Sony a7s | a Filmmaker's Review

The Sony a7S is the main camera we use to shoot all of The Film Look episodes, and recently we used it to shoot our short film Backstage.

Here's why the Sony a7S gives you the creative freedom to make the film you want to make.

As of this post, the Sony a7S Mark 1 has been out for about 3 years so I am not going to go into all of the specifications of the camera as there are loads of videos and articles talking about it.

Camera Body

This was the main setup we had when shooting our short film, but let's take it back to the bare bones.

The size of the camera is very small, even compared to our Canon 600d/T3i which we upgraded from. The size is something we really like about it, because it allows us to use the camera in 3 different ways.

The first is this super lightweight stripped down version which we use when we are just out taking photos or travelling. If you use a prime lens you can get something that fits into your jacket pocket.

The second setup is the one we use the most when shooting. We put it in a cage which adds more protection and usability with a hand grip and top handle. The cage also allows us to attach more equipment like a monitor, an XLR to 3.5mm microphone converter, and an external camera battery, which we would definitely recommend if you are shooting all day. The Sony a7S batteries are very small and you will only get about 30 to 40 minutes out of them.

We have a full video about our external battery setup here:

Finally, this is our third setup, and the one we used to shoot the short film. We took away the XLR converter as we were recording dedicated audio, but we did add extra rails for a wireless follow focus which went to another monitor. This is something we only use when shooting films, and it really saved us time.

You do have to spend more money to get the camera to this set up but you could just buy something that already has some of this equipment built in like the Canon C100 or Sony FS7. But if you need something that can go from being tiny to massive, the Sony a7S is the best of both worlds.

Image Quality

The image quality of the camera is very sharp even at 1080p. Yes this camera does NOT shoot 4K. If you need that, get the Mark ii. From shooting an entire film set at night to shooting on a set for our short film Backstage, the quality of the image is up there with the best.

The camera you shoot on does not matter...at least not until the camera stops you from capturing a clean image. For our short film Keep The Change, which was shot all at night, what we shot the film on did matter. The a7S is famous for its low light capability and we really took advantage of this when shooting. We did not have to worry how far we were pushing the ISO to get the correct exposure.

A high ISO does not mean you do not need to light your film, you still need to shape your light to fit the tone of your film. It just gives you the freedom to use less powerful lights.

Another aspect of having a camera that can shoot at very high ISO’s will give you the creative freedom to shoot at higher F-Stops. Shooting everything at f1.8 achieves a shallow depth of field but it is not always the best option, especially if you can not keep your shot in focus.

Having the ability to shoot at f4 or f8 in a dark situation allows you to keep your image in focus whilst not worrying about how high your ISO is going. Shooting at an ISO of 1600 at F8 is just as clean as if you were shooting at f1.8 with an ISO of 100, but at f4 or f8 your shots will have a better chance of being in focus.

White Balance

The white balance you chose when shooting will all depend on the type of lights you are using, and what you want your image to look like. The Sony a7s allows you to customise your white balance way past the standard settings like you get with every other camera.

The main light source in our short film Backstage were 4 fluorescent lights which had a colour temperature of 3200 kelvin. Our white balance was set to Fluorescent Warm White but since these type of lights are well known for having a green tint, I wanted to take this away. You can do this in post production easy enough, but with the Sony a7s you can do it in camera.

In each white balance setting you can change the colour gamut to add or take away the Green, Blue, and Magenta from your image. Here is an example of the image before and after we added more Magenta to the image to take away the green tint.

Having the extra flexibility to correct your image in camera allows you to capture a clean looking image, creating less work in post.

Picture Profile

The picture profile you chose to shoot with all depends on your work flow and experience, but the a7s will give you many different options.

For our short film Backstage and all of the episodes we shoot for this channel we set the picture profile to off, as the standard picture profile is quite flat. Not as flat a Slog 2, but you don’t need to shoot on Slog2 all of the time to get a flexible image for colour grading.

The picture profile settings on the camera are vast, and very overwhelming, but there are many guides out there to help. One of the best videos about setting up your Sony a7S is from Philip Bloom, he goes into the fine details of not just setting up the picture profile setting of this camera, but all of the settings. It’s definitely worth watching a few times.

Learn how to shoot and colour grade on the Standard profile, the Slog2 profile, and any other custom profile setting you find out there. Use the right one for the right job, they all have their advantages and disadvantage and the Sony a7S gives you the freedom to choose.

Usability

The camera you shoot with needs to help you tell your stories; and the easier it can do that the better.

The camera is very small, but it surprisingly has many function buttons which help you to access settings quickly. Over time you learn which settings you need quick access to, and you can customise them to suit you.

The only downside to the camera is where the record button is placed, it’s very hard to get to. This is why I went for the Tilta cage as there is a record button on the handle. We have a video about the cages we use for the a7s if you want to check them out:

The Sony a7S gives us all of the creative freedom we currently need we make short films, but it is not the camera we will use forever. If a project requires us to shoot 4K 6k or even 8K we won’t just shoot on what we've got, we will think about what we need to help tell the best story possible.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🚀 http://bit.ly/corruption-pack - With glitchy overlays, distorted logo reveals and more, RocketStock’s "Corruption" is an ideal way to give your project a dramatic edge.

