The more I know about making a movie, the better I’ll be at writing one. So, I challenged myself to do a short.
I talked a couple of kids (family members) into being my actors and wrote a short I hoped they’d enjoy making. I knew I’d have to direct it myself, but then realized I’d also have to handle the editing of the final project.
A short suddenly seemed a huge thing to do, overwhelming even. But what kind of challenge would it be if it was easy? I pushed on.
I was fortunate enough to rope one more person onto the crew. A sweet, intelligent young woman (my daughter) agreed to do the camera work.
In an effort to make it easy, I choose as a location a large, easy to access, public park.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Public parks, particularly those used by seaplanes, are excessively noisy.
It is a little know fact that marching bands practice in public parks.
People actually do walk up to strangers in public parks and ask, “What are you doing?”
The microphone on my smart phone is too weak for filming, so an external microphone is necessary.
Lavalier microphones work great but are a pain to place correctly, particularly if they need to be hidden.
It is necessary for the director to check that a microphone is turned on.
Filming uses up the battery of a smart phone ridiculously fast.
Working with children, as sweet as they are, has its own challenges.
Choosing editing software is a grueling chore and takes much longer than expected.
Learning to use said software takes even longer.
Directing is a skill I have yet to master.
The weather doesn’t always cooperate.
Patience is key!
School starts up in a couple of weeks and my actors will be very busy. Meanwhile, there’s still three scenes to shoot and sound issues to resolve.
Wish me luck!