Movie Making 101
1. Start EARLY.
The Earlier you start the better.
2. Start with a plan.
Don't go out filming random footage blindly. This will only waste your time.
3. Manage your time.
Once you've formulated your plan, assess how much time you have and make a decision on whether or not what you want is going to fit into real time constraints. We at the media center can give you some input on how feasible your project is, given the time limit.
4. Movie Basics.
Keep in mind, audio and video are two separate entities that you can mold in any way you would like when the editing begins. Remember that if you want dubbing, music, on camera audio, or any combination of this, it is possible!
5. Write a script.
Before you actually begin filming or recording audio, write out the exact script like a movie producer would do. It's much easier to erase and edit script than it is video once you find out you don't have what you need on editing day. The script should include a brief description of all video shots that you need (motion video, digital pics, scanned pics, etc.), as well as ALL audio that will be in the video, including voices, as well as any music or sound effects you want to be in your video.
6. Do your narration first.
Once you have gotten your script, it is best to (if you're doing voice-over) record your narration before you shoot the video. This way you will know exactly what video you need to shoot to match up with your narration. You can use the camera to record this part and then extract just the audio from the tape.
7. Make use of all resources you have.
The best way to make a shot work nice is to keep the camera steady. Use the tripod where possible, that's why you have it. Also, if you're doing filming where you want to use the audio of the object being filmed, use an external (plug in) microphone for better audio than that of the camera microphone alone. And don't forget your number one resource, the Media Department or library. We can give you advice on what techniques seem to work best.
8. Editing takes time.
It's safe to bet that editing a video will take 10 times longer than simply shooting the video. You may need to edit over a multiple day period. This may vary with each video depending on length, content, etc. A common formula for editing is every minute of finished video requires about 1 hour of editing time. Do the math!
Remember these things:
A. Be careful of copyrighted music. Become friends with a musician or use a program such as Acid Music to create your own.
B. Bring all of your resources. If you want sound, bring it, whether it be on a CD, disk, or access to it via the internet. Unfortunately, we cannot get sound from an old video cassette tape without prior notice. If you need ANY assistance (before editing day) in recording your sound or narration, let us know, we have a very nice facility just for this and we'll be happy to help you use it.
C. Know what you want before you arrive. This is another good argument for visiting us BEFORE you start your project. If you don't know what our capabilities are, call us or come by for a short meeting and run your idea by us so we can let you know if it's doable or not.
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