🎵 http://bit.ly/pb-brooklyn-bridge - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

Equipment Links

🎥 This episode's kit/gear/equipment:

US links:

Sony a7s: http://amzn.to/2DrEdLb

Tilta Cage: http://amzn.to/2Dn20LY

Pergear a7s: http://amzn.to/2hQYkvS

NPF750 Batteries: http://amzn.to/2hIJZOi

Saramonic SmartRig XLR: http://amzn.to/2DpJMK3

Dji Follow Focus: http://amzn.to/2Dqxelt

UK links:

Sony a7s: http://amzn.to/2DrEdLb

Tilta Cage: http://amzn.to/2D5Ecj0

Pergear a7s: http://amzn.to/2jI1Xon

NPF750 Batteries: http://amzn.to/2jJNckM

Saramonic SmartRig XLR: http://amzn.to/2D4BCtx

Dji Follow Focus: http://amzn.to/2D4b63n

---

---

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!

The Cost of a Short Film: Backstage

How much does a short film cost to make? You might as well ask how long is a piece of string.

Let's put the film into some context. Backstage is 9 minutes long and it was shot over 3 days. Let’s break the cost of the film.

Cast: £0.00

We had a main cast of 3, Liam, Dan, and Aja. We also had a supporting cast of 3, James, Rich and Me. The 3 main cast and our 1 supporting cast member all worked on the film for free because they just wanted to help make the film.

Crew: £0.00

Our crew size was 8, we had Emily who was the producer and 1st AD, Rob (not me) was a 1st AC, Ed was on sound, Kristian was our script supervisor, Adam filmed this wicked steadicam shot, Jack filmed BTS, and Alex was our clapper loader.

Just like the cast, our crew worked on the film for free.

Food: £115

Since the cast and crew worked for free we made sure we provided food and drinks. Even if you are making a no budget film, make sure you provided food for your cast and crew, it goes a long way.

Travel Expenses: £71.70

Along with the food for the cast and crew we paid for people's travel expenses. You don’t want people to be out of pocket for your film.

Locations: £100

The location we used for the film was an old school which is ran by a local church. They allowed us to use the location for free, whenever we wanted. We did not have to, but we did make a donation to the church for allowing us to have access. If you find yourself in this situation, just work out what you can afford. You don’t have to donate a lot, and whatever you do will always be appreciated.

Props: £0.00

The only prop that we really needed in the film was the announcer's microphone. We made this out of cardboard and foam which we had laying around, so it didn't cost anything.

Costume: £93.39

When writing this film we knew we would need to spend a bit of money making sure our characters fit into the world. Some of the costume items we had to buy were the Mediums yellow shirt and waistcoat, the fly swatters Knee pads, headphones, and even this foam hand.

Set Design: £80.93

The location we had for the set was very flexible, we boarded up the windows and created skirts for the lights with cardboard we already had, but we did spend money on paint. To dress the rest of the set we only used what we already had, and ordered some event posters for the room.

Music: £0.00

The music in the film is all original and was created by our friend Jordan who runs Pamplemousse Recording Studio. He did this as a favour as he just wanted to help create the film.

When we started this project we put aside £350 to make Backstage. The total cost of the film was £470. Slightly over our original budget but just by a little.

In the list we did not include the camera equipment we used to make the film. The reason for this is because the camera equipment did not cost us anything for this production as we already own the kit we used, and have for sometime now.

Anything we personally do not own like the wireless follow focus and disco light that we used to make the film were all borrowed and provided in kind.

Backstage could have been shot on more expensive equipment, but it could have also been shot on camera equipment which was cheaper.

For the purpose for this list we have included a rough cost of the equipment if you were starting for nothing. £4,850. The total cost now comes to £5,320.

If you already own the camera equipment and it is good enough for you to make films, just go out there and make films. We spent £470 making Backstage and in the grand scheme of things this it not a lot of money and you don’t even need to spend that much.

---

---

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!

How to Develop your Character's Backstory

Sam Mendez says “When you have a cast of 20, this means you have 20 other imaginations in the room with you. Use them.” And that’s exactly what we did on our latest short film Backstage.

Today we are going to talk about further developing a character’s backstory by hot seating our actors.

So this is how hot seating works: an actor will sit down and assume the role of their character. It’s up to you as the interviewer to ask them questions about themselves; their family, their work, their habits, pretty much anything which will build up a backstory.

It’s a way to expand a character’s biography on the spot by having them improvise answers based on their current knowledge of the character.

You can ask the actors to play the role during the interview, or if improvising isn’t their thing, you can simply discuss the questions and answers together.

The first person we hotseated was Aja who plays the Stage Manager, Jenny. We gave Aja some basic information on the character such as her age, brief personality traits, and the purpose of her role in the film.

After that, it was up to her to fill in the blanks based on the range of questions we asked. Here are some examples:

• How do you feel about the North East Wrestling Federation?

• Tell us about your relationship with your parents.

• Tell us about your relationship with the wrestlers.

• Are you thinking of quitting? Do you have any other jobs lined up?

Straight away, Aja started to expand the character. She invented the relationship with Erik AKA The Medium and how she has known him since she was a child. Her father used to run the NWF and she would be involved in the activities from a young age, so she’s been around community centre wrestlers her whole life.

We didn't write that. Aja did! On the spot!

With added backstory information like this, Aja is able to more comfortably place herself in the shoes of the character, and give the character meaningful emotional beats in the film. And because we hotseated the character together, we both had an understanding of the character as a whole, which made directing her performance even easier.

