own way to shoot film. Several great ones are indentified in the books at the top of this page.
But as a DIY filmmaker, you have one main job: Get out there and do it.
Take your script, gather your (hopefully very small) cast and crew, load up your equipment and props, and go to your first location. Set things up the way you want them, and start shooting.
As you begin, there are a couple things to make sure you do. They are related to the way you frame your shots and the way your shots actually turn out.
First, especially for your first few shots, be sure you look personally at how the shots are going to look through the camera. If you're acting as your own director of photography and camera shooter, this is obvious.
But if you've either hired a camera operator, or if one of your friends is doing it, be sure to take a minute and look at your shots through the camera. Don't just assume the camera's eye will see the same thing you do when it's "looking" at the scene.
Your First ShotOne of your great challenges as a DIY Filmmaker will be to actually go shoot your first shot. It can seem momentous, after all of the preparation and pressure of telling everybody that you're a "filmmaker" now.
Ignore the pressure. Jump right in there and start shooting. The healthiest thing you can do is take your script, set things up the way you believe they should be, get your characters in place, and shoot something. Preferably a scene or part of a scene.
Once you've shot something, you can look at it and know whether it is any good or not. If it is, keep it; if not, shoot it again (another great reason to shoot on digital). By simply doing something, you can also teach yourself something.
One of the secrets of DIY movie making is the ability to learn on the fly. One of the most powerful things you can do is take action, then make corrections.
So get the camera rolling as soon as possible. It will make you a better DIY Filmmaker.
LightsIn general, you want to use light sparingly, especially if you are shooting in digital. Many digital cameras, even of the consumer level, shoot very well in low light. So you may want to be conservative with the amount of artificial light you use.
Whether you go out and buy or rent a full lighting set, or use a couple hand-held garage trouble lights, you will find that light can heavily infuence the way you tell your story.
When your victim is recounting the horrible crime, do you want her or him in bright light or dim? It depends. You might have them in the "clear light" of the courthouse, or the dim horror of an asylum. Either way, the lighting tells part of the story.
Experimenting With ShotsAs you learn to shoot, direct, and develop your story, you will want to use the camera to create visual images. You will want to move the camera, switch camera angles, zoom, fade, and several other movements.
Do this. Experiment. Move around. Shift angles. Be brave. "Be scary," as Robert Rodriguez says.
You'll find that as you experiment, you'll get better. You'll find camera angles you like to use to create specific emotions and reactions. Then you'll use them whenever you want to create particular emotions. Then you'll become predictable and need to start over!
Working With ActorsWith DIY Movie Scripts, you will need to work with actors, of course. Each DIY Script has several speaking parts, and room for plenty of extras.
Working with actors is going to be one of the great challenges of making DIY Movies. Unless you can afford to hire professionals, or unless you have been lucky enough to find "naturals," you will need to bring your actors along patiently.
Everybody watches TV and films and thinks, "That's easy. I could do that." The reason TV and film actors are paid the huge money is because they make it look easy! If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. It's not easy.
So it is the DIY Filmmaker's job to help the actors, often amateurs and maybe friends and family. Help them learn their lines. Help them speak properly on camera. Help them become comfortable.
Perhaps the most useful thing a DIY Filmmaker can do is help the actors learn to openly show emotions. One good way to do this is to get them to act out their scene without using words. That way, they will have to show the drama of a scene without using a word.
Believe it or not, this will help them understand how important body language is to acting. For your part, try to imagine how you would shoot each scene in your DIY Movie if you could not use words. This will help you build texture and visual meaning into each scene.
Feeding The MobOne issue DIY Filmmakers deal with in varying degrees is food. If your cast and crew are on location for long periods of time, filmmaking convention holds that the filmmaker (production company) should feed them. So if you are working with experienced help, or if you simply want to honor the convention, you can feed them.
"Feed them" may mean ordering pizza. It may mean making sandwiches or homemade soup. It may mean catered lunches, or it may mean gourmet.
Often, DIY Filmmakers shoot their movies a little at a time. A few hours here, a few hours there, many DIY Filmmakers do not deal with food as an issue, because they are never on the job long enough to warrant feeding their crew.
So this issue may or may not apply to you. But it is important to know about it, at least in general.
Congratulations to DIY FilmmakersThis is the moment you've been waiting for. This is where you'll determine whether or not you really want to make films. If you've done preproduction, been involved with writing the script, and gotten everything pulled together up to this point, you're probably very personally invested (not to mention financially!)
