Tips on Making Your First Short Film as a Cinematographer
Cinematography is an exciting career that allows you to express your artistic vision through visual storytelling. If you’ve landed your first gig as the cinematographer of a short film, you may be feeling overwhelmed and nervous. Being the cinematographer of a production is a big job that involves lots of planning and technical skill in addition to artistic creativity.
Whether you’ve completed a cinematography degree at a swanky film school, or you have picked up skills on film sets, your first big job will inevitably be a huge learning curve in terms of organisation and cinematography techniques. This article will take you through the planning and filming stages of filmmaking. Using these cinematography tips, you’ll glide through the planning and production of your first short film like a pro.
Planning Stages
Before you begin production, you will need to do a lot of planning work. From dissecting the screenplay to creating a shot list, the following tips will guide you through the ideal cinematographer’s planning process.
Start with the Story
Begin with the short film screenplay. Read it over and over again until you know the characters and the story intimately. You will need to know the script in forensic detail in order to tell the story effectively. Remember, your choices will contribute to the way the story is told.
Many first-time cinematographers sometimes forget to carve out enough time to give the script ample time. It’s easy to get excited about the equipment and different cinematography techniques that can be used. But they’re just tools to create your visual story, and that is built on a foundation of script analysis, so always make this your first port of call.
Star with an intimate understanding of the script, and you will be able to create a cinematography plan that truly serves the story.
Serve the Story
Once you’ve become familiar with the script, you can begin to brainstorm ideas of how you’ll use your skills as a cinematographer to do the story justice and bring it to life for your audiences.
If possible, have a few in-depth conversations with the creative team, including the producer, the director, and the screenwriter. Make sure you agree on your storytelling goals. Discuss initial concepts to establish the short film’s genre, style, and influences.
Once you’ve established your goals as a team, you will be able to start thinking about your unique artistic vision for this particular story. You might now begin to consider things like using specific colour palettes, lighting techniques, and framing techniques.
Prepare your Filmmaking Equipment
In these initial planning stages, you will also need to gather and organise your filming equipment. For independent short films, the budget for equipment might be smaller than you’d like.
This doesn’t mean you can’t make a beautiful, moving short film. Sometimes, a simple shoulder-mounted ENG camera will give you better results than more advanced film cameras. You might even choose to use a simple Canon DSLR, one of the best DSLR cameras for filmmaking. So, finding the best film cameras will depend on the cinematography style you’ve decided to go with.
You will also need lighting equipment. Hopefully, you will be able to work with natural light in many cases on set. However, if you are planning on using some artistic lighting techniques, professional lights will help you to create effective contrast and shadow. You may also need these lights to recreate natural daylight or to simply brighten a dark set in some cases.
Perform Camera Tests
versa. A traditional camera test involves using a chip chart, colour chart, and models. These tests will allow you to practice creating your desired lighting and framing effects with the camera you intend to use on the shoot. No two cameras capture light and colour in the same way, so learn your way around your new equipment.
Create A Shot List
The shot list is the shot-by-shot plan, or storyboard, of the script you will bring to production. A well-organised shot list will include details about the lenses, locations, and actors that will be used. A good shot list will help the production team create an efficient filming schedule.
The shot list will also help you to plan each day on set so that you can work as efficiently as possible. For instance, you can group all of the shots together that are using the same lighting or lens before moving onto other shots.
Every good shot list should include the following details so that the crew remains on the exact same page during production.
- Shot number
- Shot description
- Shot size
- Shot type
- Movement
- Equipment
- Lens
- Frame rate
- Location
- Actors
- Sound
- Other notes
The shot list is a crucial step in the planning of a short film. Some cinematographers think they can walk onto the set and work their way through scenes as they go, with no specific shots pre-planned.
This lack of planning can lead to disaster. You may make poor choices, leave out crucial shots, and end up with a collection of disjointed shots with no artistic continuity. A lot of bad short films feel clunky and confusing because the cinematographer failed to make a shot list.
Prepare for Locations
If you are involved in location scouting, think about which places will help you to convey the story visually. Once the locations have been selected, begin to think about how these locations will work on camera. Think about how the natural light might change depending on the time of year and time of day and consider which parts of the location will look best on camera. You may even find the location gives you inspiration for how to visually support the story.
The Filming Stages
After weeks or months of planning your shots and preparing your equipment, you’ll finally move onto the actual filming portion of the project. This is where all of your hard work will pay off and you’ll find out whether you’ve done the right kind of planning. Here are some tips that will help you have a successful filming experience.
