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It’s not a toy! If you’re filming a miniature, flood the bastard with as much light as you can without starting fires or flipping breakers. Iris down to darken. Don’t go the other way ’round or it’ll look like a miniature. If you’re unsure of this, watch the opening sequence of Logan’s Run or the […]
This is what “doin’ the wave” sounds like. Recording live sound at a beach is problematic at best. Beaches are great places for action scenes, fight scenes, and dialogue-free contemplative scenes. Anything that requires sound is going to sound like crap. If you must do dialogue at a beach, plan for ADR. If you have […]
Might as well be the Vashta Nerada Filming an outdoor scene in bright sunlight’s not all it’s cracked up to be — shadows are harsh and sharp, and everybody bakes. If you film in hazy overcast, shadows are softer, sometimes gone, and everybody’s cooler. You can always color-correct the footage, but you can’t fix shadows. […]
Or it might keep those brats in line. If you’re shooting after dark, find out who can see your set. A neighbor who doesn’t care about a day shoot might object strongly to a 1k light shining in the kids’ bedroom window.
Silent, Meaningful Glances If you read through your entire script out loud, chances are excellent that every single place you stumbled on the dialogue can be cut without hurting the story. Unless you’ll be breathing-for-effect, don’t write dialogue bigger than a single breath can handle. A lot of people make the mistake of solving things […]
Hot Stuff The lights are hot enough to melt parts of the camera body, as well as melt or ignite other materials nearby. Watch those close shots and if you smell something burning, pay attention to it right then. Don’t do this:
Safety Fourth There’s only two reasons to do another take: because you want a safety, or because you want something done differently. If you want a safety-take, say so. If you want something changed, say so and explain it. Doing multiple takes without knowing why can be very frustrating to the cast and crew. It’s […]
Why not — bullets all feel the same, right? When doing sound design, try to not use the same sound more than once — unless there’s a very specific reason to. Every monster roar is different — even if it’s the same monster. However, for an automatic weapon, it’s okay if every discharge sounds the […]
They were medieval wristwatches, apparently. Period pieces require costumes. Make sure you account for that. Including shoes! I can count three times, for example, that I’ve missed wristwatches!
Speedy McSwordster Quick way to build a sword: If it doesn’t have to be a hero prop, just make it out of thin plywood wood and paint it. With a jigsaw and a file and a sander, you can have a smooth and ready-to-paint sword in less than an hour. With five buddies all working […]