The important thing at this point is to cut yourself some slack. If you're making your film using the DIY method, you're building in enough flexibility and choices that if something goes wrong, you can just back up, make some changes and start again.
The other thing you should do at this point is give yourself some credit. A lot of people fantasize about making films and media. Most of them don't have a clue about how to do it, and don't have the ambition to even get started. They couldn't--or wouldn't bother to--get together the story, the equipment, the people and, most important, the energy to do one of these projects.
In his great book, "Rebel Without A Crew," Robert Rodriguez says you're a filmmaker when you set out to make your first film. When you download a DIY Script, flesh it out to tell your story, then set out to film it, you are a filmmaker.
The final thing you should do at this point is to plan to persevere. Nothing worth doing well is going to come easy. Don't let anybody fool you. Know that you're going to hang in there when it's hard--when it's too hot or too cold, or there's no money, or somebody's whining because they dont' get enough face time, or whatever.
Know that you're going to be flexible. When a location, or a piece of dialogue, or the chemistry between two actors, doesn't work out, change it. Change whatever you have to, just be sure to tell your story.
The DIY Method gives you the tools and the power to use them. Use them.
Assignment 4 (For your benefit and enjoyment)
Module 5: Editing and Post-Production








For this Lesson we recommend: Nonlinear - A Field Guide To Digital Video and Film Editing

Pulling the Pieces Together: Editing and Deploying Your DIY MovieBy this time, your DIY Movie is a collection of images and sounds in the form of a pile of digital tape. You probably have an inventory of tape that includes multiple takes of most of your scenes, multiple angles for most of your shots, and, as a result, multiple ways of telling your story.
At this point, you are going to take that gaggle of impressions and turn them into a story. That is what happens in the editing process.
Editing Your DIY MovieEditing is the process that turns the movie you started with--the one in your head--into the movie that you will show to the world. It is the point at which you make your vision a reality.
In editing, you will determine which of your shots will make it into the movie, how much of each scene and shot will be in the movie, how you're going to arrange the shots, and how you're going to move from shot to shot. As you can tell, it's an involved, important process.
Review Your Script and Story BoardAs a DIY Filmmaker, you probably used a skeleton cast and crew to shoot your video. As a result, you are left with a pile of footage that may or may not be in the order your story will be told.
So before you begin editing, go back over your script and, if you used one, your story board. This will refresh your memory about how you originally envisioned the story.
Note: You may not want to tell the story the same way now that you've shot it. Things can change, including your concept of the story. Going back over the script will just refresh your memory, and give you the chance to keep or change the story as you need to.
Digital EditingOf course, as a DIY Filmmaker, your whole purpose is to work in the digital medium. Shoot with a digital camera, onto digital film. Upload to a digital PC or Mac. Edit in a digital environment.
Whether your tools are massively sophisticated or very simple, the processes are essentially the same. Shoot. Upload. Edit. The difference in equipment will determine the quality of the product you are able to output, of course. But the process is the same.
So fire up your digital editing tool. Upload your DIY Movie from the digital tapes. And get started building your DIY Movie.
Uncoil The CordHave you ever tried to untangle an extension cord that somebody had put away too quickly? Your movie is in somewhat the same shape. You probably have a "tangle" of raw footage, music, sound effects, and maybe special effects files.
Your job in editing is to "uncoil" the tangle so that it tells a great story, the one you started with.
To go from a "tangle" to a "story," you will need to make decisions, maybe even thousands of them, if you're doing a feature length film. Not only that, but your decisions will build upon and interact with one another.
So relax and enjoy yourself. Even though the shooting is over--for now at least--your role as a film developer is now in full swing.
Start Making DecisionsHere are some of the first decisions you will need to make:
1.) What to leave in, what to leave out (with thanks to Bob Seger) You'll base these decisions on a lot of factors, including quality of acting, quality of photography, efficiency (does a short take tell the story more quickly).
Here is a simple key: Leave in anything that moves the story forward; eliminate anything that does not. Feel free to be brutal. Even if you like the way a scene turns out, if it slows down the story, repeats something that's already been said, or distracts from the story's major purpose, lose it.
2.) How to order the storyYour may find that what you thought was going to be "Scene A" is actually better suited to show up around "B", "C", or "D." Change them around. Your audience won't know the difference. Their only concern is to be entertained. You are in charge of their experience.
3.) How to convey timeYour film will almost never happen in "real time." Your 90 minute movie will almost always take place over a longer period of time (or, in rare, experimental cases, a shorter period). So you have to figure out how to show that time is elapsing.
