By Laura Dudgeon
(1) Tell stories that you want to tell. Filmmaking takes a lot of love, sweat, and time. You might as well invest all of that into stories that inspire you.
(2) Simplify. What story are you telling? Weed out whatever doesn’t serve the core of the idea. As you draft your script, and later on when you edit the film, keep sifting out anything that can help make the film cleaner, simpler, and more powerful.
(3) Find mentors. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do, and absorb their knowledge like a sponge.
(4) Hang out with actors. Find the time to understand the craft of acting so that you can communicate confidently with your cast. Take acting classes, or find a school that are happy for you to sit in and watch. Or alternatively, offer to help acting students work on their audition scenes.
(5) Catering is king. Whether your team are paid or volunteer, a well-fed crew is a must.
(6) Trust your gut. The creative process requires stepping into the unknown. Sometimes you won’t know the answer, but if you get used to listening to your intuition under pressure, you’ll have more confidence in making quick decisions.
(7) Fix it now, not in post. You often don’t have the budget or time to fix things in post, so wherever possible, fix it on set. If there are issues with dialogue, framing, set dressing, continuity, or anything else that can be fixed on the shoot, do it there and then. It will save you a lot of pain in post.
(8) Make your short film shorter. If you’re aiming for film festival distribution, make a film that’s ten minutes or shorter to give yourself more chance of being programmed. The shorter the film, the easier it is to slot into a schedule.
(9) Test screen. Sitting with an audience as they watch your film back will help you gauge what does and doesn’t work. It’s a very different experience from just watching your work back in an edit suite.
(10) Have fun. There’s a lot to think about when you’re on set. If it becomes overwhelming, consciously take some deep breaths, relax, give yourself permission to have fun, and remind yourself why you want to be a filmmaker (hopefully it’s because you love the magic of making movies).
AFTRS Open Three Week Film School runs from June 6-24. For more information, head to AFTRS.