We also hotseated Liam who plays Erik AKA The Medium. With Liam, his character was playing a character, so we actually hot seated both The Medium and Erik as separate personas.

Again, we gave Liam some basic information on the character, but left it up to him to flesh out role and make it his own. By leaving a few empty pages in the character biography the actors are able to insert their own information and in turn it helps them play a more convincing role.

You can also use the technique of hot seating as a writer to expand your knowledge of a character you are writing. You may not put a character’s favourite cereal into the script, but it will help create a more rounded and realistic character as you are thinking further into the life of this imaginary person.

So next time you need a bigger backstory for a character, try hot seating.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🎵http://bit.ly/pb-happyfunkyday - Thanks to PremiumBeat for providing the music for this week's episode. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

Director's Commentary | Critical Reflection of Backstage

After making our short film Backstage we sit down, watch the film and talk about the good and bad things that happened whilst making the film.

If you have not seen it below is the link to the film.

---

Costume Design 101

Getting The Film Look is more than just changing camera settings. Costumes are a massive part of creating a cinematic image and there are several key decisions YOU can make in order to help achieve unique and an interesting costume choice..

One of the biggest impacts you can make to the image of your film is your choice of costumes for your characters. Every fabric, colour, length, and design is telling the audience a very particular visual story which you have control over.

We certainly aren’t massive costume designers to any degree. But with the few projects we have made, we have discovered some key decisions which help aid the reasons for the design of a costume.

Realism is an important one. This doesn’t have to mean realistic in our world, but realistic in the film’s cinematic world.

Zombie film? The clothes need to be stained, weathered, and strictly functional.

A 1980s Community Centre Wrestling Event? Well all of the wrestling costumes will be cheap and nasty, and the fashion choices will steer towards the image of that decade.

Next you want to think of the colour and and texture. Choosing a few strong colours will look better than a mix-mashed pallette.  And pick clothing which will pop from your background and environments too.

In our short film Backstage we choose a bright yellow shirt for our character The Medium, in order for him to stand out from the blue walls of the locker room. The Flyswatter another character in the film needed to contrast The Medium so we inverted his colours and went for majority black, with gold accents.

To go deeper into this, The Flyswatter’s casual clothing is typical 80s fashion, double denim. This gives a stark contrast between his comfort and discomfort in the film. His light blue denim clothing also helps him pop on screen in the dark car park.  

In films spanning over a large length of time you’ll need multiple costumes. So pick a style for each character and don’t vary it too much. This is evident in real life too.

I’m a sweater-guy. You will see no logos or brands on them, and they will usually be dark and wooly. The sweater is always accompanied by a pair of chinos. This is my costume design.

Richard is even more basic. He is a T shirt guy and it’s usually dark. If fact I am sure he only has 3 different T-Shirts. This is his costume which he rarely differs from.

So next time you are design costumes, put yourself in their shoes and try to figure out what purchases they would make in a clothing store, or how they have acquired their clothes. Then make the cinematic choice; pick contrast colours which help them pop on screen.

This will get you one step closer to achieving the Film Look.

---

This video was Sponsored By

http://bit.ly/track-the-funk - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

BTS: Day Three of Backstage

A fly on the wall experience of the making of our latest film Backstage! We had a load of fun making it and wanted to share with you our process of shooting the film.

If you haven't seen our short film Backstage you can find the link below.

---

---

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!

---

How to Dress a Set

So you’ve found a location to shoot our film but it doesn’t quite look or feel like how you see it in your head.

In order for it to suit the tone of your film you need to add some things, remove some things, and change some things. This week we are talking about set dressing.

Your choice of location is arguably just as important as the actors you cast. The location is an extension of what is happening in the foreground, and dressing the set to match the tone of the film, or a character's persona, will help you get closer to achieving The Film Look.

This is what the location looked like before we dressed the set for our short film Backstage which is set in a locker room at a local wrestling event in the 1980s.

The location we had access to was a boys bathroom in an disused school, and we had a lot of freedom to turn it into the set we wanted. Since the film is about a local wrestling event, the backstage locker needed to look old and dirty.

Our idea was that the event is being held at a rundown community centre ran by Mucky Mickey, who does not do a lot of cleaning. Since the school had been closed for about 6 years, it definitely looked old and we actually had to clean it a little.

If we went for a location that was new, say a gym's locker room, everything would have looked relativity new and it would have cost a lot of money to age it. We blocked out all of the windows to control all of the light.

We also did this to make it look like the windows have been broken and boarded up, further creating the idea that this is not the nicest of places.

You don't see it in the film but we added a sign on one of the cubicle doors that says - ‘Out of order - Broken Window’ to help sell the effect even more.

Since this is a community centre there would be posters, leaflets, and notices for other events that would be happening at the community centre.You can see these on the back of the door and the window boards. You can’t read what these say but it adds colour and depth into the background.

Since this is a wrestling match we added the event posters and flyers all of over the room, again to add depth. Since one of our characters is nervous about wrestling in his first match, we wanted to make sure the event posters are always looking at him.

Finally we added hair gel, deodorant, towels, wrestling costumes, and peoples clothing.

Dressing the backstage set took us about a full day to collect everything we needed, board all of the windows, and actually dress the set. By having such a flexible location we were able to dress and leave the set in a shootable condition a week before we started shooting.

This saved us time on the shooting day as we just needed to turn up and get started. Set dressing, at least from what we’ve achieved, is about telling a story at the location.

