Six-Shot Movie

Join up with another group and share your storyboards. Pick one that you think you will be able to film with the time and resources available. (Remember, it’s just six shots!)

You will now shoot a movie that has only those six shots you storyboarded. You can make changes to the shots if you find that a choice you made in the storyboard doesn’t work when you film it, but you must have six shots.

Here are a few tips for filming:

• Record longer versions of each shot than you need. You can always edit each shot down, but you can’t make it longer in post-production.
• If your subject is moving either through or out of a frame, wait until they leave the frame before you stop recording.
• When it comes to making judgements on lighting, trust your video display and not your eyes. Eyes automatically adjust to light levels in ways that lenses can’t. That is why a bright sunny day with lots of natural light appears clear and crisp to us, while on a camera it may appear overexposed and washed out. The best time to shoot outside is when the sun is not directly overhead.
• Avoid windows when shooting indoors. In particular, don’t film people in front of windows. The bright light from outside will make it hard to see your subject. You may need to cover windows and turn on artificial light.
• Resist the impulse to add dialogue. We don’t need to know exactly what’s happening in your movie, but the basic story should be clear from your six shots.