I’m a Cinema & Digital Media student here at Davis. This is my last year, and I have made quite a few films with my colleagues who are fellow CDM students. Some of us are part of an on-campus club called Davis Filmmaking Society where students have the opportunity to pitch a film, get a team together, and create it. Once an idea is brought to the table, roles are assigned to members in the club, then filming starts. Some of my other colleagues are in classes that are very hands-on, and we learn how to operate both sound and camera equipment. There are many components that go into making a short film, and it’s important that the team truly collaborates together.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have many roles when working on these types of films. I’ve been a writer, director, and producer for multiple different films. I’ve also worked in both pre-production and post-production as a foley artist and casting director. Regardless, I’m constantly on the set itself, and it is truly an amazing experience. Watching the work unfold right in front of you is pure joy.
Now, this is what usually happens on the actual film set:
The crew typically are the first ones to arrive on set in order to get the equipment ready. The lights need to be able to fit the atmosphere if the scene is being filmed indoors. The microphones and boom mics have to be adjusted if the scenes are taking place both indoors and outdoors. After the cast and extras arrive, the director then tells them where they need to be.
Going through a scene usually takes around three hours depending on the length, the setting, and how many people there are on set. The director gets everybody into position, and then the camera rolls.
Scenes could take from as little as three or four takes to twenty takes. It all depends on what the director, assistant director(s), and producer feel is best. If the actors are burnt out from multiple takes, a break is called, and everybody grabs food and water from the set. After the break, the slate is snapped and the actors continue to go on with their memorized dialogue.
Now, the entire movie isn’t filmed in one day. That would take many hours and endless energy. The scenes are split up into multiple days. This can be anywhere from five to ten shoot days depending on cast availability, and what the director wants for their finished project. It’s always best to have multiple takes on each camera to ensure that the editor has enough footage to go through during post-production.
It truly takes a village to make a film from beginning to end. That’s why the ending credits for movies are always at least ten minutes long! Creating a film is incredibly rewarding because people are seeing a project that is important to both you and the creators. A work of art is created on a film set before it can be distributed to the public.