Short Film

Ooohhhh it has been a long time that I haven't written any post... I'm too busy (or pretend to be busy actually. xixi). 

Well, this time I wanna talk about Short Film (yeeaaaahhh!!) do you like watching film?? I do like it. A LOT!! (no body asked you Fitri!!). How about making the film?? have you?? (yuhuuu...) I wanna share my experience in making film. Last month I joined "WIFFest : Wall Street Institute Film Festival" (where is the S?? lol), what's that?? that was making movie competition for students of Wall Street Institute (WSI, that's school of English). The theme for the competition was comedy. So, the film maker had to make a comedy film with duration max 10 minutes (that wa challenging me). As a newbie in making film, WSI gave us many workshops to help us during we made the film. I wanna give my little-tiny-knowledge for you guys. And these are what I got:

1. Do not think too hard about equipment. You know guys (of course you don't know, I haven't told you yet), I made my film with pocket camera not video camera and I could make it and that was finished. That means you still can make one with or without video camera. One of the speaker in workshop is Paul Agusta he is one of the judges in FFII (if I'm not mistake), he told us that there was a man who record his film with cell phone camera and it's done!! (unbelievable!!) even, that wasn't really really recommended, because the resolution was so freaking bad. By that story, the whole idea is that you can make a film with anything you have and can be used. And one last thing, film is doesn't have to be video, he showed us a film just slides of photos and that works. The movie was Indonesia Bukan Negara Islam. So, don't you worry.
2. Make a simple story. Short film is different with a usual film, and the difference is time, you just show your film in minutes (OMG... that's why it's called SHORT movie -.-'). So, don't make a complicated story, adopt the story from your daily life or you experience. Just make it simple, but if you can wrap it creatively, that's gonna be special (you think martabak, special!!) I mean interesting. First, when I haven't watched any short film, I thought that was amazing story, different story or unpredictable. But, when I saw it in YouTube, that was just simple story and I started to think that I also can make it. So do you guys.
3. Use variety shot size. do you know what shot size is?? I know it (snob). Shot size is the size when you take pictures with your camera. There were three big part of shot size. Long shot, Medium shot and Close up. Long shot is you take the pictures from far distance (do you mean 1km from the object??)., or if the object is human, that's gonna be full body. This is the example Long Shot. You see, the object looks smaller then the background.  Next is medium shot is half body usually used when the object is talking between two, this is it Meidum Shot. And the last is close up. Close up is close size, that could be a quarter of body or just face, that's used to show the specific activity or specific thing, Close Up. You'd better use variety shot size to make your movie interesting. If you just make by only one size, that's gonna be boring and flat.
4. Use as less as actor and place. In short film you don't have to use so many actors and places, because that's gonna make your film complicated and make you difficult if you need to retake the scene. In my film,  I just use 2 actress, me and my sister (xixi), and the place was only my room. simple.
5. Editing. After you take shots you gotta edit your film (sure!!) to combine the scenes or ti cut unwanted parts. Then what's the software?? dude, don't be too panic. You can buy it in software store only 30.000 rupias or download it FREE (uuuyeeaah) in Mr. Google windows: www.jahshaka.org, www.debugmode.com, www.virtualdub.org and many more, mac: http://www.fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/, jahshaka also, or that include in your pc. For macbook Apple, you have iMovie and for windows, you have Windows Live Movie Maker or Windows Movie Maker (the old one). Well, in editing that must be transitions, in movie editor has many kinds of transition such as the "cut" (suddenly change to another scene), the fade, it's simply a cross-dissolve between two scenes, the wipe, like you wipe the window :p, and fancy transition, like bubbles, wave, spin ect. The most used one is the fade. to make your movie professional get away from those fancy tansition (why why why?? that's cool men!!)lol. That looks crazy and gonna make your audience vomit.lol
6. Do not use commercial music. That means, don't put someone's song, usually popular one into your film without their permission. Tat is PIRACY!! Just use sound effect which can be downloaded in Mr. Google for FREE...
7. No logo or brand in your film. For example the actor wears Nike t-shirt, and Nike logo appears in your film. If, Nike company knows that, you can be demanded. So, be careful buddy.
8. The last thing and I think this is the most important thing, is Make the film done. You have idea, take shot and finish it. If you want to make good film, make finished film first. But, if you think too long to make it, then you never make it at all.

Woohooo that all I can give you. Maybe ya'all curious, what is my film. I can share those, because I've done mine, and the result I won "The Best English Award" (yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!) when the host mentioned my name I was just flabbergasted, I couldn't believe it easily. My film was "3-Act Drama" (please see and like :p). See ya in my next post and keep reading my blog (n_n)