By: Nazia AdninBeing a 2nd Assistant Camera or 2nd AC is not an easy job. It requires a lot of hard work and responsibilities on shoulder to be established as a good 2nd AC in the industry. It opens a door of opportunities as well to advance your career. Here are some tips and tricks to be a better 2nd AC:
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By: Nazia AdninLearning how to make films is a lifelong process. It takes time and experience to master the art form. However, since we live in the golden age of technology and spend a lot of time browsing internet and on social Medias therefore, we could take advantage of the mighty internet in order to learn more about film making. In this article I will mention useful websites which I use frequently for my works. These sites are very useful for indie and emerging film makers.
Film budgeting and production related sites and software: 1) Easy budget, Easy budget BBP are useful budgeting software. 2)www.moviepilot.net 3)www.pesfilmtv.com Honorable mentions: 1)www.daz3d.com 2) www.powerproduction.com 3)www.stagetools.com 4)www.AFCI.org 5)www.artbeats digital film library and digital juice. 6) Celtex, Final draft, story board quick, atomic storyboard these are useful free software for script writing and story board. So readers, now that you have a huge list of software and websites, be an internet geek and use these sites to advance your indie film making career. We all know the hustle of an indie film maker, don’t we? Happy surfing!
By: Nazia AdninPurpose of using clapboard on set is to sync the audio with picture easily during editing. It is a life saver method to get the post –production process done.
By: Nazia AdninThat means supervising and packaging the project from conception to distribution to theaters, while interfacing with the studio and managing the work of hundreds of individuals [source: Full Sail] Responsibilities of a producer can be divided into three different phrases:
C) Post Production: 1) Review the final cut of the movie after the edit it is done. 2) Find the distributors 3) Review the distributor's advertising campaign for the film. There is plenty to learn and plenty of responsibilities to carry on shoulder if you want to be a good producer. This beginner’s guide will come handy if you are planning to start working as a producer.
By: Nazia AdninEach and every person in film industry aspires to direct their own movie at least once in lifetime. If you are a new comer in the industry and want to be a director, just keep it in mind that it is not an easy path rather takes life time devotion, dedication and sacrifices towards the art form. I had this reality check few years back when I started going to film school. Besides hands on experience I figured out my own ways learning to be a better film maker. I try to follow these methods every day and hope my readers will do the same. 1) Watch Movies: If you want to be a director, you have to watch movies. A lot of movies! Regardless genre, language, box office ratings –you just have to watch movies because it is a great way to study this art form. Following few techniques of watching movies will help you a lot to learn in terms of every camera setup-including angles, shot sizes, and movements. Sometimes you can mute the audio just watch the video. Similarly, you can watch a movie with the picture off, or with your eyes closed so that you see how stories are told auditory. But your parents might say,“you spend too much time in watching movies”! “Leave me alone, I am studying ” 2) Read Screen Plays:
Here are a couple of websites where you can find screenplays: 3) Learn language of acting :
You don’t have to know all of them in-depth. You just need to know that each actor has their own method, which is why it may be hard for a first-time director to communicate with them unless the director is familiar with these methods. 4) Learn to connect with people:I believe a film maker has to be a public person with great communication skills and good heart. Obviously, I didn’t mean to be a public figure. A film maker should be able to connect with people, interact with people. Film makers have the minds to bring the extraordinary from ordinary story or everyday life. Therefore, as a film maker you cannot be an arrogant person resulting people will not open up to you. And when you are on set you’re the captain of the ship, the leader of the crew. Do respect each and every person on set and be nice with them. I had opportunities of working with great directors in past who are my mentors now. Be that person to emerging directors other than being an arrogant asshole! 5) Study hard and be the nerd:
Read a script, read a book or two on art, photography, history, mess with your gears if you have any, interact with like-minded people, write your own blogs, do research , go to library –There are so many things to do to acquire knowledge in film making since the art form in evolving every day. There is no short cut to be a successful director.
By: Nazia Adnin
1) Get out of the way:
2) Understand Blocking:
3) Understand the light:4) Pay attention to the camera:Camera positions, focal length, angles everything is well rehearsed. You need to know or keep an eye for those camera factors so that you can adjust and move accordingly. 5) Mingle with other department:There’s more to being a boom operator than simply getting good audio. Keeping good relationships with all departments is essential to ensuring everybody can do their job.
By: Nazia AdninWhether you are starting out or a pro cinematographer, few cinematographic tools are always helpful to carry on set in order to make your job easier as much as possible. Here are 5 important tools to keep with you on set as a cinematographer: Cinematographer Tools:
By: Nazia AdninThe title is shocking, I know. But this is a very important post that has been in my mind for quite long time now .So many people in the industry love the idea of hiring or collaborating with their friends but I want to talk about why it is a bad idea.
I am not denying that there are circumstances where working with your best friend is a good thing and it works well but for the most part it causes problems and subsequently things fall apart. Because it gets really ugly when your friends aren’t honest with you or don’t step down from the job if they can’t do it. When you work with friends you trust them completely and pass days with believe that everything will be done on time and there would happy ending. But sometimes friends don’t take the work seriously which creates hesitance and confusion. When I ask someone to do something that is their job I expect them to do it and not hesitate, complain or take their time doing it. If you are coming to work then work! Ultimately, friendship suffers so does “The job”. As a result you will only get disappointed with unfinished work. Trust me I am saying it from experience.
When friends do bad job on set or they are being irresponsible that reflects poorly on you, people will start to question your judgments and wonder if you know what you are doing. I learned not to mix my social life with professional life a couple of years ago. The more you spend time in the industry, the more you will make friends or acquaintances in the work. Thus you will end up going to work with friends. , There is a difference between that and hiring your friends to do job just because you want to hang out with them at work or you like them. Understand the difference and be smart about who you work with. This article is written from personal experience therefore, I believe it is never too late to be smart and professional.
By: Nazia Adnin
1) To read the Script at Home: Reading the script before the shooting kicks off is always a good idea. It helps a lot on set to keep the continuity and understand the story and characters .Keeping track of each individual scene is very important. 3) Taking Notes: Taking notes on camera details such as focal length, camera height, color temperature, ISO, Tilt/roll angle, f-stop is script supervisor’s major responsibility to keep the consistency and replicate it in the post if needed. If the movie involves VFX/CGI, pay attention to those details as well. 4) Working with every department:
You need to work with other departments (hair, make-up, wardrobe, camera, sound etc) to maintain continuity and consistency. Take pictures to get every detail correct and help the crew to get everything ready for next shot properly. By: Nazia AdninYou know once David Elkins (1st assistant cameraman) said in his book that “the first time you step onto a professional film set you may feel like a stranger in a foreign land.” And it is very true especially if you are a newbie on set. Sometimes newbies are cocky, or naive, or shy, or late. Most of the time it’s unintentional. But to be a pro on movie set you need to learn the movie set ethics and be familiar with the language and terms used on set. Do your best to avoid these 5 dumb mistakes on set and pay attention to every detail. #1 Being late: |
On first day nobody walks into a movie set knowing everything specially a newbie.So, it is better to drop the attitude and try to learn as much as you can.I remember my first day as PA on a set.I had no clue what was going on and was so lost.It was a great experience which taught me to be prepared from next time. |
No film school,books or website can teach the things you would learn from real-world experience on set. Each film,each crew is different and teaches us something new or polishes previous experiences. On sets you would meet people with years of experiences or with zero experiences. Therefore, you have to pretend you are on the same level with them whether you are a newbie or experienced crew member. Being nice and eager is the best attitude to adapt on film sets.