By Jason Taggart
Filming is a wonderful art, whether you’re behind the camera or possibly starring in the film yourself. From writing to editing, there is a lot that goes into a film before you get to see the finished product. Whether you know all of the “Ins and outs” or you are just getting started, let's walk through the starting line of the production race.
Why are you taking advice from me?
Hello, my name is Jason Taggart, and I have been operating cameras since I was 6 years old. I met my colleagues for filming in kindergarten, and ever since we started filming, we never stopped. First we just shot silly home movies any third grader would make. Later we shot good, quality videos that were uploaded to YouTube. Mostly they were comedic. We also shot some serious pieces my friend turned in to film school. We have also filmed all of the music videos for our friends and an aspiring band, The Busks. I study film as well as acting. I have seen every episode of “Saturday Night Live” and I know what you mean when you say, “Tarantino film.” I am currently in school pursuing a Mass Communications major, and I plan to move on after my associates to get a bachelor’s degree in film from a major University.
At this stage, I know more than the average filmmaker, and I am writing this to help you along and show you what I know. I have been involved in over 35 films and starred in 25 of those. On and off the camera, I have some know-how, mostly from experience. The best way to learn is to be involved by trying it yourself.
Sources
Right off the bat, I am going to throw a few links of things I have been involved with such as music videos, as well as links that I find to be good examples.
The Busks’ first music video. I wrote, did casting, and helped film on this video.
Jon Tron is my favorite on-camera actor.
Rooster Teeth is one of the most famous film companies on the web.
Getting started, and What you need
Depending on what you are planning to film, pretty much the only thing you really need is a camera. Now If you are filming nature or things of that nature and you have a camera, then congratulations. You are ready to go. For those of you who are looking towards a different type of production, I will just throw out a little bit of film lingo and some definitions.
- Props: Anything on set you will be using besides costumes.
- Actors/Actresses: The male(s) or female(s) you will be using on set.
- Mics: Or microphones, to amplify sound.
- Lights: To light up the area.
- Director: Sometimes also the cameraman or boss man of the production.
Now all you have to do is pick the genre that most interests you and get started.
Audience
This is possibly the most important part of your production. Is this production just for you? Are you trying to gain a following of many viewers? Is it only for friends and family? Well, if the video is just for you or your friends and family, then by all means take it away and do what you like and whatever you think will entertain them. If you are trying to get new viewers to appreciate and watch your videos, you need to narrowcast to what kind of viewer that is. Now I am by no means saying change yourself to match that personality of your viewers, but make sure you are entertaining them. Otherwise, they will not keep coming back for more or tell their friends and get you more views. So if your genre is comedy, try to be funny. If your genre is horror, try to be scary and horrifying. Study up on professionals in your genre to get a better idea. Be original but still take into consideration what they are doing to be so successful.
Quality
Second to audience, quality is very important as well. The quality of your videos will determine greatly how well of a filmmaker you are. It’s not only important to you but to your viewers. I’m not only talking about whether its high definition here either. You need the actual quality of the subject matter itself to be good as well. Like I said before, if you are going for comedy, be funny. If you are going for horror, be horrifying. If you are just shooting nature, then try to get some good shots. Go to the most beautiful place you know and just shoot. So try your best to produce the best film quality you can both visibly and entertainment wise, and your videos should be nothing less than perfect to you.
5. 4. 3. 2… ACTION!
You have got your camera, you have decided on the audience you want, and you are ready to film. Now hear me out when I say this: Whether or not you have heard differently, there is no right way to do this. There are so many different styles of filming and directing. Whether it’s on a tripod or you are walking with a Steadicam, it's an art, and your pictures can be beautiful no matter what way you hold your paint brush. For goodness sake, if you want to film a comedy sketch and you have no actors or tripod, put that camera on a stack of books and get on the other side of it to act every part. Through every production you film, whether you release them to the public or not, you are only going to learn from it, and you’ll find your style. Whether you're the next Tim Burton, or famous YouTuber, or just a phenomenal home movie maker, it all starts with the word “action”!
Homework
The best thing to help you along the way is to visit some workshops, enter and view film festivals, and practice. Research whether a film festival comes to your town or one near you, for instance if you live in my area you might want to try The Nashville Film Festival. I will drop the link down here below.
http://www.nowplayingnashville.com/event/nashville-film-festival-2/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwhbzABRDHw_i4q6fXoLIBEiQANZKGW5PzoS_fCrbKrYJgXdhXo1FhZveEfKD7mY7UebjB3LgaAmqY8P8HAQ
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