You want someone to be able to walk into the room and make a really good guess as to what this film or scene is about by dropping visual hints.

So next time you find a location, ask yourself what the location is currently tell you, and what you can do to make it tell the right story.

---

This video was Sponsored By

http://bit.ly/pack-emulsion - Make your video look like it was tailor-made for the silver screen with RocketStock’s film grain overlay pack, Emulsion!

http://bit.ly/track-rollthedice - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

---

BTS Day Two of Backstage

A fly on the wall experience of the making of our latest film Backstage! We had a load of fun making it and wanted to share with you our process of shooting the film.

If you haven't seen our short film Backstage you can find the link below.

---

---

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!

---

How to scout a location for filmmaking

The location you choose to shoot your film helps to create the world your film is set in, and it’s just as important as casting the right actor.

So how do you know if a location is the right one for your film?

Once your script is complete go through and break it down. Make a list of all the locations that you need - in fact, make a list of everything you need to make your film.

We made a video about breaking down your script which goes into more detail if you want to check out that video after this one.

Now you have written down all of the locations you need, ask yourself how you want each location to look and how much access you need to shoot the scenes in that location.

How do you need it to look?

The main location in the script for our short film Backstage is set in the locker room at a local community centre or boxing gym.

This is how we describe the location in the script -

INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT

The backstage toilet has been used by many performers over the years, but from the graffiti on the walls and the flicking of the neon lights, this is not a classy venue.

When looking for this location we thought about contacting local gyms and sports centers as they would have locker rooms which are already set up.

The first problem we had with these types of locations is that they do not look run down, and it would be very difficult to make them fit the mood we needed for the film.

Access

The reason we could not change the look of these locations is the second problem we had which is access.

Access is very important when making low budget films as you are normally asking to use the location for free, and have to work around external time restrictions.

Local gyms and sport centres are normally used on a 24 hour basis, and if they are closed it’s during the night.

Our access would be very limited, before and during the shoot. If we needed to dress and undress the location after each shooting day, keeping the look of the set consistent would have been very difficult.

Don’t just use the first location that comes to mind, spend a little time searching for alternative locations.

If you need a living room, a friends or parents living room would be the quick and easy option, but if you need the location to look run down you need the time to make it look that way.

Can you set up the room, shoot everything you need, and return the location to its original state in the same day?

Backstage

The location we used for our short film Backstage was in a old school which now gets used by a church, they never use the area we wanted to use which was a boys bathroom, and we could get access to the location as many days as we needed before the shoot.

This was the 3rd location we looked at. The first was too small, the second was too new, and it might not look like it, but the 3rd was perfect.

Having these extra days before the shoot allowed us to clean, dress the set, test the lighting, and block the scene a few weeks before we shot the film.

This meant on the first day of principal photography we only needed to turn up with the camera and shooting schedule, giving us more time to work with the actors and start shooting on time.

We found the location by putting a call out on different local Facebook filmmaking groups.

Emily, the producer of the film, posted out to a bunch of pages and someone she knows, knew someone else, who knew of a place that might suit what we needed.This is why it is so important to collaborate with others as a filmmaker - you never know who knows someone that can help.

Location Scouting

The look of the location and available access are just two of the main things you need to think about when scouting locations for your film.

In the description below you will find a location checklist that has other things you should check when scouting your next filming location. Let’s film in the form.

Script Location - For us it is Locker Room

It’s Scene - 1 of the film which is set at night and it is an interior. The actual Location was an old school and then we add the address which will come in handy later on.

Add the time of when you visited the location as at different times of the day the look and sound of the location may change.And finally add the contact details of the person that give you access to the location.

Next work out the dates you would like to use the location, this includes the number of preperation, shoot and how many days it will take you to reset the location. You can use this information to compare what access is available at the location.Make a note of how far away it is from our production office from the address you wrote down, for most people this is their home.

When at the location draw a rough floor plan of the room and then make a note of what the room looks like.

Also, take photos of the room.

Does the room fit the tone of the film? This question maybe yes or no, but you should always be thinking about how much set dressing you need to do to make it match the tone of the film.

Then work out do you have enough time to dress the set with the information you know from how much access you have.

Listen to the sounds that are in the location. Will you be able to record clean dialogue?

If not can you turn off anything that is making a noise like a clock or a fridge. If there are noises you can not get rid off can like cars going by, can you record your film at this location.

Finally make a note if there are places for people to park at the location. Is there enough room for you to store equipment, makeup artist, and are there bathrooms. This one is very important.

So when you are scouting your next film location, use this checklist to evaluate whether the location is the right one for your film. Ask yourself what you need it to look like, how much access you’ll need, and be open to different places.

You never know, a disused boys bathroom might be the perfect setting for your film, it was for us.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🎵 http://bit.ly/interface-pack - "Interface", RocketStock's HUD element pack, offers you more than 400 futuristic elements compatible with Premiere Pro, FCPX, and AE. Discover it now!

http://bit.ly/track-rosegold - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

---

BTS: Day One of Backstage

A fly on the wall experience of the making of our latest film Backstage! We had a load of fun making it and wanted to share with you our process of shooting the film.

If you would like to watch our short film you can find it below:

---

---

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!

---

How to Break Down Your Script

Once you have your script complete, the next step is to figure out exactly what you need to make your film. It’s time to break it down!

