Making Your First Feature Film

Dominick Bagnato is a screenwriter and director in New York City.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefacePart One: ­Pre-ProductionDeciding to Make an Independent FilmSet a Date for Your ShootBuild Your Film CrewThree Indie Film Casting ConsiderationsCastingScript BreakdownScheduling/StripboardingBudgetingPre-Production ­Wrap-UpPart Two: ProductionA Convenient Truth—Scene 1Stock Footage Can Be Your Friend—Scene 2Film Locations Equal Production Value—Scene 3Using Green Screen—Scene 4Acting While Directing—Scene 5Give Your Actor a Beat—Scene 6Man-on-the-Street Interviews—Scene 7Actors Who Write—Scenes 8 and 9A Good Film Editor Will Save Your Ass—Scene 10Talking Head Interviews—Scene 11Directing Flexibly—Scenes 12 and 13Improv—Scene 14Camera Movement—Scene 15Pre-Reveal in Film—Scene 16The Reveal—Scenes 17–20The Reaction—Scenes 21 and 22Script Departure—Scenes 23–27Use Your Actor’s Face—Scene 28Character Introduction—Scene 29Direct First, Produce Second—Scene 30Inserts and Reaction Shots—Scene 31Free and Easy ­Pre-Visualization—Scene 32Pre-laps and ­L-Cuts—Scene 33Picking Your Shot (and Why Windmills Are Unpatriotic)—Scene 34Four Considerations for a Joke in Your Film—Scene 35Locations: Just Ask, and When to Bend Your Own Rules—Scene 36Framing and Visual Match Transitions—Scenes 37 and 38Conflict in Comedy—Scene 39Structure in Your Film—Scene 40Evergreen Satire—Scene 41Static vs. ­Non-Static Frames—Scene 42Directing Is Listening—Scenes 43 and 44Jump Cut (for My Love)—Scene 45“Cheating” Multiple Locations—Scene 46Transition Scenes and Your Film’s Spine—Scene 47Burleson Labs Advertisement #1—Scene 48Free Color Correction—Scene 49Building Sequences—Scenes 50–53Creative Character Introduction—Scenes 54–56Shoot the Script and Then Check Your Gut—Scene 57Long Takes—Scene 58How to Know When You’re Done Editing—Scenes 59–61Creating a Stylistic Look—Scene 62Film Arcs—Scenes 63 and 64Tempo and Sequences—Scenes 65–67Serendipity in Filmmaking—Scene 68Rule of Threes—Scene 69Acting Is Reacting—Scenes 70 and 71Four Lessons from a Montage—Scene 72Resourceful Filmmaking—Scenes 73 and 74Offensive Satire—Scene 75A Scene in Three Shots—Scene 76Planning a Scene—Scene 77Get an Impossible Shot … with Two Shots—Scene 78Language Sequence—Scenes 79–88Mining Film Locations—Scene 89Slapstick Comedy—Scene 90Pacing: The ­One-Hour Mark—Scenes 91–93Offensive Satire, Revisited—Scenes 94–96Five Ways We Fixed a Dull Scene—Scene 97Editing Choices—Scene 98Staging the Casual—Scenes 99 and 100Context Changes Everything—Scene 101Your Time Is Limited—Scene 102Saying No to My Entire Film Crew—Scene 103Changes from Script to Screen—Scene 104Additional Production Writing—Scene 105Scheduling Can Breed Creativity—Scene 106Seven Images, Seven Lessons—Scene 107Serendipity in Editing—Scene 108Beginning of the End—Scene 109Final Scene: Make It Count—Scene 110Part Three: Post ­Post-ProductionSo You’ve Made a Feature FilmIndependent DistributionEleven Kickstarter Campaign LessonsThe ­Four-Wall ExperienceDigital Distribution of Your Independent FilmPlan for ­Self-Distribution from Day OneWhat’s Next?A Note About ­Post-Film RecordkeepingPodcasts to Keep You GoingDon’t Quit (or Apologize for) Your Day JobReferencesIndex