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Structure Your Film Like The Pros!

Before I properly sit down and type out the first draft of a script, I make notes of the key events from start to finish. It usually looks like this; a beat list, which is essentially the film written in bullet points.

This has worked out well so far for writing shorts. But since I started writing a feature, I wanted to see if there were any feature film structure templates, just to keep me on the right track.

I came across this. It’s a list of plot points you can fill in for your film. To check if it worked, I decided to throw in some classic films and find out if they followed that structure. They did…all of them did.

Every single film I tested followed the same pattern in some form or another. So let’s talk about it!

Act 1

Ordinary World

This is where your film starts. It will show your main characters going about their usual lives, sometimes quiet boring. In Back to the Future, Marty is a high schooler in the 1980s. In The Matrix, Neo’s ordinary world is actually inside The Matrix, which is a fun twist on the structure.

Incident

This is an event which changes the character’s ordinary world. It shakes up what they are used to. In Back to the Future, Marty sees Doc get shot. That’s not ordinary! In Breaking Bad, Walter White finds out he has terminal cancer.

Call to Action

Now that their ordinary world has been flipped, our character must decide to take action, going against their natural instinct. Walter White in Breaking Bad can’t pay for his cancer treatment. His call to action involves making a lot money, fast, to leave to his family after his death. This causes him to get into cooking meth. The call to action can be as simple as starting a band to impress the girl, like in Sing Street.

Refusal of the Call

But your character may refuse their call to action. They might not be ready for the world to change. In The Lion King, Simba refuses to go back to pride rock to stop Scar until a second incident sparks his destiny.

Refusal of the Call doesn’t have to be a straight up refusal either. Sometimes it is undiscovered or misdirected. Peter Parker got his superpowers and his first call to action was to try and win money wrestling. He didn’t discover his true call to action until his arrogance got his Uncle Ben killed, which brings me onto the next thing.

2nd Call to Action

With Uncle Ben dying because of Peter’s actions, his personal blame gives him his reason for putting on the mask and becoming Spiderman.

Act 2

Arrive in new World

Just like the ordinary world in act 1 this can mean many different things. The new world to Neo is the dystopian future, “the real world”, where humans are fighting machines. To Walter White, it is the drug world. To Will in Good Will Hunting it is the academic world. Within this new world they are committed to the task at hand, for now.

Meet the Locals

In this new world your character will be introduced to new people. In Gladiator this is when Maximus meets the other slaves for the first time. In Back to the Future, Marty is meeting his Mother and Father in the 1950s. And in Cars, Lightning McQueen meets the folk of Radiator Springs.

Hairy Mentor

The hairy mentor is someone who will guide your character through the next stage of their story. In Rocky it is Mickey, then Apollo. In The Matrix, it is Morpheus, Batman it is Alfred, Dumbledore, Gandalf, Red in The Shawshank Redemption…the list goes on. They don’t always have to be hairy, but they are likely older and wiser than the protagonist.

Practice Battles

Your character needs to be challenged internally and externally throughout the film. Some battles they will win, some they will lose, but it’s all preparing them for what is to come.

This could be the point where the new people in your characters life meet the people from their old world. In Silver Linings Playbook Tiffany introduces Pat to her sister which does not go so well.  

In a sports film these are not just the game’s leading up to the championship game, it’s all of the training montages beforehand, and the school and family challenges they are having.

Approach Bad Peak

The pressure is now building up on your character and things are spiralling out of control. In The Lord of the Rings the burden of the ring is getting too much for Frodo. In Back to the Future time is simply running out.

Life or Death

This is a point in the story when a character is backed into a corner and has two options – fight or flight. In Stand by Me, this is when Gordie and Chris finally stand up to Ace. In Toy Story, this is when Buzz has been strapped with a rocket and Woody teams up with the freaky toys to save Buzz and scare Sid away.

Seize the Trophy

This is the part when the characters achieve what they originally set out to get. A lot of the time, their original goal isn’t what they want in the end as they grow through the journey of the film.

In Stand by Me, they find the dead body of Ray Brower, but soon realise it wasn’t what they were expecting.