A script breakdown is essentially extracting all of the necessary information from your script. To do this you need to read through your script and every time a location, prop, costume, or character is mentioned write it down.

This is the script for our short film Backstage. Let’s take a section from the script and break it down. Everything we highlight is something we need to make the film.

Characters

For this scene we know we need to cast someone to play Jack who is The Flyswatter.

If you haven’t already, start to think about the characteristics your characters have, and then put a call out for to cast your actor. We cast an actor called Daniel Lemon to play Jack.

In this scene we also need a group of people to be wrestling fans that walk past the camera. This is a very small part for people to play, but we still need them to help tell the story. The wrestling fans in our film were just crew members.

Costume

To help identify them as wrestling fans, Ed the sound recordist is wearing the same bandana asThe Medium, a Wrestler in the film.

It shows he is going to the wrestling event to support him, and we threw in the the foam hand as this is a well known costume that people would wear when going to a sporting event.

Since this film is set in the 80s all of the costumes need to fit that era, so we needed to dress Jack in washed out jeans and a multicolored jacket.

The final costume looked like this.

We did not go for a multicolored jacket because we managed to get this denim jacket which is actually from the 80s, and nothing says 80s like double denim. Having this list just made sure we had something for our actor to wear, which fit the tone of the film.

Props

The props we needed in this scene were wrestling leaflets, which are shown earlier in the film to help dress the backstage set, and help set the scene that this is a wrestling event. The black sports bag which he is carrying in this scene was also used earlier in the film.

The 1982 Volkswagen Scirocco really helps to ground this film in the 80s. Having access to a vintage car like this upped the production value of the film and really helped put a time stamp on the film. We wrote it into the script because we knew we could get access to it for free, as it is owned by Richard’s Dad.

Location

The location we needed was an exterior venue where a local wrestling match might take place. We chose a public car park with very few buildings and signs surrounding it.

We couldn’t point the camera towards anything that showed we were shooting in 2017, so this empty car park worked perfectly. We also chose this location because we were able to place the car under a flood light, reducing the time to set up complex lights.

Once we’ve gone through the entire script we create an excel document to store all of this information. In the document we have 4 columns with the first being the task. This is where you put the name of all of your characters, props and costumes.

The next column is Delegate, this is where you can add the name of the person who is responsible for completing that task.  The 3rd column is for notes with information where you might obtain costumes or props. Finally the 4th column is where you can tick off a complete task.

When all of this section is green you have obtained everything to make your film.

Throughout this breakdown document we break down everything we need into different sections. We start by making a list of all of the characters we need to make the film, and when we have cast them, their name goes in the notes section.

Next are the locations we need, and when we have them complete the address and contact details of that location also go in the notes section. For the costumes, each character gets their own section so we know which character is wearing what item of clothing.

Finally we split the different props and set dressing into the different locations of the film. We do this so we know exactly what we need to take to each different location.

Having a document like this let's you and your production team know what you need to make your film on different days and at different locations. We use Google Docs to do this as it is free and everyone can see what they are responsible for.

Breaking down the script gives you a list of all of the pieces you need to make your film, it’s just up to you to put them together.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🎵 http://bit.ly/illuminate-pack - RocketStock’s light leak pack, "Illuminate", is sure to impress your viewers. Shot using digital cinema cameras in 4K, it’s an unbeatable way to lift your video to new, cinematic heights.

http://bit.ly/track-boundforglory - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

---

The Film Look Plans for 2018 | Channel Update

Here are our plans for the channel for 2018. We want to make 2 short films, create a directing 101 series, create more kit and DIY video, along with making The Film Look Podcast.

---

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!

The Basics of Writing a Screenplay

YOU just came up with an awesome story that you want to turn into a film. What do you do now? It’s time to get that story written on paper - let's write a script!

A script (or screenplay) is the backbone of your film. It is the blueprint you’ll follow when you plan, shoot, and edit your movie.

In the last episode we spoke about storytelling, structure, and using “character, conflict, goal” to craft a compelling plot. Now it’s time to put that into practice and draft a formatted screenplay.

Firstly let's breakdown the elements of a screenplay using a page from our latest film BACKSTAGE.

A scene always starts with a scene heading. The scene heading is there to tell you the location and time of day of the scene you’re about to read.

It always begins with INT or EXT, signifying if the scene is inside or outside.

Then a brief description of the location, for example, LOCKER ROOM. This is followed by the time of day: DAY or NIGHT are standard descriptions, but if you plan on shooting in a certain light, you can be more specific like GOLDEN HOUR or DAWN.

Next you have action; this is where you place the narrative description of events in the scene. This is the meat of the script, so in here you can describe characters, the events, the location and character interaction.

When a character is introduced for the first time, their name should be in ALL CAPS. This is to clearly identify that this is a new character who we haven’t seen yet.

After that, you should use sentence case with a capital letter at the beginning of their name.

Next up we have dialogue. It always starts with the character’s name in ALL CAPS in the centre of the page. Underneath you have the written lines in sentence case.

We won’t be getting into the nitty gritty of margins, spacing, and indents. With screenwriting programs such as Celtx and Final Draft doing all of this for you, I won’t bore you with it.

Next up we have parentheticals. These are seen as small descriptions placed between a character’s name and their dialogue inside parentheses. They have multiple uses, and all link to the dialogue being performed.

They can be used to indicate where a line is being outputted, such as FROM PHONE.

They can be used if a line of dialogue needs to be performed a specific way, such as SARCASTICALLY.