4.) How to transition from scene to sceneMuch like the passage of time, when your story shifts from scene to scene, you want to give your audience cues to follow the shift. These cues might include cuts (where you go from one shot to another with nothing in between) or fades (where one scene fades fully to black before another comes up). Your audience needs a sense of closure when the scene shifts that matches the forward momentum of the movie.
A general rule: Use "big" transitions to show the passage of time or events; use small transitions to show that less time is passing, or that events are moving quickly.
Examples: Watch the great TV series "NYPD Blue" some time. Notice the transitions.
Big: When the scene changes in some big way (from one time to another, or from one major location to another), there is often a cut to a transition scene, often a series of shots of New York neighborhoods, with that terrific music in the background.
Small: When the scene is shifting in a small way (from one cop interview room to another, and back and forth), there is usually no transition, just a quick jump from one room to another.
5.) How to depict dialogue and actionYour script contains the bits of dialogue and action that you or a writer envisioned and committed to paper. The footage in your possession represents the efforts of an actor, photographer, and director (one or more of whom might be you) to translate the script into an artistic expression.
In editing, you can further hone the message of your story by the way you show dialogue and action. Especially if you have several takes of the same scene, you will be able to vary the camera angles, movement, and character intensity.
Test your shots with several variations. Does the close-up catch the actor's emotion better? Does a moving camera communicate the chaos of a scene? These are but some of the decisions you will make as an editor of your DIY Movie.
Reshoot If Absolutely NecessaryAs you edit your movie, you may find that some shots, or some entire scenes, are wrong. Perhaps they simply are not as good as the rest of the movie. Perhaps the story no longer supports them in their current form. Perhaps there is a technical problem with lights, sound, or costumes.
In any case, you have a decision to make: Do you reassemble the cast and crew to reshoot the scene? Or do you "edit around it" by finding another way to tell the story with the film, sound, and effects that you already have.
Advice: As a DIY Filmmaker, you will often face serious financial and time crunches. Where you can, try to edit around mistakes and mishaps. Be creative. Be aggressive. Find a different way to tell your story.
Remember: Your audience will not know what was in the script. And even if they do, you still have the full right to change the script any time.
Deploy Your FilmOnce you have completed the editing process and arrived at a "final cut" (the finished movie), you will want to show your film to the world. Your next step is to arrange to save your movie in a format the rest of the world can see.
Remember that your film may need to be available in different formats for different purposes:
Trailer: Your film's trailer is a short (3-5 minute) mini-version of the total film. Your trailer should tell the synopsis of the story, with plenty of action, in a very short time. The trailer's purpose is to inform and entice someone to see your full film
Ad: Depending on the venue, you may need to cut a 30 and/or 60 second version of your trailer to be used as a commercial. This is another sifting process, in which you tell the story of your film in even less time than the trailer, packing in as much action as possible.
Full Length: Obviously, you want your final cut available in its full length form.
Digital FormatsThere are two primary formats a DIY Filmmaker should plan to encounter: DVD and the Web. These two formats are the least expensive, quickest ways to move your film to your audience.
Assignment 5 (For your benefit and enjoyment)


Module 6: Distribution
For this lesson we recommend: Producer's Business Handbook
What to Do With Your DIY Movie Once It's FinishedSo your DIY Film is finished, and now it is time to show it to the world. Excellent.
You're about to run into the independent filmmaker's nightmare: distribution. Unless you're making your DIY film just for yourself--which is fine--you are going to need a way to distribute it, to send it around, to give people the opportunity to see it, share it, get it, love it.
In the far distant past, the only way to get your film out there was to work through a studio distribution system. You would have to make numerous copies of your film, ship it to numerous studios and distribution companies, and pray that some high and mighty Hollywood type would look kindly upon your humble contribution to the film world.
Welcome to the DIY Filmmaker's world.
If you want to, you can still go the studio route, or try. But if you have the independent spirit of a DIY Filmmaker, you're also probably willing and able to use some nontraditional methods to get your film out into the maelstrom of public viewing.
The key to effective DIY filmmaking is efficiency. Digital efficiency. And originality. As a DIY Filmmaker, you're already a bit of a pirate. You have chosen to make your own films the DIY way.
So, naturally, you can distribute your film the DIY way, too.
DIY Direct DistributionDistributing your film the DIY way means using the Internet to the greatest advantage. The Internet is still primarily an information mechanism, but is also slowly becoming a distribution mechanism, too.
"Information mechanism?" "Distribution mechanism?" What does that have to do with the art of filmmaking? Relatively little. But both concepts are going to be crucial to distributing your film the DIY way.