In Back to the Future, Marty seizes the trophy by making his parents fall in love so he doesn’t disappear.

Act 3

Chased Back Home

At this point your character has given up and revert back to their original life, or is forced to re-live their previous life before their call to action. They are given an epiphany moment and grow back stronger than ever before.

In Inception, Cobb is forced to return to Limbo where he and his Wife Mal once built their own world. In La La Land Mia gives up and heads back to her parent’s home after her stage play fails.  

Final Battle

This is where your character will win everything they have always wanted, or realise that their life was better off before. In Good Will Hunting, Will realises if he wants to get the Girl he has to leave his current life behind.

In a super hero film, they always save the world. And the final battle in every sports film is either them winning or losing the championship game.

In Toy Story, the final battle wasn’t actually saving Buzz from Sid. It was when Woody and Buzz needed to catch up to Andy’s moving van, or otherwise they would be lost forever.

In Back to the Future, after Marty gets his parents to fall in love, he must get back to the DeLorean before the lightning strikes to get back to 1985.  

Ordinary World?

Your character has returned to their original life, but they have grown through the journey of the film. This last scene tails off the film, and gives the audience a black and white contrast of the protagonist, where they came, who they were, and who they ARE now.

Fade to Black

You don’t have to follow these points to the letter. The character in your story may never need meet the Hairy Mentor or get Chased Back Home. This classic plot structure template gives the audience a familiar flow, but once you know the rules, you can always break them.

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Structure-Your-Film-Like-The-Pros

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Buying Second Hand Equipment

Filmmaking equipment can be expensive! A great way to save a bit of money is to buy SECOND HAND equipment. I buy used kit quite often, and I thought I would share my tips for getting a good online bargain!

Most filmmakers keep good care on their kit. Not just because it’s expensive and essential to making films, but also because it retains a lot of its value. So when you decide to sell it, you can make a bit back on your investment.

So it’s safe to say most second hand equipment you find online is in good condition. I’ve bought lenses, lights, and even decided my camera upgrade was going to be a second hand purchase.

Tip 1

Once you’ve decided on the item you want to buy, start researching how much it is selling for on average. Watch eBay listings for equipment currently on sale, but don’t be so hasty to buy them just yet. Create a list of all of the items you can find and write down the total price and condition for each item. I usually make a list of around 10 to 15.

This will give you a good average of the price and condition of the piece of equipment so you don’t end up overbidding.

Tip 2

Now you have this information, you can start looking out for items to buy. Other than eBay, local Facebook groups are a great place to look, and you might be able to see and try them before you buy them.

Tip 3

When you’ve found the one you want to purchase; read the description, look at the photos, and ask the seller some questions. When buying a camera ask for the shutter count. This will indicate how much it has been used.

If you’re buying a lens, ask how it was used. A lens used exclusively for studio use will be in better condition than an outdoor lens because it’s been protected from outside elements.

Tip 4

If you miss out on a great bargain, don’t panic and instinctively buy the next one you see. You might end up getting something isn’t worth the money.

Tip 5

Sites like eBay have a great returns and money back guarantee policy, which means you are just as safe buying second hand equipment as you are buying new kit from a retailer.

Tip 6

Don’t expect the items you buy to be in mint condition. Sometimes you’ll find they have an odd mark or scratch. Most of the time this doesn’t affect the overall quality that it produces, but if you’re the type of person who needs everything to be in pristine condition, second hand camera equipment may not be the way to go.

So if you’re new to buying second hand filmmaking equipment, do your research.

You might have to be a little more patient and wait for the right one to come along, but it’s going to save you some serious cash, which you can put into your next project.

Buying Second Hand Equipment

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

More Studio Improvements + Another Polaroid on the Washing Line! | Vlog #21

Mr Adam Opie AKA the Steadicam Maestro visited the studio this week, we did some arts and crafts, and we finally figured out whose turn it is to make the brews!

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Still The Best First Camera to Buy | Canon T3i Review (6 Years On)

The Canon T3i. This camera is over 6 years old now, and I think it’s STILL the best first camera you can buy.

Let me tell you why.

