Before shooting random things, you
might want to envision an idea for a compelling story. Try to avoid
overused cliches. After forming an idea, write an outline. Once you
know how the story is going to start, develop and end, go ahead and
write a few drafts of the screenplay till perfected. After the final
draft is written, we can start the fun.
Lighting is crucial when shooting
high-quality cinematography. The better the lighting, the better it
will look. Try to stay away from overhead ceiling lights and
middle-of-the-day sunlight which can give an off-color tone to the
skin and cast ugly shadows. To learn more about lighting, please
refer to my two previous blogs about high-key lighting vs. low-keylighting and the three-point lighting technique.
When shooting, try to avoid zooming in
as the phone will decrease the quality of the image. Instead move
your body closer to the subject. Try to steady your phone with a
tripod or lean it against something firm to prevent blurry videos.
When arranging the composition of
objects in each shot, try not to put your subject in the middle. Use
the rule of thirds and other techniques to create more interesting
shots. Refer to my blog about shot composition to learn more about
this.
Getting different angles will help for
the editor to create smooth transitions between each cut shown in the
final film.
The rest is up to you. Now it is time
to go and shoot your movie!