They can also be used when a character is addressing a specific character in the scene, such as TO BOBBY JAZZLER.

You can SOMETIMES use parentheticals in replace of action, such as TAKES OFF GLOVES. This should only be used if the action can be written with very few words and is delivered during the line. Otherwise, break from the dialogue and write it out as an action line.  

Parentheticals should be used sparingly, and it’s common to see parentheticals unused in a script altogether. If you don’t know whether to use them, just leave them out.

There are a few more intricate details you can add to your script, but this is a good starting point to formatting. So now you know the basics, what's next?

It’s time to start filling out the action. If you have some brief notes from your beat sheet such as “a bunch of wrestlers are getting ready for the fight” you can now turn it into something more descriptive.

Just remember to avoid writing anything which is unfilmable; by this I mean anything which you can’t capture on screen.

Instead of writing “the locker room smells like a boys bedroom” describe the pile of dirty laundry in the corner. Try to limit describing anything you can’t point a camera or microphone towards.

And don’t write anything which jumps into the role of another filmmaker. If you describe a character’s eye and hair colour, the casting director will be limited. If you start describing all of the camera angles, you’re doing the job of the cinematographer.

Once you have a finished draft, it doesn’t have to stop there! A first draft is a good starting point, but there will always be room for improvement. We have a bunch of videos on our channel on ways to improve your script writing. I’ve put a link to our Writing Playlist if you want to check them out.

And once you’ve written your first draft, print it off, and give it to someone to read. They might notice something you don’t.

Free screenwriting software I use: https://www.celtx.com/

---

This video was Sponsored By

🎵 http://bit.ly/track-rollthedice - Thanks to PremiumBeat.com for sponsoring the episode! Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from The Film Look

Merry Christmas to all.

---

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!

Storytelling 101

YOU just thought of a really interesting idea for a film. What do you do now? It’s time to turn that idea into a story.

A story starts with some sort of scenario, character, or moment you can see inside your head, and then expanding on it.

Don’t get bogged down by formatting and complex story structure just yet.

Right now all you need to do is outline the things that can happen to your characters throughout the film by making a big list of stuff that can happen. These are sometimes referred to as story beats, and listing them creates a beat sheet.

Our latest short film BACKSTAGE was a product of a writing exercise we call “Story in a Can”. We brainstormed the idea on camera and outlined the beats in the episode. I’ve put a link down below if you want to watch the birth of our latest short film.

Instead of trying to knock out a formatted script from the get-go, write your beat sheet and use this as a brainstorming session for developing the story.

Right now, it’s all just playing around with ideas so nothing has to be concrete. Remember, you can’t edit a blank page!

As an example, these are the beats for BACKSTAGE:

So now you have your basic story elements, it’s time to write up the script, right? I’d advise against this for now.

At the moment you have a simplified template for your film, and swapping and changing the beats inside the template is a lot easier to wrap your head around than swapping and changing the beats inside a formatted script.

You currently have the ingredients to your cake on the counter. But before you mix them together, you want to measure them out. Don’t be so hasty to bake the cake if you currently have too little flour, too much sugar, and have misplaced the eggs.

There are a few simple methods you can use to make sure your film is as tasty to an audience as possible. At the end of the day, you are making this film for someone to watch and enjoy - they won’t enjoy taking a bite if it tastes horrible.

The first thing I measure are the three main ingredients: “Character -> Conflict -> Goal”. This is a structure storytellers have been using for thousands of years, and without it, your cake might be too sweet or may not rise in the oven.

Who are they, what do they want, and who or what is stopping them? All the tools you use to create your film; the camera, lenses, the sound, the acting, the lighting, it’s all just there to give the necessary information to the audience.

In BACKSTAGE, we tried to help the audience understand The Medium using a few methods.

Firstly, his character: we are shown his pantomime-aggressive Wrestling persona in the cold open at the beginning, then we see his contrasted personality and commitment to his cause once we cut into the locker room, then when the conflict occurs, we see him rise to the occasion. He’s a character of passion, he’s heartfelt, confident, and he’s a bit weird.

His goal is to fight in the ring. This is clear because he literally says it at the beginning, his face is on all of the posters, and he’s concentrating so hard as he looks at his reflection in the mirror. Everything points towards this guy being a big deal.

What’s stopping him from fighting in the ring? The Flyswatter. The Flyswatter is the guy he is supposed to fight. If he doesn’t get this guy out of the cubicle and into the ring, he doesn’t achieve his goal.

The Flyswatter is a little bit different. We learn about his character more through empathy than anything else. We’ve all been in a situation we are pushed into and feel trapped. He is literally boxed in a cubicle, and the over-the-cubicle shot is a deliberate choice to emphasize this information to the audience.

His goal is to leave, it’s as simple as that. We know this through his negative reaction to The Medium’s tales of his past - we know this as he is quietly removing his costume throughout the scene - and we know this when he finally tells the Medium after letting it build up inside his head.

Stopping The Flyswatter from achieving his goal is shame. He is nervous, he wants to leave, but at the same time he is completely ashamed to let these people down. The clock is ticking for The Flyswatter, he is given 20 minutes, and he knows with every cue of music he can hear coming from the stage that his time is coming to an end.

At the end of the film we have resolution. The Medium gets to fight his final match, and he successfully convinces The Flyswatter to fight. The Flyswatter is courageous, he actually achieves his original goal of leaving, but that goal suddenly reveals itself to be more than just fleeing; it’s an internal struggle of anxiety which he overcomes in the most peculiar way.

