Cut to: Plan

The moment we realise we love film making, we ask ourselves the inevitable question - How do I make a film?

As a kid we watch a lot of cartoons and don’t realise that these are stories written and made by people. We watch family movies and have a lot of fun with it (Home Alone), but don’t yet realise how a movie is made. As we start to grow and see 'The Godfather' for the first time, we think: "Damn! That was incredible." Now we may have a rough idea how movies are made, about the different roles in the film industry. We start to admire the actors/actresses, producers and directors. Then all of a sudden, we come to a realisation: "I want to make movies." This realisation can come at any time in your life based on your circumstances, or environment. A person that was born in a well-off family in L.A., could have this realisation whilst they are studying at university. Whereas another person that was born in a poor household in a small town with limited or no opportunities, that realisation could come when they are really young. But both may need guidance on how to start.

Making your first film:

If you have zero experience, make a short film, make a 30 second clip or a single scene of your favouite film. That is your beginning. Use this to learn, gain experience and improve. Before long you will be filming longer pieces and moving onto bigger projects.

If you are uncomfortable sharing or don't think your work is good enough to share just yet, make it for yourself to develop your filmmaking. Then make another, and another, once you start moving onto bigger projects, you can share these with family and friends or even online, like your own YouTube channel.

Your first script:

“But I don’t know how to write a script, I don’t understand the screenplay format”.

It doesn’t matter. Here is a simple script for you to start with:

A person wakes up really late for work. They are rushing around to get dressed, brush their teeth and have a quick breakfast. The person runs out of the house.

That's it. This is your script. Film, edit, watch it, and you will see things you would like to do differently. Refilm this as many times as you like with any improvements or chances you can think of. After that you can say to yourself: "I have experience now." You have completed your first filmmaking project, even if you choose not to show it to anyone else, you have proof that you can do this.

Start filming everything you can think of. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be done. When you move onto the big projects where you need actors and a crew, you will need some organisation and Cut To Plan can help you with that.

Our message here is: Just do it.