This was my first camera. It’s shot over 31,000 photos and has recorded 7561 videos since I got it in 2012. It’s now beaten up, the wheel sometimes breaks, and even the badge has finally fallen off. I’ve shot live performances, interviews, weddings and short films. I’ve put it through hell, and you know what? This camera is amazing!

Canon-T3i-Best-First-Camera

If you are looking at buying your first camera; whether that is for making short films, taking photos, client videos, or all three, the T3i is still, in my opinion, the one to go for.

It’s currently going second hand for £300 with the kit lens, which an absolute bargain for what it can do. Some of you might be reluctant to buy kit second hand. But filmmakers take care of their kit, and the kit they are willing to sell is the kit they have made sure stays in good condition.

If your just starting to get serious about filmmaking, spending your entire budget on the camera is your film’s death sentence. Instead, get something like this camera, and spend the rest of a decent tripod, a microphone and a couple of lights.

Here’s what it can do:

  • It has an 18 megapixel sensor

  • It records in 1080p at 24fps, and can shoot slow motion at 60fps at only 720p, but don’t let this put you off.

  • It has a flip out screen which is great for framing and focusing when you unable to stand behind the camera.

  • The batteries last longer than most, and if you want even more juice, you can attach a battery grip to it, giving you 2-in-1.

  • It uses EF mount lenses, which means you have instant access to the entire canon lens range, going from really cheap or super premium.

Now that this camera has been out for over 6 years, there are a billion-and-one tutorials, guides, tips, and tricks you can find for using this camera.

Canon-T3i-Best-First-Camera-Magic-Lantern

People have actually wrote a program you can install on this thing called Magic Lantern. It is installed on your SD card and unlocks loads of extra features including:

  • Focus peaking

  • Zebras for exposure

  • A built in intervolometer for shooting time lapses

  • And even frame guides if you want to shoot with cinematic bars.

Compared to a dedicated video camera, being able to change to photo mode and snap photographs is another massive feature, especially for entry-level and post graduate filmmakers. It shoots at 18 megapixels, which is great for web and really decent for printing.

And finally, photography can pay pretty well. So you have the potential to start a photography business or on the side to raise up money for more filmmaking equipment!

I’ve shot on this camera for over 4 years, and I know it like the back of my hand. Now that I’ve covered the features, let me cover the limitations, and ways to combat these limitations.

With the camera being over 6 years old, comparing it’s sharpness to something modern, you’ll notice it can be quite soft. Surprisingly, adding a little sharpness in post-production can help your footage pop. Here is a side by side of using the unsharpen mask plug-in in Premiere Pro.

The low light performance of this camera is its biggest limitation. But because of this, it forces you to add more thought to your lighting and your settings. In a way, this is a good thing for a beginner filmmaker because it’s forcing you to shape your light and improve your cinematography.

From my experience, don’t push this camera above 800 ISO. After that, the noise on your image is horrible. So instead, find ways to add more light.

Canon-T3i-Best-First-Camera-Sharpening

I promise you, you can get some great images from this, even in low light. You just need to feed your sensor what it craves – light!

As technology improves over time, there have been newer editions in this line up like the T4i, T5i, and T6i. The T6i has much better video auto focus and they have added a touch screen but the quality of the video is the same as the T3i.

So if you are a young filmmaker and want an upgrade from your phone, or you’ve just graduated college and want a cheap and cheerful camera to go with the rest of your filmmaking kit, go for the Canon T3i.

Even after 6 years, it’s the best first camera you can buy. 

Still The Best First Camera to Buy Canon T3i Review (6 Years On).jpg

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Can #2 | "The Model Shoot"

In each can there are 20 locations, 20 objects, 20 characters, and 20 scenarios. We pick one from each of the cans and try to come up with a film idea on the spot. Sometimes they are bad, but sometimes we turn the idea into a film.

In Story In a Can #9 Rob and Rich have to make a story about a Character who is a Model, a location of a City Bridge, an object of Lip Balm, and a scenario of Shoot Out?

Watch the video to see what story was made.

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Dealing with Criticism

Today we are going to talk about criticism: receiving feedback, giving feedback, how to do it constructively, and how not to take things personally.