Have a Good Mindset
From day one, focus on coming to work with a positive, proactive mindset. This means:
- Being friendly and respectful to the cast and crew
- Being a leader on set
- Being open to creative and practical suggestions
- Communicating effectively
- Working as a team player
- And, of course, remembering to stay healthy and well-fed!
Once you get on set, all of your interpersonal skills will become very important. If you are unable to work with the rest of the team or you are an ineffective leader filled with self-doubt, the production will slow down and morale will fall.
Try to come to set with an open mind and a focused attitude. Don’t be afraid to speak up when you have an idea, and, similarly, don’t shut someone else down for their thoughts.
Prepare for Compromises and Quick-Thinking on Set
and crew in tow, complications can often occur. Whether that’s an afternoon of unexpected rain, or a broken light, problems can arise for anyone. Prepare to be flexible and creative in dealing with these issues as and when they occur.
Follow an Organised Workflow Pattern
Following a strict workflow on set will keep production moving and stop you from falling behind schedule. Cinematographer Art Adams describes his workflow pattern in the following, straightforward way: “Block. Light. Rehearse. Tweak. Shoot. Repeat. Every. Single. Setup.”
This kind of strict setup procedure means that you stop yourself from getting lost on unnecessary artistic tangents. It also means you reduce the risk of wasting time filming a scene that isn’t lit or blocked appropriately. Saying “let’s just go for a take,” can be dangerous when the actors haven’t been lit or positioned in frame. You’ll waste a lot of time and battery power by shooting a scene before it’s ready.
Plus, following a consistent workflow pattern will help the rest of the cast and crew feel confident and comfortable working with you on set.
Don’t Neglect Your Cinematography Techniques
Once the project is moving along at a healthy pace and you and the crew are on top of the shot list, you have some opportunity to start getting creative and spontaneous with your shots. If you see the opportunity for a beautiful close-up, or an interesting framing option, you can always shoot it just in case it adds to the story.
Use your cinematography skills to play with camera movement and depth. Experiment with different lenses if your initial choice doesn’t have the desired effect.
For continuity purposes, stick with one working stop for each scene. Typically, the lens is sharpest at 2-21/2 stops. Try to avoid switching between stops for one scene, as this will mess with the depth of field from shot to shot.
Lighting
By now, you should already know what kind of lighting style you’re using in the short film. More stylistic films might use drastic, obvious lighting choices. For instance, if you’ve decided to shoot the film as a new-noir, you will likely be using harsh, contrasting light for dramatic effect. A light rom-com might opt for soft, hazy lighting to give the film a whimsical, dreamy quality.
Colour can also have a big impact on the visual atmosphere you create. If you have access to film lighting colour gels, play with mixing lighting temperatures to add to the look and feel of the film.
In addition to the general colour wash achieved through lighting, think about the colours in the shot. You may wish to collaborate with the prop and costume department in order to create a specific colour palette for certain shots.
Some of the best cinematography in history relies on these kids of collaborations. For instance, Wes Anderson’s films have a specific look and feel thanks to their carefully curated colour palettes and their unusual use of framing.
Learn Your Mistakes and Your Triumphs
Even if you’ve been to the best film school in the country, there is always more to learn. Actually being on set, you will pick up tricks and habits that work for you. Take note of the tools that help you do your best work. Also notice when certain practices slow you down or hinder your creative ability. In your job, you will be able to pick and choose from the skills you learned on your first short film.
Make Lasting Professional Connections
Because this is your very first short film, it’s important that you focus on creating positive friendships and professional relationships. Networking is a necessary evil in this industry. Many jobs go to friends of friends, so it’s vital to treat everyone you meet on set with respect and kindness.
Prove that you’re a good cinematographer to work with by being engaged and focused on the work at hand, while also looking out for the rest of the team. When the director, producer, or lead actor is involved in another project that needs a DP or cinematographer, they might just think of you.
Add it to Your Showreel
A short film will be excellent material for your showreel. Once the film is complete, select your favourite shots and scenes to add to your reel. This way, your hard work on your first short film will become a promotional tool you can use to seek out new work. Having a short film under your belt as a cinematographer is a wonderful step and, to get work as a cinematographer for many larger productions, will be a sign that you are capable of handling responsibility, stress, and artistic freedom.