Most filmmakers don't get this far into the discussion. They're hung up on their artistic roles, and not willing to get involved with the details of distribution. They'd rather whine about the great injustices done them by an uncaring, crass commercial world than get in there and figure out how to make it work.
As a DIY Filmmaker, you need to have a multitude of talents, including the creative use of the Internet as an "Information Mechanism" and a "Distribution Mechanism."
The Information MechanismUsing the Internet as an "Information Mechanism" means using the Internet as a means of getting out information about your DIY Film. It means using Web sites, forums, chats, and email to build awareness and even a little bit of buzz about your film.
Using the Internet as an Information Mechanism means you're going to stake out a little corner of cyberspace for your film, and for yourself as a DIY Filmmaker. You're going to set up a Web site for yourself and your film. You're going to post in visible forums. You're going to send out e-mail press releases. You're going to arrange for reviews and publicize them. You are going to do some creative speaking and writing to draw attention to yourself and your film.
You are, in short, going to create your own hype for your film. If you find this idea distasteful, that's OK. You can always depend on Hollywood to create your hype for you. Just understand that if you are not willing to promote your film the DIY way, you will have to depend on someone else to do it for you, and that puts you in the long line of starving filmmakers who are doing the exact same thing.
On the other hand, if you find the idea of using the Internet as an Information Mechanism exciting. If you are finding yourself, right now, dreaming up ways that you will promote your film, then you will soon realize another of the DIY Filmmaker's rules: You can create your film so that it lends itself to promotion and distribution. As the author Stephen Covey says, you can "begin with the end in mind."
The Distribution MechanismUsing the Internet as a "Distribution Mechanism" means that you use the Internet to actually distribute the movie. That is, you deploy your film so that people can actually download it over the Internet, then either watch it on their PC's (or Macs, of course), or burn it to DVD and watch it on their DVD player and television.
It is still just a little bit futuristic to plan on using the Internet as your sole Distribution Mechanism. Not completely futuristic, as there are certainly people who will catch your vision and download, burn, and watch your movie. It's just that right now, there are not a great number of those people. There will be very soon, however, so keep an eye on this trend and be ready to capitalize on it.
For now, it is more realistic to think in terms of using the Internet as a limited Distribution Mechanism. That means you will use the Internet to distribute smaller slices of your film (your trailer and ad, specifically). You will invite people to download a Web-based version of your trailer and ad, play them on their computers, and become irresistibly attracted to watching your entire film.
Once people have become aware of your film (because you've effectively used the Internet as an Information Mechanism) and have seen a taste of your film (because you've effectively used the Internet as a Distribution Mechanism), you can complete the distribution cycle by inviting them to either purchase a copy of your film on DVD, or perhaps view it in either a theatrical or television release.
The important thing, though, is that as a DIY Filmmaker, you are in charge of your own destiny. And the Internet makes it possible to make that a very fine destiny, indeed.
Some practical matters related to distributing your DIY Film:
File FormatsAs you get ready to deploy your DIY Film, you are going to send it from your hard drive, and your editing program, out to various media. This is known as "outputting," since you are putting your film out there for the world to see.
When you do that, you need to put it out there in file formats the world can easily use. File formats are the configurations of the digital files that contain your film content.
The file formats you will need to deal with:
Settings for DVD: MPEG-1 and MPEG-2Settings for Web: RealMedia (.rm), Windows Media (.wmv or .asf), QuickTime (.mov or .qt)
Purists and experts will tell you that this is an oversimplification. It probably is, but we are working with the basics here. There is much, much more information available on the Web and in various resources.
FTP Download & Peer to Peer NetworksOnce you get a handle on file formats, it will be helpful to understand a little about the ways that people will download your film, especially if you're using the Internet as a Distribution Mechanism.
The two most common means of downloading are FTP and Peer to Peer Networks.
FTP is the Internet's "file transfer protocol." It makes it possible for people to, well, transfer files over the Internet. Using a piece of FTP software--or their Internet browser--people will find the server on which your film is located, and simply download it onto their own computer. Or they may transfer it to another server. You don't care. All you want is for them to download it, play it, and recommend that others do the same.
The Peer to Peer networks are becoming the Internet's coolest distribution system. They're also the things that have the entertainment industry (especially the music industry) all up in arms.
Using services like BitTorent and LimeWire, the Peer to Peer systems make it possible for networks of users to share files. More specifically, they make it possible for communities of users to download one another's media files, like music files. Most important to you, using a Peer to Peer network, once your movie is available to one user, it is available to all users on that service.
