I’ve studied film in college, taking several courses on film production and film theory. When I graduate in May (where have the past four and a half years of my life gone?!?!), I’ll have a minor in Film Production. I’ve worked on the sets of student films and 48 hour films. I’ve been to film festivals and even worked at one. Throughout all my experiences in film, I’ve learned a lot about how to make a successful film. However, in the process, I’ve also learned a lot about life. It’s interesting, because they’re actually a lot a like. I mean, it makes sense. Films tell the story of someone’s life after all.
1. It's all about the edit
In films, the shots that are chosen, where they are placed in the film, and the pacing of the shots all affect the way the story is told, just like how our experiences affect the way our story is told. It makes us who we are.
2. Every situation is like a shot
Different camera angles and shots (close up, medium shot, etc.) shape the way we feel. In every single situation, the way we feel can depend on how we’re seeing it. Change the shot, change your perspective, change your mood.
3. Focus changes everything
The beauty of the camera is it allows the filmmaker to choose what to focus on. You can change the depth of field and put different objects in focus. You can either see the obstacle right in front of you, or you can expand the depth of field and see the big picture. So you know that chem test you just bombed? You can either focus on that or you can see that one test won't kill your future. I mean, Steve Jobs dropped out of college, and he did just fine.
4. Great films aren't made in one take
Sometimes, it can take dozens of takes to get one good one. Maybe the actor’s performance wasn’t as great as it could be, maybe the Production Assistant (PA) got the boom in the shot, or maybe a panda broke loose from the local zoo and just ran across your shot. Whatever it is, if you don’t like a shot, retake it until you get it right. If you mess up on your way to your dreams, do another take; reshoot.
5. It takes a city to raise a film
While usually the producer or director gets to take home the Oscar for best picture, it takes hundreds (sometimes thousands) of cast and crew members to make that film. According to stephenfollows.com, Iron Man 3 had over 3,000 crew members. And those are just the ones credited. When you think about the uncredited police officers who shut down the streets for your epic car chase scene, the uncredited baker who made the donuts for your cast and crew, and of course, your mom (you'll just thank her when you accept your Oscar... *Cue tears and sappy speech*), there really are a lot of people who help make a film happen. Just like film isn’t meant to be a one person job, life isn’t meant to be done alone either. We need people.
6. You're going to have to cut
Apocalypse Now, the 1979 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, had approximately 200 hours of raw footage, according to IMDb (and you thought your 3 hour lecture class was long). Cutting 200 hours of film to a 2 ½ hour movie requires removing a lot of footage. So, cut out the stuff in your life you don't want, and all you're left with are the good shots.
7. Nothing ever goes as planned
No matter how much time you spend on pre-production, nothing ever goes as planned on a movie set. An actor gets sick, the location you had suddenly closes, the weather decides to change and you can’t shoot outside the day you wanted to, or a bunch of Death Eaters break onto your set and you lose two days trying to defeat them.
The mark of a good film is being able to adapt quickly and make do. It’s being able to make logical decisions on the fly, and when things don’t go as planned in life; adapt.
8. Communication is key
Without clear communication, films can fall apart. Communication is so important on film sets that there is a certain vocabulary that's developed in the film industry to ensure everyone is on the same page. For example, if someone yells, "Striking!" It means, "Close your eyes or don't look directly into the lights because they're coming on, and those things are dangerously bright." I once heard a story about students making a film involving a black duffle bag and prop guns. The proper procedure for shooting a film like this is that you alert local authorities prior to shooting for obvious safety reasons. These students failed to do so, and as consequence, their film professor was called at 2 am because the students had just been detained by the police. So, yeah. Communicate.
9. Craft service is the most important thing on set
If you ask film industry pros, one of the most important things they’ll tell you about any set is the craft service (aka, food). When you’re pulling 12+ hour days, you want to feed your cast and crew, and you want to feed them well. The better you treat your cast and crew, the better they’ll perform. So, you know all those boxes of mac and cheese you survived off of in college? Yeah, you'll have to do better. Treat the people in your life well and they’ll thank you for it.
10. The director calls the shots (literally)
One reason the director is such a coveted role in the film industry is because the director usually has the final say in a lot of the creative decisions on a film. They also call when to roll film (or when shooting digital, when to record) and when the action should start. More than likely, they work closely with the cinematographer, the production designers, the actors, the production assistants, the editor, etc.
You are the director of your life. Call the shots. Don’t let people tell you who to be, don’t let the screenwriter create a scene you don’t like, don’t let the cinematographer pull a closeup when you want a medium shot, and most importantly, don’t let the PA forget the coffee. This is your movie.
