Shooting

Shooting is, to some, a time where the film takes on a whole life of its own, to others a simple regurgitation of a paper storyboard. In practical terms, it seems simple enough: plan out a series of shots, go and shoot them just like it shows here on paper, tick off the scenes one by one and go home. In an ideal situation this is more or less what happens, but since it is an art form it is natural to assume that the creative process continues throughout the project, through planning, shooting and editing. So, you should expect to encounter obstacles and temptations along the way. Obstacles in the form of challenges to your plans, temptations in the sense of other, seemingly better, ideas that come up possibly deviating from the original one. Great planning for a film is about giving you the confidence to know your idea inside out, giving you the commitment to get round problems and the confidence to know the good from the bad when new ideas come up.

Another important point to realize about filming is how nothing ever works out the way you imagine it will. Every good filmmaker needs to have plan B available constantly, followed by C, D, E and so on. When working on a low budget this is more likely in that you have to rely more on goodwill, people helping you out, lending you equipment. But you also find that a shot that looks perfect on paper just isn't possible for real. You may want the bank to be seen from the telephone box and it may be really crucial for the scene, but when you get there it becomes obvious that that tree in full leaf is going to get in the way. The answer is improvisation: the ability to think fast and clearly on set so that you stay in line with your plans, coming up with ideas that can solve a problem. If you don’t do this, your crew and actors will quickly realize there is a power vacuum and start arguing about the best way forward. So, plan to improvise.

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Preparing for shooting

Video safety and good practice