How to Make a Movie in 10 Steps



Click on the underlined links for materials you can use in your project.

 

1. Test the equipment.
Testing the equipment beforehand gives you a better understanding of how long it takes to shoot and what sort of sound and image quality your camera offers in various locations.   

 

2. Write a screenplay.
For tips on how to write a screenplay, refer to Syd Field’s classic Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (Delta, revised ed., 2005), especially the chapter, "Screenplay Form."                                                  



3. Make a storyboard.

A storyboard is a visual plan that shows all of the shots in the order in which they will appear in the finished film. Brief notes indicate the most important features of the shot including camera distance and movement, action, and audio. Here is a handy guide to storyboard composition, and here is a blank storyboard template.                                                     

4. Make a shotlist.
A shotlist is a written list of shots in the order in which they will actually be shot. The shotlist makes shooting more efficient because it enables directors to plan the shoot in the most logical way, shooting all shots taken in the same location and with the same camera set-up at once, and thereby minimizing the amount of time spent changing locations and set-ups. Here is a blank shotlist template.



5. Shoot the footage.
On the day of shooting, directors should refer continuously to both the shotlist and the storyboard.

 

6. Upload the footage to an editing program.
iMovie is especially user-friendly for beginners, and it works well for amateur projects. 

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7. Edit the footage (put the clips in the right order and trim them to the right length).
Apple has many iMovie tutorials available on-line. Just do an internet search for a phrase such as “How to ________ in iMovie,” and you should find the tutorial you need.

 

8. Add titles.



9. Add sound/music.



10. Share the movie!
You can burn your movie to DVD or upload it to a site such as youtube.com.