Your characters, their goals, and their conflict don’t always have to be multi-layered, perfectly crafted pieces of the plot, but without these elements at all, your film may feel alien.

Film is a language, and that language derives from campfire tales and slumber party ghost stories. They all share a common tongue, and it’s up to us as filmmakers to deliver that information in an entertaining and visually-cinematic way using the tools we have available.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🎵 http://bit.ly/stanza-pack - If you're looking for stylish transitions for your video, then check out "Stanza" by RocketStock. You’ll be cutting from scene to scene like a pro with this bold pack of 200 plus video transitions.

http://bit.ly/pbtrack-links - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

---

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!

We Made a Film Based on Sticky Notes

Our latest film is based on a story we came up with in the first ever episode of Story in a Can. Here is the uncut version of us developing the idea on the spot.

---

---

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!

Backstage | Short Film

Backstage is about The Medium who have been wrestling for 20 years, and The Flyswatter who is nervous about his first wrestling match.   

---

---

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!

Season 4 is here!

Season 4 is here! We have over a dozen episodes ranging from writing to shooting to costume design. We have broken down the process of the whole film so you can learn exactly how we made it!

---

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!

Pergear a7s Review | The Best Budget 7 inch Monitor?

A year ago we made a video on the Feelworld 759: a really decent budget 7 inch monitor which we thought was a great introductory bit of kit.

But now we’ve found something around the same price that blows the 759 out of the water.

This is the Pergear a7s. It has a really stupid name, but for the price, it’s packs one hell of a punch. Welcome to The Film Look.

Before you ask, yes, the Pergear monitor does work with any camera using HDMI, not just the Sony a7s like it’s daft name might have you believe. 

Today we are going head to head to see just how much better it is compared to our current budget 7 inch monitor, the Feelworld 759. Let’s get started!

The points for {Build Quality} go to Pergear:

Both of these monitors have a budget look and feel to them. They both have a plastic body, but both are pretty solid in the twist test. There is almost no flex to them.

The Pergear is a bit sleeker-looking once you move the protective gel cover because of it’s lack of face buttons - instead they are sunken on top.

It also has a jog wheel on the side, which is a lot faster and easier to navigate the menus than using the buttons on the Feelworld.

The Pergear comes with a thread on it’s top as well as the bottom, incase you want to mount it in a hanging position.

{I/O} - Pergear wins again:

Both of these monitors use HDMI in, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a DC 12volt socket for plug-in power.

The Feelworld includes a socket for an OSD controller, an AV socket, and a USB port for firmware upgrades - none of which I have any use for.

The Pergear trumps these features with an HDMI out, which means you can daisy chain this monitor to another. This is useful if you are using an additional monitor off the camera for pulling focus or for a director's viewing screen.

The Screen - Another point to Pergear:

At 1200p you get a full HD monitor when shooting at 16:9, which really does make the difference when checking your focus.

The Feelworld is only 800p, and at first I didn’t think it would make much of a difference.

But look at the difference when trying to focus on some text in the distance.

The colour accuracy isn’t great for both of these monitors. But the Pergear IS sharper, brighter, has a better contrast ratio, and a better viewing angle.

Software Features - again, a point to Pergear, and this is where the difference is staggering:

They do both come with a load of similar features, some of the more useful ones being: centre markers and image flip.

They both have focus assist, but I will say now the focus assist on the Feelworld is terrible. Instead of identifying your focus field with a coloured line it just makes everything super sharp, which doesn’t help at all.

The additional features that come with the Pergear that I think are invaluable are:

Zebras for exposure checking, false colour for exposure and lighting ratios, it has a histogram, on-screen audio levels, and the safety markers and letterbox overlays are customizable too, so you can choose the thickness and colour of the lines, and the darkness of the letterbox overlay.

The Pergear even has a battery gage, so you know when you’re about to lose power!

When I started this review I thought I’d be tallying up the scores and dividing it by the price to get an average value of each product. But considering the Pergear has won in every category and is only an extra $20, it’s safe to say it’s the winner.

If you are looking at getting your first camera monitor, or you want to pick up something with a few more features, grab yourself a Pergear.

The ones I saw advertised didn’t come with any batteries, so if you do order one get a bunch of NPF750s. I have linked the Pergear and batteries in the description.

And if you haven’t already, consider subscribing. We do reviews like this and a load of other filmmaking videos to help you get closer to achieving the film look.

---

This video was Sponsored By

🚀 http://bit.ly/pack-emulsion - Make your video look like it was tailor-made for the silver screen with RocketStock’s film grain overlay pack, Emulsion!

🎵 http://bit.ly/track-losinggames - Click here to download this episode's track. Check out Premiumbeat.com to discover a huge range of exclusive royalty free music!

---

Equipment Links

🎥 This episode's kit/gear/equipment:

US links:

Pergear a7s: http://amzn.to/2hQYkvS

NPF750 Batteries: http://amzn.to/2hIJZOi

UK links:

Pergear a7s: http://amzn.to/2jI1Xon

NPF750 Batteries: http://amzn.to/2jJNckM

---

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!

4K Video Editing PC 2018

4K Video Editing PC 2018

My computer is lagging, crashing, and just general zapping away my creativity. It’s time for an upgrade!

