Do's
1) Use appropriate props- in a film, using appropriate props that fits with the genre is important so it doesn't confuse the audience. 2) Stick to the brief- sticking to the brief is important so the theme doesn't go off topic and the audience understands and doesn't get confused. 3) Make a risk assessment- a risk assessment is vital because they form a health and safety management plan. They help to: Create awareness of hazards and risks. Identify who may be at risk and how to prevent them. 4) Think about using different camera angles- different camera angles are used to show surroundings and different view points from characters. They are also used so it keeps the audience entertained and they don't get bored watching it with one camera angle. 5) Keep the actors in the shot- you need to make sure the actors in the shot otherwise the audience won't understand what is going on and who is speaking. 7) Plan ahead- planning ahead is important when making a movie as you need to plan which location it is going to be set in, what the characters lines are and what props might be needed so the production company are professional and of a high enough standard. 8) Keep the plot simple and understandable- a hard and complicated plot will confuse the audience and they won't be able to keep track of what is happening, therefore would be un interested in the movie and either stop watching is or get distracted. 9) Cast the right actors for the right roles- having the right actors for certain roles is very important as they will represent a lot about them e.g. gender, age, social class, ethnicity. For example - you wouldn't be able to have a child act the role of a father. 10) Use the correct equipment for filming- make sure you use special camera equipment while filming as using the incorrect or make shift equipment could lower the potential of getting a good effect. |
Dont's
1) Don't be afraid to use camera movement- constantly using still camera movements would be boring for the audience. Including moving camera shots using a pan would make the audience subconsciously find it more interesting. 2) Don't use zoom, use multiple shots instead- zooming while filming looks unprofessional and gives it that home made video effect. Instead, using multiple shots makes it more interesting and creates more detail about surroundings. Also, zooming can make the camera loose focus and not give as good image as it can. 3) Don't rush into filming before you know what to film- planning in advance is a very important step, without this time management would break down, and ideas could be missed. When planning you need to consider, the location, props, genre, actors and time. 4) Don't copy what you see in other horrors- use original ideas as re creating typical horror scenes such as a hand dragging down a window has been seen plenty of times before and wouldn't entertain the audience. The more of your own ideas that you create and use, the more gripping it would be as its never been seen before. 5) Don't use one continuous shot- using a continuous shot will reduce the chance of showing strong power between characters in the horror film. But instead, using small short clips from different angles and prospectives will create a lot more tension ( plus with the help from sound effects) as you can see more detail. 6) Don't have loads of characters- Loads of characters in a short film will over complicate it. It will leave the audience filled with too much information for them to keep track and enjoy the film. 7)Don't look at the camera- Looking at the camera makes the character look as if they are talking to the audience of the film. It is important not to do this as it will confuse the audience by wondering who and what they are speaking too. 8) Avoid reflections and shadows- Shadows and reflections of the filming equipment is very unprofessional and could distract the audience giving their attention on that rather than the plot of the film. 9) Don't film into the light- This would restrict what you would be able to see as the light would be shinning into the camera. To prevent this, you could face the camera in a different direction or block the light source. 10) Don't use bad framing- make sure you include everything you need in the scene is visual, and you can see the main focus. Anything missing would create an error and confuse the audience if an item has gone missing out the shot. |