Filmmaking

Want to make your own film? It’s a bit harder that it might seem at first! With a little, some motivation and these helpful tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating your first masterpiece. These articles will guide you through the filmmaking process, including: the basics of cinematography, developing an idea, writing your screenplay, storyboarding, shooting your film, recording foley sounds and making your DVD cover.

Cinematography

If you’re keen to start making films, understanding the basic terminology of cinema is a must! Shot…

Filmmaking Ideas

Coming up with an idea for a short film can be one of the most difficult stages…

The short film formula

The most engaging short films are made by people who understand story. Technology doesn’t matter. It’s not about…

Developing your story

So you want to make a short film? Here’s some advice for developing your story into a…

Screenplay

Writing a Treatment A treatment is one of the earliest documents prepared during the pre-production process. The…

Shotlists

A shotlist is exactly what it sounds like: a list of every shot in your film from…

Storyboards

Storyboarding, the process of previsualizing your film on paper, is a very powerful way of visually planning…

Sound

If you’re going to make short films, understanding how sound works is crucial. There are a number…

Recording sound

This article is a guide for student filmmakers who want to record great sound. Although it is…

Shooting dialogue

Shooting dialogue effectively is an important part of making films. This is a quick guide for selecting…

Call Sheets

Call sheets are documents used by filmmakers to organise a shoot. It details when actors should arrive…

Filmmaking Tips

Making a film is one of the most demanding things you can do. Here are some filmmaking…

Royalty Free Music and Sound

When you’re making a film, finding music can be a difficult and time consuming process. Buying a…

Film titles

Here are some hints and tips for designing a terrific title sequence for your short film. Credits. Don’t…

Filmmaking mistakes

So you’re about to make a film for the first time? Maybe you’ve got a couple of…

Filmmaking Books

Here is a collection of fantastic filmmaking books that can help you improve your filmmaking skills. The…

Filmmaking Exercises

You can’t sit around and read about filmmaking all day! These activities are designed to teach you important concepts like matching on action, how to shoot dialogue, blocking out a scene, manipulating time and parallel editing.

Structuring Time

Narratives very rarely elapse in real time. While a film may run for ninety minutes, its story…

Dial ‘S’ for Suspense

Want to create nail-biting suspense? Want your audience hanging on tenterhooks? Brett Lamb looks to the experts to gather…

Shoot to Thrill

Want to make an action film? Think you can give Michael ‘Transformers’ Bay a run for his…

Filmmaking Advice

Here’s some terrific filmmaking advice from successful student filmmakers and industry professionals.

A Dream within a Dream

A Dream within a Dream, based on the poem by Edgar Alan Poe, is a haunting short film…

Albert

Sam Bennett’s Albert is the heart warming comedy about an elderly man who escapes from a nursing home. Selected…

Ball Art

Ball Art is an award-winning short film by Tom Nichols. Tom was inspired to make the film after seeing…

Shot Composition

When you're making a film, the composition of shots is crucial. It helps to tell your story visually and can make your film a more immersive and engaging experience for your audience. This isn't an exhaustive collection of compositional techniques, but it's a good starting point to learn more about the subtle and complex art of shot composition.