MSI, the sponsors of this episode, have heard my cries and sent us their brand new X299 SLI PLUS motherboard along with a bunch of badass components that go into their new 4K Video Editing PC.

They reckon it’s the bee's knees. Let’s see what it’s all about.

CPU

The X299 SLI PLUS supports the newest Intel X-series CPUs. In here we have an i9 7900X which has 10 cores - perfect for a beasty 4k workflow.

Power phases on a motherboard control and regulate voltage. The X299 SLI PLUS has made these completely digital which aids the motherboard in controlling the voltage more precisely, giving you a more stable CPU. This results in a longer system lifespan and lower operating temperatures.

To give the CPU a test we threw up some 4k footage into Premiere Pro,, added a heavy grade, overlaid the footage with some 4K film grain, added a bunch of transitions between the clips. It didn’t drop a single frame.

We also loaded up CineBench and it gave out a reading of 2193.

CPU Cooling

Editing can use a lot of CPU power which means that the processor is going to get hot as hell under a stressful edit. To combat this, the PC has been installed with a Cooler Master MASTER LIQUID 240.

It combines liquid and air cooling in one closed system. It’s super quiet, is unaffected by moisture, and its fiber-reinforced polymer construction resists a broad range of chemicals.

Strapping this to the CPU will stop it from overheating and thermally throttling, which is one of the main causes for your editing programme to lag and crash when you need it the most.

Graphics Card

The graphics card inside this machine is an MSI 8gb GTX 1080. Editing programmes tend to favor the CPU but that doesn’t mean we video editors stick to just one programme.

In most video projects I am importing compositions and artwork from Photoshop and After Effects, which can favour the GPU over the CPU. Your editing programme can also benefit from GPU acceleration, giving you another bump in performance and improved export times.

We also tested the GPU in CineBench giving a readout of 154 frames per second.

It’s also wicked for playing games, so if you’re an editor as well as a gamer, you may as well build a system that can do both.

Memory

Memory is what loads up video previews in your editing application. In order to preview at full resolution without dropping frames, a 4K system will need a lot of it.

The X299 SLI PLUS has 8 slots for DDR4 memory supporting up to 128GB of RAM. This system has 32GB of Hyper X Predator memory for butter smooth 4K editing.

Memory performance can get affected by signals from components on the motherboard. This motherboard has DDR4 BOOST TECHNOLOGY which creates an isolated circuit area so the memory isn’t affected by foreign signals.

SSD

Installing your OS on a SSD over a hard drive turns start up times and application loading into seconds rather than minutes.

M.2 SSDs are the fastest drives currently out available. The X299 SLI PLUS features two m.2 SSD slots for this exact reason. One slot has an m.2 shield with a thermal pad for improved heat dissipation. Installed in this machine is a 256GB Intel 600P.

We timed the start up of the PC at 31 seconds including POST menus and BIOS logos.

USB

Whether it's external hard drives, card readers, or simply peripherals, the USB port is essential to an editor.

The motherboard in this system has two LIGHTNING USB 3.1 Gen2s, one Type A, and one new Type C. These are the fastest USB ports to date and will eventually become the norm, so you’re covered in terms of future proofing. The X299 SLI PLUS also has 10 USB ports on the back panel ranging from USB 2.0, 3.1, and 3.1 Gen 2.

I use a graphics tablet for drawing in Photoshop as well as a USB keyboard and mouse so having a bunch of extra USB 2.0s just for plugging in peripherals is a well thought out addition.

Not to mention the four ports on the front of the case: two USB 2s, and two USB 3s.

The motherboard even comes with X-BOOST software which boosts USB speeds for mass transfer.

Dual Intel LAN Ports

The motherboard also has two Intel LAN ports. This is great if you are connecting to the internet as well as a internal server. The connections won’t interfere with one another, so you won’t ever have to compromise on download and upload speeds.

Hard Disk Drive

Videos take up a shed load of storage space. But worse than running out of storage is having a hard drive failing to spin or corrupt your precious footage. This is why this build has a 8TB Seagate BarraCuda Pro, the fastest 3.5 inch drive on the market, and specifically designed for creative professionals. This hard drive comes with a 5-year limited warranty and a 2-year rescue plan.

Case

There are three things which make a great PC tower: cool, clean, and classy.

The CoolerMaster MasterCase H500P features two 200mm RGB fans at the front, giving superb airflow to keep core temperatures at an all time low and it’s grill-less front design is incredibly sleek. It has a tempered glass side cover which is easy to remove and lets you show off the parts inside. And it even has cable management covers for a sleek cable-less look.

PSU

This build also features a Cooler Master v750 compact power supply. It’s small, quiet, fully modular, and has more than enough juice to power this machine.

Outro

When you make 2 videos a week for YouTube, shoot and edit short films, and run a video production company, every minute you can save is a massive improvement in productivity.

This PC might not be in everyone’s price range, but for a video professional, it’s a necessity. Don’t let your equipment stop you from making something great.

MSI Vegas Pro Offer

If you do decided to go for a build like this, MSI is offering customers a 60-day trial of Vegas Pro if you buy a Z370 SLI PLUS or the X299 SLI PLUS. You just need to register the product on the MSI website or follow the link below.

---

This video was Sponsored By

https://msi.com/to/edit-video-uk-film... - Thanks to MSI for sponsoring the episode! Check out their new 4K Video Editing Build for a PC which won't let you down.

---

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!