Learning how to receive criticism is something we all go through as filmmakers, and at first it can sometimes feel like an attack.

If you are used to your friends and family telling you how great your short films are, and then someone comes along and steps on it, we tend to take it personally. I know I did!

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But being told only positive things isn’t going to help us grow. Norman Vincent Peale is famous for saying “The problem with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism”. That shallow desire for positive reinforcement is tempting, but it’s not helping us improve our work.

This is where constructive criticism comes in. As opposed to generic feedback, constructive criticism should contain helpful and specific suggestions for improvement and positive change.

Someone might rip your film to shreds. But if they give you alternatives, suggestions, different ways of execution, better ways of creating, you can take all that advice and apply it into your next film.

Personally, I love getting my film ripped to shreds. I want people to pick at it and destroy it, and from that destruction I can finally see the faults which I wouldn’t have noticed if people weren’t so aggressively helpful with their feedback.

But there is a difference between feedback for improvement and someone’s personal taste. Not everyone likes the same things, and sometimes a few suggestions based on their taste can be thrown in.

If you like something in your film, if you feel that certain element is crucial to your project and that changing it will change the film…then fight for it. It’s your film after all, and if you can justify your reason for a certain element, that is your right as a filmmaker.

All of this applies when you are the one giving feedback too. Remember how it felt to have your film attacked. If you are giving criticism, give some examples of how it can be improved. And talk about what you DID like in someone else’s film. 

Just because you are giving feedback, doesn’t mean you can’t praise the positives as well. It is quite often harder to do so because the positive elements are invisible in the film, but if you think “everything I see on screen has been crafted by individuals”, it can help put a spotlight on those invisible elements. 

Feedback isn’t just at the premiere of the movie either. Having someone read your script and give their opinion will help you see things you might not realise were there/or weren’t there.

During shooting, you have a team of people around you, why not use those individual brains and ask them their opinions are on the day. 

Sam Mendes says it plain and simple, “When you have a cast of 20, this means you have 20 other imaginations in the room with you. Use them.”,

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Post-production, have people look at your edit. It might be cut really tight, it looks awesome and flows well, to you. But to someone else, the geometry of the room might be off because it is missing a shot which you took out. A fresh pair of eyes on an edit can be invaluable. [Time-lapse someone editing]

And it’s not just filmmakers you should gain feedback from.

Sometimes asking for constructive feedback on your film from someone who isn’t a filmmaker can be tricky. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to ask them questions about it. “Can you tell me what you thought the film was about?”, “How did the pacing feel? Were there parts that were a slow or too fast?”, “How do you feel about this character?”.

Dealing-with-Criticism-2.jpg

Asking open questions to non-filmmakers will help them give you an answer without getting the response “Oh, it was good, I liked it.” You sometimes find that those who haven’t studied film don’t know WHY they liked or disliked certain pieces of a film, and by asking them open questions, they have a chance to really find an answer.

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What’s great about feedback from non-filmmakers is their unique viewpoint of it. To them, it isn’t a crafted piece of work, it’s simply entertainment. They aren’t looking at the shots, or listening out for sound effects, they just take it in. And if your film isn’t entertaining, it hasn’t succeeded in its most primal form. In some ways, it’s their opinion is all that matters.

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DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Filmmaking Cliches: Should You Avoid Them?

Everybody wants to make unique and original films.

Nobody wants to be the person who made something predictable and cliché. But this sort of thinking can actually be detrimental. Instead of creating something you really love, you are putting all of your effort into making sure it ISN’T something!

In my personal opinion, I think cliché is something we should embrace in the early stages of our filmmaking careers.

Chances are, your new film is pretty similar to something someone has already made, and avoiding cliché is just another worry you don’t need to be concerned with.

Creating cliché or predictable films is a filmmaker’s way of stretching their muscles and trying out something they haven’t done before, using the existing material as a blueprint for a new exercise.

So in the spirit of this, we’ve compiled a list of indie film cliché moments. We’ve been guilty of many of these in the past, and we have even shot a few extras just for this video.

