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Suppose you want to make a Web movie. Maybe you
have a story that's bursting to come out. You can think that there are ten basic rules
for Internet cinema.
1. Total running time should not exceed
five minutes.
Your viewer's time and attention is compromised. Remember, he
is sitting at a desk, not comfortably sprawled in his living room, so develop your script
with this in mind.
2. Make sure your script is rock solid.
You'll want your viewer to understand the journey on which you are taking him. A
great way to learn about screenwriting is TO READ: novels, short stories, screenplays, so
that you can see how other authors have effectively (or ineffectively) told stories. Even
if you are simply documenting your child's birthday party, a little league game or a
wedding, every event must have a structure.
3. Something
interesting must occur within ten seconds.
Computers have many distractions,
incoming e-mail, Instant Messages, and other interesting applications to play with. In
this environment you must act quickly and decisively to keep your viewer's attention.
4. Work with the best possible talent.
Get actors
who can portray your characters interestingly and accurately. And although the rest of
your crew might be friends who aren't charging you anything, GET THE BEST PEOPLE FOR THE
JOB.
5. There must be a URL, which can direct viewers to
the movie page.
6. Establish your budget and stick to
it.
With the advent of digital filmmaking and home editing, making a film can
be very inexpensive. And if you ASK FOR HELP, it becomes even cheaper. Conduct a Web
search for "grants", "high net worth individuals" or "humanitarians." You lose nothing by
asking.
7. Compose for your delivery size.
You're filming for a small screen; so don't compose long shots in which
essential detail may be lost.
8. Avoid the most
common mistakes:
Bad sound, weak screenplay, bad acting, visible mistakes in
footage, bad budgeting.
9. Show gratitude.
Don't
hold back when it comes to including names of those who helped you in the end credits.
You can also show appreciation by feeding your cast and crew well, and by giving them
copies of your film.
10. Get exposure.
Your
final challenge is to get people to see your film. There are several ways to do this,
including film festivals, industry screenings and broadcast. Your work represents your
talent, so get it out to as many people as possible.
The
equipment needed:
What kind of camcorder features do
you really need? That depends on how you're going to use your camcorder. If you prefer
to just turn it on, point and shoot, then you'll find the automatic adjustments for
focus, shutter speed, and exposure found in the Canon XL1S MiniDV Digital Camcorder are
close to perfect in most shooting environments. If you want to make adjustments, the Sony
DCRVX2000 offers an Automated Exposure mode for better control when you shoot in
challenging environments like the beach; a ski resort, the desert or a spotlit stage.
There are many different things you should know
about your camcorder before you start to shoot your film. Start with the basics - know
where the start and stop recording button is and learn to recognize when your camera is
rolling tape and when it is not. Practice the technique of zooming, and play with focus.
What about manual overrides, transitions and special effects? Practice all of them before
using them for the first time in the field.
The
one accessory that you simply must have is a tripod. No matter how steady you think your
hand is, or what superior stabilization features your camcorder boasts, a good tripod is
the anchor of a smooth video shoot. Video shot for the Internet from a camcorder mounted
on a tripod will be crisper and cleaner, and will stream better with less buffer
hang-ups. The file size will be smaller as less information needs to be saved. A good,
yet inexpensive tripod is the Sony VCTR640 Lightweight Tripod, which sells for less than
$40. For most purposes, an inexpensive tripod will work fine, as long as it supports the
weight of your camcorder.
The other must-have
accessory is an external microphone. The built-in ones camcorders come with are often of
low quality and are usually located in a spot where they pick up the sounds of motors and
pulleys spinning, as well as fingers adjusting dials and knobs. Many others feature
microphones on top, perfect for catching room noise and little else. The AZDEN SGM-1X
shotgun mic filters out unwanted noise, and if you're working by yourself you can attach
it to the camcorder to capture both video and audio.
It is essential that you have a good bag or case for your camcorder. The best
camcorder cases are the ones that don't look like they have a camcorder inside. For
example, a gym bag or a kid's lunch bag or backpack. The best case is, of all things, a
diaper bag. Thieves never mess with a diaper bag. They are also more likely to target
pretty shiny cases with logos and manufacturer's names than ugly beaten-up
ones.
If you have to travel to make your shoot,
buy your videotape before you leave. It can be very difficult to get additional tape,
especially the newer DV mini-cassettes and s-video cassettes, in some countries, and of
course, if you find any it's likely to be expensive. Buy more than you think you need -
you don't want to miss a good shot just because you run out of tape.
If you're traveling, you also need to worry about power. Pick up an
adapter that will enable you to get AC power wherever you are. And, no matter how safe
the power is supposed to be, don't plug in your camcorder directly into the outlet. Plug
in the battery charger instead and charge your batteries.
Filming for the Internet is vastly different from making a movie for the theater.
But if you can master the problems of knowing your equipment, fighting for the viewer's
attention and coming up with rock solid scripts, you're ready to make some Web
movies.
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