I went to film school and studied production and screenwriting, hoping to make a career out of it (still working on that part!). I made a few films in college, and though I’ve continued to write since then, I haven’t really filmed anything in quite some time, other than some of the music videos I’ve made. So when my good friend, Tamara Diaz, asked me how she should go about getting into acting, I said, “Let’s make a film!” The result is an action short called Gemma that I just filmed over the holidays.
Overseeing all of the moving parts (finding locations, cast members, etc.) was definitely a challenge. On a big budget set, you have multiple people helping you coordinate everything. But when you’re doing it mostly by yourself, there’s a lot to remember. Here are a few simple things I learned from the process. These may seem like no-brainers, but they are really essential and easy to forget:
1. Make sure the story is solid before shooting. Some filmmakers don’t work with a script, but you should still have a clear idea of the story. If you do write a script, have people look at it and give feedback. Have your actors get familiar with it and give their suggestions. Don’t rush the writing process. Sit on it for a couple of weeks and see if a new idea pops up. Be open to new directions. You don’t want to shoot the entire film and realize that you should’ve taken the story down a different path. This may still happen regardless, but you should feel confident about your story and have a strong vision going in. It just makes the process smoother.
I don’t usually write with specific actors in mind, but I did this time. I knew I wanted Tamara to play Gemma, and I had a few of the supporting characters cast in my head as well. There’s nothing wrong with writing with an actor in mind (TV shows do this all the time with their established cast members). It actually can help you envision how the characters talk and act. Just be open to using a different actor for the role if someone should fall through.
2. Keep your budget in mind. When I’m wearing my writing hat, it’s easy to get carried away with big ideas that just aren’t realistic with my budget. For Gemma, the budget was essentially nonexistent, though I was willing to put some teeth in the game if I had to.
There are a number of inexpensive ways to get things done. Think about what your resources are, what skills your friends have, and what locations you have access to. We used a rolling chair for a dolly in some scenes and painter lights for some quick and dirty lighting. I was fortunate that Tamara had access to a gym that we could film at while it was closed. My parents own a cargo van that I worked into the script. I didn’t want to spend an enormous amount on prop guns, so I found some really cheap airsoft ones at Sports Authority and spray painted them black. I actually find this part of the process fun. Something about low-budget filmmaking gets me excited. Get creative and you can find a way to do things on a dime!
3. Scheduling is everything. Don’t underestimate how much time things take to shoot. Even a short, simple scene can have unforeseen complications. Allow time for travel, setup, and rehearsal. And count on people showing up a bit late! Prioritize which scenes must absolutely get done that day and what can be shot another day if needed.
I meticulously scheduled each day of shooting Gemma (with spreadsheets!). Because I live in Los Angeles and Tamara lives in New Jersey (where I grew up), we had limited time to shoot when I was home for the holidays. I had to keep it to just three days, working around everyone’s busy schedules. Even so, there were still a few things we didn’t get to. So schedule time for reshoots and pickups as well!
4. Have backups (and backups for your backups). If someone doesn’t show up, who else can you call? If a location falls through, where else can you shoot?
Though there are only a few major roles in Gemma, it’s amazing how many extras/minor parts I realized I needed. The night before Day #1 of shooting, I still hadn’t cast several of the male thugs for some of the action sequences. Although the thugs could be almost anyone, it was still challenging to find a few guys to devote a couple hours. Thankfully, I pulled from family and friends and ended up filling the roles the day of the shoot. I even ended up with a few other guys who were available as backups in a pinch.
I also faced a huge hurdle when I went to the location I had planned to shoot a bulk of the film at – a storage facility. When I went early the morning of the shoot to confirm we could film there, I found that the owners were gone for the holidays and the person working there didn’t have authority to let us film. Luckily, my mom suggested I take a look at our church basement. Surprisingly, I realized the church basement was actually a better fit for the story once I saw it. Also, since the church was closed that day, I didn’t have to worry about people walking through the set unexpectedly or questioning what we were doing. We did ask for permission of course, which was thankfully granted!
5. Be grateful. When you are an indie filmmaker, you are relying on a lot of people to donate their time and energy to a project. They are doing you a huge favor.
This was something I tried very hard to keep in mind for this shoot. I wanted to make the shoot fun and comfortable for the actors and crew. I made sure to plan around the actors’ schedules. I told myself, we will get as much done as we can and then go from there. I tried to make sure my actors weren’t nervous about their performances as best I could. Although it can be a stressful process, it can still be fun! After all, isn’t that why I fell in love with filmmaking to begin with?
6. Learn as much as you can. Shooting Gemma was a huge learning experience for me. It was my first time really using my new camera, so I spent hours watching YouTube tutorials, reading up on the camera, and playing around with the features. It’s been a while since film school, so I had to refresh my memory about things like ISO, shutter speeds, and exposure.
I always learn from working with actors – what direction they respond to, how to utilize their strengths, and how to get the best performance from them. Part of that is being open to their interpretation and ideas as well.
Now that I am editing the film, I’m learning more about color correction and grading. Looking at the footage, you also learn about what you could’ve done better while shooting. Filmmaking is a constant learning process. Push yourself to be better with every film you make!
So that’s my take on things. Hopefully you found some of these tips helpful. Feel free to leave me any comments or questions below. I’ll keep you guys updated on the status of the film. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
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