 

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Filmmaking Cliches - Zobie Movie.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Waking up.jpg
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Filmmaking Cliches - Unnecessary Travel Shots.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Lens Flares.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Melodrama.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Black & White.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Alcohol.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Dutch Tilt.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Blue Shadows.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Drugs.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Morning Routine.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Staring at your Reflection.jpg
Filmmaking Cliches - Shot from the trunk.jpg

If you’re having fun making your movie, and you’re learning a lot from the process, you’re making progress no matter what you’re shooting. You might not win any awards , but you’re one film closer to making your masterpiece.

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DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Generating Story Ideas for your Film

Writers block can happen to the best of us. We don’t know when it will happen and we can rarely tell when it will end. But there are ways to tackle writers block, and one in particular is by forcing creativity using some sticky notes, an online word generator, and a little imagination.

Like we say a lot of the time, getting the film look is more than just camera settings and fancy shots. If your film doesn’t have a story, it won’t feel like a real film, and if you are struggling to get ideas for a story, you can use a technique we call “Story in a can”.

Story-in-a-Can.jpg

It’s a simple trick. You want to create 4 categories; character, location, object, and scenario. Using an online word generator, write out 20 of each category onto some paper, fold them up, and place them into some sort of container. We used 4 tin cans and labelled them. 

Then it’s a case of picking out one bit of paper from each can and creating a storyline using each category.

Story-in-a-Can-1.jpg

If every unique combination creates a different story, 20 to the power of 4 gives us 160,000 combinations…we think! We’re probably wrong, leave us a comment with the right answer.

Each item doesn’t have to be super detailed. We stuck to a few bog standard occupations for characters like teacher, bartender, and bank manager, and added a few obscure ones like medium and funeral director.

The locations were things like public toilet, a beach, and a supermarket.

The objects were things like matches, a fork, and added some more complex ones like somebody else’s wallet. And the scenarios we wrote down were things like a job interview, nana going mental, an eating contest, and an exam.

By keeping them a bit simple, strange, and vague, it gives you more blanks to fill in and stretches your creative muscles. Sometimes combinations can be difficult, and if this happens, you can always cheat a little bit.

For example, if the location you picked was a mountain top but it didn’t fit very well with your other items you can always say it’s a restaurant named the mountain top. 

Story-in-a-Can-2.jpg

Use the notes however you want to use them. The story ideas you come up with might not be very good and you might just overcome writer’s blocks with this exercise. There is always a chance you might stumble on to your next script idea.

We actually did this technique for a vlog episode which is linked on screen and down below. We thought it was an awesome idea and wanted to share it with you!

Generating Story Ideas for your Film.jpg

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

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DIY Overhead Shooting Rig

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Nearly every video we shoot for this channel uses our top down shooting table in some way. We use the setup when we are trying to explain something on the white board, to show something we are building, it helps when you need to be hands free or just as an extra table to work and shoot on.

The Table

Let’s start off with the table, the top is made out of MDF which has been varnished so it can be easily cleaned. The best thing about the table is that is folds away into the wall when we need more space.

The legs are on hinges and have a magnetic catch, so they fold away under the table and stay in place. The table top is also connected to the wall by hinges and folds flat against the wall.

This comes in handy as we can put our big pop out back drop on the wall when we are taking head shots for example.

DIY-Overhead-Shooting-Rig.jpg

Backdrop

Since the colour of the table is not the best, we have a few different backdrops to use depending on what we are shooting. The backdrops roll off a metal bar we have setup and clip on to the edge of the table. We also us a white board so we can write and draw, also we use one of these cutting mats as the green gives a nice contrast.

DIY-Overhead-Shooting-Rig-Backdrop.jpg

TV Table Mount

The way we mount the camera is using a monitor stand that you would normally use on your desk. We modified it by connecting a quick release plate to a piece of wood, the one we used is a Manfrotto 323 RC2 Quick Release Adapter. Then we attached this to the monitor stand just like you would if you were attaching a monitor to the stand.

Since the cameras we use on the shooting rig are small mirrors cameras, there is no weight issues as this stand is built to hold monitors that are much heavier than our cameras.

With the arm you can adjust the height, move it backwards, forwards, and tilt it left and right to adjust the framing of your shot.

