How to Become a Filmmaker in 4 Easy Steps

Moviemaking is a remarkably flexible art form. You can invest millions of dollars on special effects, crew and locations and create a blockbuster. Or you can get a bunch of friends together, borrow or buy some high-end consumer equipment and create an indie masterpieceor just a cool home movie. As hi-def video gear has become more accessible, and online video-sharing sites like YouTube have revolutionized distribution, there has been an explosion of creativity in low-budget cinema. How do you make your work stand out? With good old-fashioned craftsmanship.

1. The Storyboard

If you want filming and editing to run smoothly, it's essential to write a script for your story with a three-act structure (i.e., it must have a beginning, middle and end). Sketching out each scene in a comic-book-like storyboard will help you visualize your shots.

2. On-Set Tech

Murky lighting and muddy sound are the twin banes of most homemade movies. But both are easy to fix. Try to light each scene from three sides. The "key" or main light provides primary illumination. It should be placed 45 degrees to the side of the camera and above it, pointing down toward the subject at about a 35-degree angle. The "fill" light softens shadows. It should be positioned closer to eye level and to the camera. Backlights should be positioned high enough to keep them out of the shot, but not so high that they point straight down. Your camera's omnidirectional mic won't cut it when making a movie. Above all, you want clear dialogue, so place the microphone off-camera but near the action. Try a telescoping boom, which suspends the mic over the actors' heads, just out of frame.

3. And, Action

Start every scene with a wide "establishing" shot that presents an overview of your set or location. Shoot the scene from multiple angles and points of view to provide more editing choices later on. Don't forget to take detail shots. Pros call this supplemental footage "B-roll," and it can be used to add dimension to a story, transition a scene, hide a zoom or call attention to some important detail.

4. In the cutting room...

Simple is always better. Stick to straight cuts, dissolves and "fade to black." To help with your soundtrack's continuity and soften abrupt video cuts, stagger the audio so that the sound from one clip runs into the next. All of this is possible with moviemaking software for beginners, such as Adobe's Premiere Elements or Sony's Vegas Movie Studio for Windows, and Apple's iMovie for the Mac. Free video-sharing Web sites, such as YouTube, make it easy to debut your masterpieces to the public. Be sure to tag your film with info about genre and key-words that describe your work so that audiences can find it easily.

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