plan a film

1. By Precious Oladimeji

2.  The best way to start making a film is to create a
script, which is a written version of your concept. It
helps you remember what happens in a
chronological order and it also notes keys features
such as editing techniques and descriptions of
characters. Out of all the paper work produced for
a film, a script should be made first.
 When we were coming up with the concept of our
film, we produced a first draft of a script so we had
a solid idea so we could work from it. Over time
when we got the final idea done, we drafted two
more scripts until we had a solid idea.

3.  The next stage would be to create a
storyboard, which is a visual version of your
script and concept. Creating a storyboard helps
you save time as it shows the shots you plan to
capture in a chronological order.
 After the script was created, we used it to help
form the storyboard, which helped show our
cinematographer the type of shots we want for
each scene. In the end we ended up with two
drafts of our storyboards as our ideas
progressed.

4.  Making sure that you have access to the locations you plan to
film in is key because it prepares you and helps to save time.
If your locations are not picked carefully, it could mean you
might end up using a temporary location, which means you
might have to find another location half way through the
project.
 We had a total of six locations, Busayo’s house, Caitlan’s
house, Eisvina’s house, a makeshift doctors room, a park, and
an art room. Before we used these locations, we made sure
we could use them for a few months to make sure we
wouldn’t run into any difficulties.
 Before we used the location, we made sure to give the owners
a letter to inform them about the fact that we would use their
location for a certain amount of time.

5.  Once you have the concept down its important
to make sure you select the right equipment to
film your short film. There are various cameras
to use however there might be one that would
be best for a certain scene.
 We booked various types of equipment for
different days when we filmed. On a normal
day we would only take a canon 70D, an SD
card, batteries, and a camera bag. However on
the days where we were filming more
complicated scenes, we would additionally use
LED lights, a monitor, and a 50mm lens.

6.  Editing is important as the footage alone does
not tell the story. Editing helps to develop the
narrative and move the story along in a
chronological order. Not only that but editing
also includes adding sound effects, voiceovers,
or soundtracks to help create the mood of the
narrative.
 The editing was the last part of our process,
which took the longest part as we had to
assemble all the pieces together. On top of
this, a soundtrack, a voiceover, and sound
effects were added.