But, you say, isn't that a bad thing? Don't I want to preserve my artistic rights? Isn't that the purpose of copyright? Shouldn't I be upset about people just openly sharing my work?
No. The Peer to Peer networks are great ways to generate what you really want for your DIY Film: Attention and Buzz. You want people downloading your movie. You want people watching your movie. You want people talking about your movie. You want them to become your audience, your "buzz" group.
People love to think they've found something cool that not just everybody knows about.
The Peer to Peer networks, and other Internet strategies, are great ways to position your DIY Film, and yourself, as a cool thing.
Once you and your movie are cool things, you will find ways to create profitable things. Or profitable things will find you. Don't worry. Just create an audience. The good stuff will follow.
Creating BuzzAs a DIY Filmmaker, you want to be responsible for creating the atmosphere, the energy, the "buzz" around your DIY Film. If you are responsible for it, you control it. Not only that, but you get to build some very helpful skills in publicity and promotion that will pay off forever.
The "buzz" your film generates will be dependent upon two things: 1.) Finding an audience who will "buzz" about your film; 2.) creating a film worthy of "buzz" from the right audience.
Like our discussion of file formats above, this might seem like an oversimplification. It is actually a revelation about the Internet. Creating a "buzz" with the right audience can only lead to good things.
It might lead to great success with that niche audience. And it might also lead to a "bleed-over" effect. That means your niche audience might "buzz" about your film to people who were originally not in your niche audience. Those people may be attracted to your film, and tell others, and on it goes.
The key to success in using the Internet as an Information Mechanism is not to tell "everybody" about your film. It's to tell those who will be most intrigued. And of course, it's to have a film that they will find irresistibly intriguing. Then, you just depend on them to spread the word. Which they will.
So how do you create the first glimmer of awareness that causes the first buzz? Do all the mundane things that make Internet marketing so much fun..
Post in the appropriate forums (Yahoo Groups is a great place to start; also do a simple search for independent film discussion forums). Don't be a pest, but politely post that you have a new independent film out, and that a trailer is available at "such and such" location. Provide a link. Don't overhype the film right there, but do ask for feedback.
Develop a press release. You can post it on PRWeb.com for nothing. Do it. You never know who might pick it up. You can also send it to many, many media sources via email. There are plenty of sources on the Web to learn to do this. Just do a search under "Web press release" and watch the results pile up.
Email your friends, colleagues, and everybody else you can think of who might be interested. This is not a suggestion to SPAM people. Don't do that. There isn't much good that will come of it. This is a suggestion that you probably already know people who are interested in your film. Send them a note saying, "Hey, the movie's done. You can download a trailer now. Pass it on."
Build a Web site. Your film deserves its own corner of cyberspace, and so do you. A simple Web site that gives information about the film, about you, and other tidbits (bios of the cast, stories about production, etc.) will draw audience interest. It only takes a small bit of effort to make a great Web site. If you don't feel qualified, find somebody who is. They're around every corner, and will probably be glad to be part of your cool project.
List on search engines. You can do it for free, and it's easy. Or, if you have any kind of promotional budget at all, you can list on Yahoo or one of the pay-per-click engines. They'll really rev up traffic.
Be available. Make yourself available for inquiries from fans, Web site visitors, and, of course media who might be interested in telling your story. Publish an email address that people can use. Be quick and relevant with your responses. People really like the personal touch, which email makes easy to provide.
Think about it. How cool would it be to get a personal email from an independent filmmaker you admire? Soon, you will be the filmmaker others are admiring. Create something cool for them and they could become part of your "buzz" audience.
ConclusionAs you can tell, this course is just the beginning. We've covered a lot of territory and if you follow the model, and make your films, you can become a DIY Filmmaker. You'll get to take part in the coolest revolution in film and entertainment ever.
To do it right, you're going to need two things: a desire to learn and a desire to act.
Get all the resources you can, as inexpensively as you can. Use this free course as a jumping off point.
From here, buy some of the books we've recommended. Look around for other free courses. Search the forums. Become an even if it's just for a course or two. You'll get certificates for each course you complete. You'll build your filmmaking portfolio. And it's a lot cheaper than going to film school).
Then, finally, there's only one more way to become a DIY Filmmaker. Grab your script, grab your camera, grab your tiny cast and crew, load up your editing tools, and get to work.
Robert Rodriguez, one of the great DIY Filmmakers of all time, said it best: "To learn to make movies, you've got to make movies."
Go. Get started. Good luck.
All the best,