Making a Scripted Movie

[nomad2010]

So i just bought a Canon HV20 and i want to make a scripted film. But what are the best setting and programs to edit and film it in to get the "real movie" look?

 

[pdpfilms]

So i just bought a Canon HV20 and i want to make a scripted film. But what are the best setting and programs to edit and film it in to get the "real movie" look?

Some basics to start with on the camera:
24F
48fps
Widest aperture possible (i.e. set to Manual and have the f/ number be lowest as possible)

Some production basics:
Light your scenes well. This is the number one underlooked element to making "film-like" movies.
Shoot lots of B-Roll (A.K.A. the small things.. feet walking, the tree she's looking at, etc. Provides shots to cut to in order to avoid jump cuts)
Keep the camera mounted on a tripod as much as possible. Don't hand-hold unless there's a reason in the story.
However, bad camerawork is often forgiven by the audience... bad audio isn't. Use a good mic.

Some editing basics:
Cut shorter than you think is neccesary. And then shorter again. Cut out at least three shots from each scene.
Use Final Cut Pro. If you can't afford pro, use express.

That's about it for now. You're posing a preeeeetty general question, so this is about as specific as I can get without you specifying what exactly you're looking for. Good luck.

 

[bigbossbmb]

Some basics to start with on the camera:
24F
48fps
Widest aperture possible (i.e. set to Manual and have the f/ number be lowest as possible)

I think you mean 24F and 1/48 shutter speed.



PDP had good advice and hit the major topics. I'm going to repeat some of it so that it sticks

--control your lighting!--
This means using lights, blocking/diffusing natural light, etc. Don't just take a camera out an shoot. Lighting makes a video more film-like much more than a fancy camera.

--use a mic--
bad audio screams amateur and it breaks the connection between the audience and the material.

--use a tripod--
same reasons as using a mic

--editing--
each shot should be as few frames as possible, without losing the message behind the shot. each cut needs to mean something. don't cut just for the sake of it.

--story--
be imaginative AND realistic. its important for beginning filmmakers to really figure out that relationship. you probably can't make crazy sci-fi movie, but there are always elements around you that can add a lot to your film. it's not always what you have, but what your friends and family have too. filmmakers are great at asking/pleading/bargaining to get what they want/need.

 

[nomad2010]

I think you mean 24F and 1/48 shutter speed.



PDP had good advice and hit the major topics. I'm going to repeat some of it so that it sticks

--control your lighting!--
This means using lights, blocking/diffusing natural light, etc. Don't just take a camera out an shoot. Lighting makes a video more film-like much more than a fancy camera.

--use a mic--
bad audio screams amateur and it breaks the connection between the audience and the material.

--use a tripod--
same reasons as using a mic

--editing--
each shot should be as few frames as possible, without losing the message behind the shot. each cut needs to mean something. don't cut just for the sake of it.

--story--
be imaginative AND realistic. its important for beginning filmmakers to really figure out that relationship. you probably can't make crazy sci-fi movie, but there are always elements around you that can add a lot to your film. it's not always what you have, but what your friends and family have too. filmmakers are great at asking/pleading/bargaining to get what they want/need.

ok so first what kind of mic's can you buy? i need one but im not looking to spend 100 bucks on a mic right now...

 

[bigbossbmb]

I'm sorry to say, but $100 wouldn't even put you in the range for a decent mic. maybe look into renting an audio kit, if you can squeeze your shooting into a tight schedule (a day or two).

otherwise, you'll just have to deal with bad audio. you can clean it up a little in post, but there is no substitution for good source audio.

 

[Carl Spackler]

ok so first what kind of mic's can you buy? i need one but im not looking to spend 100 bucks on a mic right now...

The Audio Technica ART55 can be found for around $50 online. It's a fairly mediocre mic, but it's probably head and shoulders above the on-camera mic.

Here is is at Amazon for $49

 

[bigbossbmb]

The Audio Technica ART55 can be found for around $50 online. It's a fairly mediocre mic, but it's probably head and shoulders above the on-camera mic.[/URL]

yes, but it takes more than just buying a mic. you need a boom, cables, a way to connect the mic to the cam (OP's cam doesn't have XLR afaik), and a windscreen (most people overlook this and it ends up costing them).

if the nomad feels hesitant about spending $100 just on audio, that's fine. he should start making videos and then worry about making them better.


I guess it should also be said that as a beginner, getting the "movie look" is a losing battle and not really worth the effort. Make something interesting and you'll be way ahead of most people.

 

[nomad2010]

I'm sorry to say, but $100 wouldn't even put you in the range for a decent mic. maybe look into renting an audio kit, if you can squeeze your shooting into a tight schedule (a day or two).

otherwise, you'll just have to deal with bad audio. you can clean it up a little in post, but there is no substitution for good source audio.

ok so lets say i want to spend 150 at most. what is the best i can get for my money?