DIY-Overhead-Shooting-Rig-Mount.jpg

Monitor

After testing we worked out which settings are best to use on your camera when shooting on the table. So we can see what we were shooting we use our feel world monitor mounted onto the shelf.

DIY-Overhead-Shooting-Rig-Monitor.jpg

Lights

Lastly we use 2 soft boxes which have 5 115w bulbs in each of them, at a colour temperature of 5500K. 

DIY-Overhead-Shooting-Rig-Lights.jpg

This shooting table comes in handy for many different things and there are many different ways you can set up a shooting table just like this, just work out what is best to the space you have.

DIY Overhead Shooting Rig.jpg

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

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Upgrade Your Camera Battery

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The Sony a7s is a mirrorless camera with some great video capabilities. We’ve been using them for about a year now and would recommend them to anyone who is considering buying one.

The problem is, with it being a camera primarily built for photography, the batteries only last about 40 minutes. If you are shooting all day, you’ll need a hand full of these batteries to last the whole day.

So we needed to find a solution to this problem. It’s time to customise.

So this is the standard Sony a7s battery; the NP-FW50. It’s nice and compact to fit in the small form factor of the camera, and has a charge of 1020mAh.

This is plenty if you are shooting photos, but for video, it sucks the juice out in less than one hour.

Compare that to this, the Sony NP-F750. This has a charge of 5200mAh, over 5x that of the standard a7s battery. These are the batteries we use to power the LED panel and the camera monitor.

Sony-a7s-Battery-life2.jpg

So finding a way to use this battery to power our cameras will give the most compatible solution to our kit. This is what we did.

Firstly, we bought a Sony a7s dummy battery. These can be found online, we picked this one up on eBay for a few quid, and what it does is allow you to plug in an external power source into the camera by using a dummy a7s battery on one end, and a female jack on the other.

Secondly, we picked up a battery plate adapter for the Sony NP-F750, the big guy here. So by connecting the parts together and putting in the battery, it all seems to work!

Sony-a7s-Dummy-Battery.jpg

The voltage difference between the original battery and the big sony battery is only .2 volts, so this will be safe to run your camera.

Lastly, we needed a mounting solution. We already have cages for the Sony a7s, so by utilising the 15mm rod mount on the top, we bought a cheese plate, a small 15mm rod, and a strip of Velcro to mount it onto the camera.

Tidy up your cables with a rubber band or some tape, and you’re all set!

We have shot using this solution for months now, and using this battery works just fine. We also have a larger battery, the Sony NP-F970.

Sony-a7s-NP-Battery.jpg

This works too, but every now and then the camera likes to stay idle instead of waking up. We haven’t figured this issue out yet, so we suggest if you do plan on hacking your Sony battery, stick to the F750.

On an all-day shoot, we have got up to 6 hours out of this battery.

Another advantage of this external mount is being able to replace the batteries incredibly easily when it is on a tripod. Sometimes taking the original a7s batteries out when it is locked on a tripod can be difficult as it is accessed from the bottom. This rectifies the issue.

Upgrade Your Camera Battery.jpg

DISCLAIMERS:

Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Should You Go To Film School?

The big question is “Should I go to Film  School?”.

This is a question that will be answered differently by every person you speak to. Me and Rob both went to university and studied a form of filmmaking. I studied Visual Effects & Animation, and Rob studied Media Production.

Film school is perfect for those who want to create a filmmaking network. If you don’t have any filmmaking friends, you’ll find some at film school. It’s great for accessing equipment too. They will have everything you need and more, and it’s all available to you. It’s also a good way to give you a target when you begin making movies. Assignments and coursework will give you a goal to aim towards, so it’s perfect for someone who might not have the mind-set to create their own tasks. If this is what you need, then go for it. Film School is for you, and you’ll get a lot out of it.

But there is another option. Both myself and Rob have learned a load more about making films from YouTube videos and free online tutorials, than we ever did at Film School. You can teach yourself the techniques you’d learn at film school by grabbing whatever camera you can get access to, including your phone, and heading out and just start shooting stuff, using YouTube videos as a guide.

