FREE Film School: Week Four

What can you learn in 4 weeks? Well, it depends how much of that 4 weeks you dedicate to learning. If you did nothing in the last 3 weeks but work on your FREE Film School activities, you will have made a huge leap forward as a filmmaker. But even if you only dedicated 2 hours a day, you will still have achieved a lot.

Even simply reading these articles will have provoked a few of your brain cells and connecting synapses to act a little more like budding Sophia Coppolas or Paul Thomas Andersons. Sometimes reading filmmaking tips or advice provokes us to take our own, individual path – and that’s totally cool too.

The point of FREE Film School is to show you that you can teach yourself filmmaking. How you go about it is completely up to you. There is no wrong or right way. Indeed, every filmmaker’s path is different.

So, if you said to yourself, “Actually, no – I’m going to do it this way instead.” Then great! Just from reading these articles (and other filmmaking articles), you have started to form your own thoughts and beliefs about filmmaking.

And really, that’s what this journey is all about. Teaching yourself filmmaking is the path of self-discovery, as much as anything. I really recommend reading and studying as much as you can get your hands on. But don’t forget the practical side.

There’s no greater method for learning filmmaking than from actually making films. If you keep putting off that moment, then don’t worry – it will happen when you are ready.

The story so far…

If you made it through the first three weeks of FREE Film School, you spent the first week watching one film 7 times and analysing it. In the second week you read at least one professionally written screenplay. In the 3rd week you shot a short film in black and white using stills.

How did it turn out? You’re welcome to post links to any results in the comments below.

One thing you might have discovered is the amount of self-motivation required to make a film. There’s a big difference between mulling the idea over in your mind and actually doing everything that needs to be done. Even when you strip it down to the simplest form of filmmaking.

Understand that making a film which involves script, actors, props, locations and crew is hard, whether you have a budget of $1 or $100m. In my experience of self-taught, self-funded filmmaking, it only works if I have no expectations of anyone else but me carrying the project.

I write my own screenplays, budget, schedule, source props, find locations and so on. That’s not to say I haven’t worked with some great, hard-working people. But I know that the responsibility for getting a project from beginning to end rests on my shoulders.

If things are not working as I hoped, I’ve learned that the best way to deal with that is to take full responsibility. And by doing that, I have found my films get started and finished.

Stuck in a rut

I’ve been there myself. For years I had a lot of motivation, but somehow couldn’t find the right people to work with. Projects would be talked about, but would either go disastrously wrong or just somehow fade away.

I had meeting with tons of people. Sold scripts. Sold options for scripts. For a year I had an agent in LA. There was always “interest” but never action.

As far as the industry was concerned, there was always a reason why my project eventually didn’t happen. I used to believe in conspiracies, but that’s not a healthy mentality.

There is no conspiracy to put you down. It’s just that the industry works in a certain way. If you have a desire to make a career in that industry make sure to understand how it operates. The industry will not change its ways for you (unless you’re HOT).

On the other hand, self-funded projects discussed with other aspiring filmmakers somehow never got off the ground. Something would always happen: other people folks were not quite motivated enough. Or it transpired we weren’t quite on the same wavelength, with the same belief in how we should move forward.

Projects discussed with initial enthusiasm and excitement, would eventually stall then sputter out. Years passed while I waited for others to give my filmmaking career the green light.

What to do if you’re stuck

My solution was as I said above to take responsibility for everything. I wrote a screenplay then set a deadline: its happening on this day, at this time, will you be there?

Once you set a date, it has a magical effect on the project. As it turns out, other aspiring filmmakers want someone else to take responsibility for everything. So if you set a date, other folk will turn up.

After years of frustration, I have developed an efficient way of working out who to work with. First, I meet people to discuss things. If someone cancels that first meeting, my general rule now is not to work with that person.

That might sound harsh. But it sure does save a lot of time!

It’s just that people who genuinely want to do something show up. If someone is making excuses about why they can’t make a meeting, this often turns out to be either a basic character trait. Either that or they’re simply not that interested.

What I learned over time is that some people will keep you on their “B list”. This is their backup in case all the stuff on their “A list” falls through. And it’s one thing if they’re Benedict Cumberbatch (I’d happily have my project on a star actor’s B list). But if we are talking about aspiring filmmakers, then really these are the last people for you to get involved with.

Sometimes their A list runs dry and your project is now suddenly the most important thing in their lives. Then, with 2 days before shooting, their A list acquires a new item. Do you think they’ll stay loyal to your project because they don’t want to let you down?

Answer: LOL

48 Hour Film Challenge

Another way to get making films and meet other filmmakers is to take part in a 48 Hour Film Challenge (or other time limit). There’s quite a few of these events going on around the world, so if you find one nearby try join a team.

Filmmaker Meetups

Again, most cities in the world have regular Meetups using the popular platform. You can also look out for filmmaker networking events on Facebook or other places. Other than that, attending film festivals is a great way to find other filmmakers – and they’re fun too!

Why not attend one such event, meet some filmmakers and suggest doing a 48 Hour Film Challenge?

FREE Film School: Week Four Task

For FREE Fim School week four, the task is to shoot a short video using shots of no more than 2-4 seconds. If you don’t yet have editing software, you could use Adobe Spark.

This is a very basic online editor. The preset shot length is about 3 seconds, so all you need to do is upload your footage and place it in the timeline. Spark will automatically cut it to 3 seconds (you can adjust the length).

The best way to learn filmmaking is by shooting and editing. By restricting yourself to about 3 seconds, you force yourself to start thinking in moving image beats.

Those with little filmmaking experience often start out by grabbing their camera and waving it around aimlessly, filming whatever catches their attention. There’s no focus to the shot selection. The viewing experience is one of a series of random stuff with no theme or storyline.

But once you start thinking in beats, it changes the way you see and film things.

We can make a comparison with music. If you have no musical knowledge or experience, you might pick up a flute and just start blowing to make a noise. Is that nice to listen to?

Probably not. Most likely it will sound like wind blowing eerily through a valley. Well, at least you worked out how to create your first horror film sound effect!

Beats = structure

What happens when the aspiring flute player starts to play notes? The sound goes from random whistling to something resembling music.

What is a note? It’s a tone with a set time limit. What is a 3 minute long note? It’s a droning sound which induces sleep in most sentient beings. That’s why most notes in music are short and are timed in beats.

So by setting yourself a shot time limit, you create the video equivalent of musical notes. And by practicing this as much as you can, you become a better player. Over time, your melodies will become more skilled, more in tune, more… well, melodic.

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