ID 360

Toolkit

How to make a short film

Anyone can now make a short film with the increased technology available to the common consumer.

Steps

  • girl. Choose your equipment. You’ll need something that can record video. There are tons of choices, just make sure your video recorder can work with your DVD or editing equipment.
  • Learn a few features. You’ll need to review how your recording device works. Find out how to start and stop recording, fast forward, rewind, playback and anything else you think you’ll need to know.
  • Choose a subject. Decide what you want to make a film about. Keep in mind what you’ll need to do it. Think about who, what and where you’ll shoot. Form a basic idea for a story.
  • Type out a script. Make sure to develop your characters. People have different personalities; your movie won’t be fun to watch if everyone acts and talks the same.
  • Draw out a storyboard, illustrating the shots you plan to use. Don’t worry about following the storyboard perfectly, it’s just a good idea to get your thoughts on paper.
  • Find people willing to work on the film with you.
  • Shoot your footage. If you want to talk about your pet, you can shoot video of your pet eating, sleeping and playing and perhaps put it to music.
  • Edit your film. Many cameras are able to edit in limited ways and some have special effects. Learn how to “cut” pieces of your footage together and put music or speech over your video. Check your camera’s manual or use a free software package like iMovie to make your final cuts.
  • Write a short idea of what you want to accomplish. It can be anything from a paragraph to a full script.
  • Don’t forget that you can use pictures and still shots for video too.
  • Remember your overall vision as you record your footage. Don’t forget to record voiceovers (talking) and other sounds as part of your regular footage. You can always use the video or audio independently.

Source: WikiHow

Need more tips? Read YouTube’s video toolbox.

How do I get my film on to DVD?

coloured pencils. It’s easy really! Here are some tips to help you.

First you need to purchase a blank DVD. Blank DVD’s are available from all leading book and department stores, such as the Warehouse and Whitcoulls and will only cost you $3-$4.

Here are some different ways to burn your film onto DVD.

If you have access to a computer with a DVD Writer and/or video editing software

  1. Most new computers these days are DVD compatible and come with basic video editing software.
  2. If you have access to a computer with either of these functions, you need to upload your film onto your hard disk using a USB cable (some cell phones use a different type of cable)
  3. Open your video editing software and there will be an option to select your video file. Then you need to simply select the ‘burn to DVD’ option and follow the instructions.
  4. Most video editing software programmes allow you to add titles, subtitles and audio tracks.

If your video is already on YouTube or another Internet video site

  1. Download the Video to your hard disk in Flash Video format (extension: flv) using the free tool iTube.
  2. Get the free DVD authoring software called DVD Flick. The software takes all your videos, encodes them and burns a DVD that can be played on any DVD player.
  3. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to burn videos using DVD Flick.
  4. With DVD Flick, you can also add titles, subtitles and audio tracks to your YouTube DVD project to make them more interesting. Keep your blank DVD disc ready.

If all else fails here are some further tips on making movies and burning your film to DVD.

Download the tips on this page as a PDF.

Download the forms

Download the entry form (PDF).
Download the Terms and Conditions (PDF).
Download the location and performance release form (PDF).
Download the musical release form (PDF).
Download all forms (ZIP).