Preproduction


In general, the term preproduction refers to everything done before the camera starts rolling. I think it's safe to assume that you know how to operate your camcorder, and you probably know roughly what you want to shoot. The following stepsexcept for the first one, which I consider essentialare optional, depending on the type of movie you're shooting. (For example, feel free to storyboard your baby's first steps, but she'll ultimately be the one to decide how that scene plays out.)

  • Imagine the end result. Before you even turn on your camcorder, think about how the video will be seen. Will it be viewed on a television, movie screen, computer monitor, or maybe a combination of them all? This decision will help you when shooting. For example, if your movie will only appear on the Web, you may want to shoot more close-ups of people, to make sure they're identifiable in a 320 by 160-pixel window on your computer screen. If it's going to be shown on a big-screen television, on the other hand, you could frame your shots with wider vistas or complex background action in the shot.

  • Write the script. If you're shooting a fictional story, with scenes, sets, actors, and the like, you're going to need a script. Sure, the bigwigs in Hollywood don't always start movies with a script, but you've no doubt seen one of those stinkers and wondered if entire sections of Los Angeles underwent covert lobotomies. A good movie starts with a good script, without exception. Even in the low-budget world of digital video filmmaking, a good script can often overcome bland direction, lighting, staging, acting, sound, etc.

An Afternoon, A Life

Shortly after starting work on the first edition of this book, I spent an afternoon with a colleague of mine, who also happens to be an Emmy-winning filmmaker, to pick his brain about filmmaking. "Anything in particular?" he asked me.

"Shooting, lighting, sound...," I replied.

He laughed. "Some people spend their entire lives learning just one of those skills."

Filmmaking is an evolutionary art, and involves far more than I can include in this book. I'll cover the basics, but I highly recommend consulting Appendix B for resources on where to learn more about shooting.


  • Create storyboards. Another step in producing a good fictional movie is creating storyboards: shot-by-shot sketches of what you want to shoot (Figure 2.1). In fact, you can use storyboards for documentary-style shooting, too. The point of storyboarding is to formulate your idea of what to shoot before you actually shoot; this process will save you time and help ensure that you're capturing all the visuals you want. At the very least, make a list of things you want to shoot, even if you're grabbing vacation video.

    Figure 2.1. Drawing up a storyboard will help you visualize your shots and save time. If you're shooting casually or on the go, create a list of shots you want to try to capture. (Your storyboards are likely to run left-to-right, like most, but I'm working in a vertical layout here.)

  • Prepare your equipment. Do you have plenty of MiniDV cassettes? Spare batteriesand are they charged? Power cord or battery charger? Lens cleaning cloth? Tripod? "Going to shoot video" can simply mean bringing your body and camcorder; or, it can involve hauling truckloads of equipment. In either case, make sure you have what you'll need to accomplish the job.




iMovie HD 6 & iDVD 6 for Mac OS X (Visual QuickStart Guide Series)
iMovie HD 6 and iDVD 6 for Mac OS X
ISBN: 0321423275
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 197
Authors: Jeff Carlson

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