Filming your movie PART 5

HOW MUCH TO MAKE A MOVIE?

For scenes with people talking or acting, you need to ‘top and tail’ your shots. Start the camera a few seconds before the action starts, and leave it running for a few seconds after it ends. If you’re working on your own, the best thing to do is to start the camera and check it’s recording, count slowly to five, and then give the actors a hand signal or shout ‘Action’. Then when they’ve finished, count another five seconds before you stop.

If you’re working as a team, you can follow some version of this drill:

•Get your shot set up and your actors in place.

•The camera operator says ‘Camera set’ when they’re ready.

•Then the director says ‘Quiet please’.

•Once everyone’s quiet, they say ‘Standby’ and then ‘Turn over’.

•The camera operator starts the camera and checks that it’s recording, then they say ‘Camera rolling’.

•The director counts to five and then says ‘Action’ (or they can count the actors in with a hand signal).

•The actors or presenters do their thing, and then the director counts to five again and says ‘Cut’.

•The camera operator stops the camera and the production assistant makes a note of the shot and take on the shot list.

Get the location sound

You should always record at least half a minute of background sound from the location, without dialogue. This is called atmos, wild track or room tone. It can be really useful when you edit.

Ask everyone to be quiet, then leave your camera or audio recorder running for thirty seconds.

If you’re filming at a location with interesting or distinctive sounds that might help tell your story, record them separately as well.

Before you leave

Check what you’ve filmed before you leave the setting or location, if you can. Otherwise, at least check that you’ve filmed everything on your storyboard or shot list.

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