Idea And Development - Phase 1 (The Filmmaking Process)

Following my words and still in the loop, after my last week's post as I promised I'll be elaborating all the sub-point, so today here we discuss about the first phase of filmmaking i.e Idea and Development.

Idea and Development

^{Finding the initial idea for the film is the core of the whole process. Inspiration is often difficult to find, not only to filmmakers but to other artists as well, and you might want to ask yourself a few questions in order to find what it is that you want to say to the world: What topics are close to your heart and you are good at? On what topics do you feel you have a unique perspective? What new ideas do you want your audience to think about? What experiences and notions do you want to share with them?}

^{Not every idea for a film is a good idea for a film, and indeed, most concepts won’t make it to the next level. But once you find an idea that excites you, you will need to develop it so it forms the foundation of your film. This phase of the process will help you understand exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it, and will make it easier for you to convey it to other people, on-set and off-set, thus making sure that everybody’s on the same page.}

^{Working on paper can help you put things in order. Think about the structure of your film: it should have a beginning, middle and end. Think about your target audience, who they are and what you want them to feel after watching your film. In order to make sure you know exactly what your film is going to be about, try to describe the whole story in just one sentence, this will help you when you search for funding.}

^{Next, write your script using a script format; think about characters, dialogues, sights and sounds. An important tip is to have all details in the script, but not too many details: a good filmmaker should always know his strengths and weaknesses, and allow the professionals who work with him to make decisions in areas he’s not familiar with. You can also make a graphic storyboard.}

^{You will often discover you need to do some research in this phase. If your film refers to times or places you don’t know personally, research all relevant historical and cultural aspects in order to make your film as reliable as possible. Spend time designing round characters, their lives and their motives.}

Well that's all for this week! I'll see you guys next weekend.