What Can Make A Movie Look Like A Film

Originally posted summer of ’09

I have had an interesting summer, worked on my first feature, Biology 101, and my first web-series, Q: the Deconstruction of Cupid. I was a boom op on the feature, and the Production Sound Mixer or “sound guy” on a web-series. These are two completely different animals, but the awesome thing about films is that they have the same prep and execution. One is just a larger scale than the other. The feature had a crew of about 30 working on it during principle photography and the web-series had about 10 of us.

Now, I’m not bagging on Q, cause there was no where near the money that was backing the feature, but while shooting Q, it just seemed like I was on a student film. Where the feature felt more like a well oiled machine. This plays directly into how much time and money is put into a project.

So I ask you, please spend as much time getting EVERYTHING worked out. scout locations with the key crew (DP, Director, Production Sound Mixer, Gaffer, AD) at a minimum. That way you get different perspectives on the locations and the crew can start figuring out the problems that will come up during filming instead of having to figure it out on set while the clock is running. A good motto to go by would be PLAN THE SHOOT, SHOOT THE PLAN. That way your not wasting time trying to figure things out as you go.