SMALLER PRODUCTION TEAMS PROVE EFFECTIVE ON INDIE FILM SETS

So, you’re part of an indie film production team and you’ve found a group of actors to help bring a script to life or you have an idea for a commercial that you'd like to put together. There’s absolutely no reason so sit around and pretend you need an investor to hand you over a budget to get started. Most good script ideas lose their momentum when the team is waiting to find an investor to help them acquire a top of the line video camera. Don't be like so many director wanna-be's who lost their chance because they stuck with the idea that "an investor" has to be involved with the project to "get it done" the right way.  You honestly won’t need a fancy camera, lighting equipment, or other odds and ends to get your film production started; just get your team together and start prepping scene locations and schedules!

Keeping your production team small will allow you to move from one take to another with very little restrictions and/or people getting in the way. You’ll also learn that by keeping things small, that production days, which can often run eight to thirteen hours on a professional set, will be cut down to two to four hours. You’ll learn right away that veteran actors will love the sound of that and that junior actors will become blinded with the idea that all film productions are easy to work on with short production days. None the less, remember that this is an indie film and there is little to no chance of actually being “picked up” or getting the “right connections” to get your film previewed on Netflix or Amazon Prime; this is your first film production,  don’t lose yourself over the attention and desires from some of your dramatic production team members.

Today’s indie film circuits have produced some marvelous productions with the use of cell phone cameras, iPads and smaller hand held devices that can now shoot in 4K/1080p and DPI [Dots per inch] of 1920X1080; which transfers brilliantly onto the big screen. Though you might have to do some ADR [Automated Dialogue Replacement] to complete the film with superb production finesse, the film will be made and you will be one of the many local indie filmmakers in your community that has accomplished the production of a film without the necessity to feel like you need a professional production to get it done. Of course, many of the more established filmmakers and directors in the indie film circuit, this is just old news. But it’s no secret, and it’s okay to start thinking out of the box when you desire to get something done and seen locally on the big screen.

In my tenure as director and producer of so many film projects, I dared to think outside of the box and go back to my indie roots and finish off a scene that was troublesome for the production[s] I was working on. Creating “film magic” is the best part of any film project you will be working on, and don’t let some no-talent ass-clown try to tell you that you need more camera angles and that they can see through the scene you’re trying to accomplish with a cell phone or some other smaller video camera.

If you’re working on your very first production, be sure to think things through and do a lot of practice shots with the equipment you intend to use. Find some of the best well lit scene locations to defray the need for lighting equipment, and do your best to keep the cast informed that ADR might be required during post-editing to complete the film project. Never try to “wing” anything and always claim to the be the professional on-set when your finally ready to roll the cameras. There are some directors who have put time in school to learn the system of putting a film together, but if you’re putting this film up just for fun and the experience; which can certainly be a big step in the right direction, stay the course and do your best not to stray from the intended plan to get the film done.

Always remember that being part of an indie production allows you to cut corners and keep a small production team behind the camera. Always shoot your scenes tight and yes, let the actors over-act when they want to. Actors must also have the chance to spread their wings and learn how to work best in front of the camera. Don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal and stick to the script, you’ll do fine!

D. R. Quintana
Editor in Chief, Quantum Storm .357