The owner pulls the tenant’s strings.
Leave the location cleaner than when you arrived, and be gracious and grateful to your host. Even if you paid. Even if they were jerks.
(more…)Category: Production
Child of tip – Production
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #157
Get every single punch!
If you’re shooting a fight scene, get a lot of coverage. A lot. Every possible angle you can. Overshoot.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #156
This requires depth, however…
You can rehearse until you’ve lost the feeling in your genitalia, but unless the Actors understand and have integrated the characters, the performance will never be better than memorized lines. The Director must work with them to help them understand the characters.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #155
Science can save your skin!
If you can feel heat through your gloves, whatever you’re holding is hot enough that you want to find a way to put it down right now. It’s just going to get hotter. You don’t want that on your hands. Literally.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #154
Don’t let a cuppa joe spoil your shoot.
If there’s going to be any sort of mess on set at all, such as effects or rain or anything, bring an extra set of clothes. Even if there isn’t going to be anything tricky, having an extra set of clothes handy won’t kill you.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #153
Permission trumps forgiveness.
Always make sure your permits are in order before lighting anything on fire. If you’re not sure if you need a permit, find out first. A pleasant phone call and a $35 permit fee are much preferable to a steep fine or worse.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #152
“Lift with your legs, Hercules!”
Get someone to help with the heavy lifting. It’s okay — no one expects anyone on set to be Hercules…
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #151
…or change Time and Space.
No matter how cool the makeup effects are, find out how long they take to apply and how long they last under hot lights. Factor that into your schedule.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #150
Radio-controlled is just askin’ for trouble, though.
If you’re going to use a puppet or build a model to be manipulated with strings or wires, make the strings removable at the model or puppet, so that if you’re doing a shot that doesn’t need this or that wire, you can physically remove it.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #149
“Hey, who is that guy?!”
Have your background extras dress and appear as generic as possible. This includes clothing, hair, whatever. If you notice them, they’re doing it wrong.
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