Making Your First Feature Film: Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

by Dominick Bagnato

Overview

The tools for independent filmmaking are more accessible today than ever. Yet there is much more to successfully creating a film than access to equipment and software. Chronicling the making of his debut feature film, A Convenient Truth (2015), the author describes the practical preproduction steps needed to take a project from early concept to the first day of photography--details most filmmaking guides don't include. A scene-by-scene breakdown describes the transferrable lessons learned during the production and postproduction phases. Filmmakers' options for what to do after completing their first feature are also covered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476629490
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	08/22/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dominick Bagnato is a screenwriter and director in New York City.
Dominick Bagnato is a screenwriter and director in New York City.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Part One: ­Pre-Production
Deciding to Make an Independent Film
Set a Date for Your Shoot
Build Your Film Crew
Three Indie Film Casting Considerations
Casting
Script Breakdown
Scheduling/Stripboarding
Budgeting
Pre-Production ­Wrap-Up
Part Two: Production
A Convenient Truth—Scene 1
Stock Footage Can Be Your Friend—Scene 2
Film Locations Equal Production Value—Scene 3
Using Green Screen—Scene 4
Acting While Directing—Scene 5
Give Your Actor a Beat—Scene 6
Man-on-the-Street Interviews—Scene 7
Actors Who Write—Scenes 8 and 9
A Good Film Editor Will Save Your Ass—Scene 10
Talking Head Interviews—Scene 11
Directing Flexibly—Scenes 12 and 13
Improv—Scene 14
Camera Movement—Scene 15
Pre-Reveal in Film—Scene 16
The Reveal—Scenes 17–20
The Reaction—Scenes 21 and 22
Script Departure—Scenes 23–27
Use Your Actor’s Face—Scene 28
Character Introduction—Scene 29
Direct First, Produce Second—Scene 30
Inserts and Reaction Shots—Scene 31
Free and Easy ­Pre-Visualization—Scene 32
Pre-laps and ­L-Cuts—Scene 33
Picking Your Shot (and Why Windmills Are Unpatriotic)—Scene 34
Four Considerations for a Joke in Your Film—Scene 35
Locations: Just Ask, and When to Bend Your Own Rules—Scene 36
Framing and Visual Match Transitions—Scenes 37 and 38
Conflict in Comedy—Scene 39
Structure in Your Film—Scene 40
Evergreen Satire—Scene 41
Static vs. ­Non-Static Frames—Scene 42
Directing Is Listening—Scenes 43 and 44
Jump Cut (for My Love)—Scene 45
“Cheating” Multiple Locations—Scene 46
Transition Scenes and Your Film’s Spine—Scene 47
Burleson Labs Advertisement #1—Scene 48
Free Color Correction—Scene 49
Building Sequences—Scenes 50–53
Creative Character Introduction—Scenes 54–56
Shoot the Script and Then Check Your Gut—Scene 57
Long Takes—Scene 58
How to Know When You’re Done Editing—Scenes 59–61
Creating a Stylistic Look—Scene 62
Film Arcs—Scenes 63 and 64
Tempo and Sequences—Scenes 65–67
Serendipity in Filmmaking—Scene 68
Rule of Threes—Scene 69
Acting Is Reacting—Scenes 70 and 71
Four Lessons from a Montage—Scene 72
Resourceful Filmmaking—Scenes 73 and 74
Offensive Satire—Scene 75
A Scene in Three Shots—Scene 76
Planning a Scene—Scene 77
Get an Impossible Shot … with Two Shots—Scene 78
Language Sequence—Scenes 79–88
Mining Film Locations—Scene 89
Slapstick Comedy—Scene 90
Pacing: The ­One-Hour Mark—Scenes 91–93
Offensive Satire, Revisited—Scenes 94–96
Five Ways We Fixed a Dull Scene—Scene 97
Editing Choices—Scene 98
Staging the Casual—Scenes 99 and 100
Context Changes Everything—Scene 101
Your Time Is Limited—Scene 102
Saying No to My Entire Film Crew—Scene 103
Changes from Script to Screen—Scene 104
Additional Production Writing—Scene 105
Scheduling Can Breed Creativity—Scene 106
Seven Images, Seven Lessons—Scene 107
Serendipity in Editing—Scene 108
Beginning of the End—Scene 109
Final Scene: Make It Count—Scene 110
Part Three: Post ­Post-Production
So You’ve Made a Feature Film
Independent Distribution
Eleven Kickstarter Campaign Lessons
The ­Four-Wall Experience
Digital Distribution of Your Independent Film
Plan for ­Self-Distribution from Day One
What’s Next?
A Note About ­Post-Film Recordkeeping
Podcasts to Keep You Going
Don’t Quit (or Apologize for) Your Day Job
References
Index