What is Filmmaking?
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines filmmaking as being “the making of motion pictures.” That’s a pretty straight forward and we believe accurate description of what the movie process is.
Therefore it doesn’t take too much of a leap of faith to then define a filmmaker or movie director as “someone who makes motion pictures.”
A filmmaker or film director is in some sense in a leadership position and overseer of all aspects of a production. It is her or his job to make certain that footage shot will eventually be able to be edited into a finished movie such as a Thrillumentary. Much planning usually occurs in preparing to shoot a film because everyone’s time on the set is valuable and if a director is not prepared it can cost the studio extra money.
Studio Made Movies Versus Independent Films or Even “No Budget” Ones
In recent years with the advent of digital filmmaking the lines have been blurring considerably as to the difference between studio, independent and no budget productions Wikipedia describes a no budget film as follows:
“A no-budget film is a film made with very little or no money. “
The fact is that with the incredible quality that current inexpensive video cameras have, it’s now possible for just about anyone to make a feature film.
Self Taught Filmmakers
There is on the rise people who are self taught filmmakers. Some would say “doing is learning” and because the threshold to enter the game is so low, anyone can start to make movies. Her or his films may not at first be very good, but one has to fail to become good at something because we learn from our mistakes.
Do YOU Want to be a Filmmaker?
The fact that you are reading this post might indicate that you are a filmmaker or want to be a filmmaker or are even someone who is just interested in filmmaking in general. Regardless why you are here we at “Movie Process” commend you for doing research into the process. We invite you to jump right in and make a motion picture. The time has never been better to do so!
Things to Think About When Making a “No Budget” Movie
First off, you have no budget in the first place so the only thing that you have to lose is time. If you are planning on having a small crew you will need to worry about their time also, since as a leader you want to make certain to have their interest at heart.
Making a Movie Alone
Or if you are a self taught moviemaker making a film you might even decide to work alone. We realize this may sound a little bit odd, but in fact we’ve seen people who opt out of having a crew and only recruit some onscreen talent. Can a movie be made with just a camera, a director and some actors? Of course it can and YOU are just the person to do it.
Should You Script Your Movie?
Here’s the deal. If you are making a film to gain experience and are making it alone, all you really have to worry about are the actors. And depending on what type of actors you have, they may even be good at improvising dialogue. If this is the case then all you need to do is have a basic outline, either on paper or in your head, to start working.
Filmmakers of Yesteryear Rolling Over in their Graves!
Many filmmakers from the past if they were alive today, might not like the idea of not having a script. But for many of them, especially for film exploration happening in the early 1900’s, they had big and bulky and expensive ways of making their films. Today, not of that applies. So do what you want. Again your first couple of movie may not be great, but you will get better and better as you go along.
Do You Have a Passion to Make Films?
This is a very important question because to make films you should have a passion for it. This is what will keep you going especially when the going gets tough. You need to be able to pick yourself up and then go at it once again!
Final Thoughts
We live in an exciting time because of the low cost of making movies, so get out there and make a film!