Because of this, we thought we would create a “YouTube Film School”; a list of all of our favourite YouTube and online resources which have made us better filmmakers throughout the years.

Let’s start off with some great variety filmmaking shows:

Film Riot (Film Riot is a household name in terms of YouTube filmmaking resources. If you could only sub to one channel, make it Film Riot. They cover pretty much everything on their channel, all super high quality)

https://www.youtube.com/user/filmriot

Indy Mogul (Indy Mogul has been around forever, and they cover videos about DIY practical effects, visual effects, hacks, and filmmaking tools. Their catalogue is worth watching from the very start)

https://www.youtube.com/user/indymogul

D4Darious (Darious Britt has one of the most underrated YouTube channels. He has cinematography breakdowns of films, a massive list of writing techniques, and a bunch of others that are all worth watching)

https://www.youtube.com/user/D4Darious

Cinematography Database (Cinematography Database breaks down the Cinematography of films like no other, along with his knowledge of the industry you’re sure to pick up some tips)

https://www.youtube.com/user/cinematographydb

Next we have some channels that are great for kit reviews and DIY solutions:

Dave Dugdale (Dave creates some of the most in-depth kit reviews you can find. If you are thinking of getting a new camera and Dave Dugdale reviews it, you’ll know the entire A-Z.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/drumat5280

Philip Bloom (The good thing about Philip Bloom’s reviews are that he spends a good couple of weeks with a camera or a monitor before reviewing it. He goes very in-depth and talks about the kit in a practical sense)

https://www.youtube.com/user/philipbloom

DLSR Video Shooter ( DSLR Video Shooter is hosted by Caleb Pike and is another one of those channels that reviews camera equipment, he also loves a good camera DIY hack)

https://www.youtube.com/user/dslrvideoshooter

DIY Perks (This channel is not all about filmmaking as he builds lots of DIY projects, but his most notable projects involved building DIY lights and as filmmakers we need light)

https://www.youtube.com/user/DIYPerks

The Basic Filmmaker (The Basic Filmmaker has a lot of variety on his channel, and his kit reviews are especially great.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBasicFilmmaker

If Post Production and Visual Effects takes your fancy, here are our favourites:

HitFilm (Hit film’s YouTube channel teaches you many different techniques about filmmaking, mainly in the post production side, this is because they also have an editing and visual effects program which you can download for free)

https://www.youtube.com/user/FXhomeHitFilm

Mike Russell (Mike Russell from Music Radio Creative has some really great tutorials for post-production sound. Making voices sound better, getting a Stephen hawking voice. He’s got you covered!)

https://www.youtube.com/user/musicradiocreative

Video Copilot (Most visual effects artists will know the name Andrew Kramer. The guy is a god of visual effects and has over 10 years’ worth of tutorials on his page. If it’s post production visual effects you want to study, he’s the guy to follow).

https://www.youtube.com/user/videocopilot

We have two channels we watch for interviews with filmmakers, actors, writers, and directors:

Film Courage (Film Courage interviews people in the industry, giving their insight into writing, producing, acting, directing, and more. These videos are great to put on in the background and listen to, like a podcast.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/filmcourage

The Hollywood Reporter (The Hollywood Reporter interviews the top Hollywood stars, getting an insight into their world. Their series The Roundtable has Hollywood stars chatting about the industry and their views, and some last over an hour.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/thrnetwork

Video Essays are a great way get grips with studying film, and learning the theory behind techniques helps you understand WHY you are using that technique. Get subscribed to these guys for some great binge watching videos about film and filmmaking:

Extras:

The Art of Photography (The Art of Photography is not strictly about filmmaking, it’s about Photography, but these videos from Ted will help you learn all you need to know about some of the best Photographs)

https://www.youtube.com/user/theartofphotography

Websites:

No Film School (Whether it’s on their website or their Facebook page, No Film School is a site you should be following. They post articles and videos daily, giving you the best resources from around the globe into one news feed. And a quick shout out to V from No Film School; Thanks for posting our videos, we really appreciate it!)

http://nofilmschool.com/

If we didn’t mention any channels that you think we should be following, leave us a comment! We’d love to know what we are missing out on. As always, we are on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week.

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