First feature pitfalls 101

G

gorillaonabike

Am sorting out pre for a first feature and know stuff will go wrong. I have done lots of stuff but wanted to know:

- What are the last things you go through on your checklist before starting to shoot?
- If you were to pick just one pitfall, what would it be?
 
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My biggest mistake was not having an assistant director (albeit a short). They are the timekeepers of the production, if you want to run like clockwork, you need one. You need to concentrate on the creative and not be bothered with any AD stuff, or your production will suffer.
 
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If you're not paying people, expect actors to not show up on time (or at all). I had to recast the lead in my first feature the second day of filming, then reshoot all the other stuff from day one. After you get your first one made though, even if it's crap, it's a lot easier to get people to stay committed. They know that you've gone down this road before and will have an easier time trusting you.

In this age of solid state media, have backups of your backups. Every feature I've worked on has had files go missing or get corrupted. My first two features were tape, so it wasn't a big deal. My last one was tapeless and I was glad to have backups.
 
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If you were to pick just one pitfall, what would it be?
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People. It's all about the people. In particular, their motivation. The quid pro quo.

It's important to pick the right team. Disruptions can cause you to lose focus on what's important, your film.

If I cannot afford to pay people (this is enough motivation for most) I go with people who are getting something in return that is valuable for them. It makes for a smoother production and a better end result.

If you look out for their best interests, they can then focus on your needs for you and your film.
 
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Man.... So many. All great points being brought up. But, I'll have to cosign with the PEOPLE answer.

The schedule will always fail you, but it is so much better to encounter that problem with people that have the same, or similar goals and passion as you, than with people that are there for the wrong reasons, or don't really wanna be there at all.

Don't just hire anyone because they are free or cheap, make sure you get to know them and their character. Set up meetings prior and script reads and see who shows up late or cancels and replace as needed BEFORE you start filming.

Take the time to ask your actors what it is they are looking for out of the experience, and manage expectations with them. See if they are the right people for THAT project, because while scheduling is bound to be a hassle, 95% of those schedule problems are because of people.
 
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Have someone doing your paperwork as you go along – get as many of the releases done in advance – and keep record and receipts of every penny that you spend.

I also recommend having someone assigned to coming up with contingency plans for the standard indie film problems – actors/locations falling through, shoot falling behind schedule, the inevitable black swan event – rather than just relying on ADs to patch things up as they happen, especially when they have tons to do just to keep the shoot afloat in the moment.
 
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NickClapper said:
Have someone doing your paperwork as you go along – get as many of the releases done in advance – and keep record and receipts of every penny that you spend.

I also recommend having someone assigned to coming up with contingency plans for the standard indie film problems – actors/locations falling through, shoot falling behind schedule, the inevitable black swan event – rather than just relying on ADs to patch things up as they happen, especially when they have tons to do just to keep the shoot afloat in the moment.
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Releases... oops :blush:

Knew I'd forgotten something...
 
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Make sure you have a super detailed and organized wardrobe list, or a person dedicated to keeping track of outfits.

This is especially important if you shoot out of sequence and have a lot of costume changes.

Imagine getting into the editing room and realizing your character wore the wrong outfit for entire scene and having to reshoot it!
 
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moonshieldmedia said:
Make sure you have a super detailed and organized wardrobe list, or a person dedicated to keeping track of outfits.

This is especially important if you shoot out of sequence and have a lot of costume changes.

Imagine getting into the editing room and realizing your character wore the wrong outfit for entire scene and having to reshoot it!
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If it's super low budget (like under $1000), have the actors provide their own wardrobe. I've done this had them provide three outfits (labeled Day1, Day2, Day3). I took photos of them with each one the first day and then all it took was an email each night night telling them what days they needed once I knew which scenes I'd shoot. I've also just had them wear the same thing for the entire film, that works well too. Makeup continuity is the biggest challenge.
 
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Sweetie said:
People. It's all about the people.
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I know that it seems a minor detail in the grand scheme of making a feature film, yet one of the most important things you can do, especially on a limited budget, is put serious effort into the "care and feeding" of your cast and crew. When people step on-set at 0:dark:30 in the morning nothing makes them happier than a craft table with lots of good coffee, etc. The other amenities also make a huge difference. If your cast and crew know that you care about them most of them will recognize that, despite the budget, you are treating them as the professionals they are or aspire to be; they'll be loyal and work harder & happier.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
I know that it seems a minor detail in the grand scheme of making a feature film, yet one of the most important things you can do, especially on a limited budget, is put serious effort into the "care and feeding" of your cast and crew. When people step on-set at 0:dark:30 in the morning nothing makes them happier than a craft table with lots of good coffee, etc. The other amenities also make a huge difference. If your cast and crew know that you care about them most of them will recognize that, despite the budget, you are treating them as the professionals they are or aspire to be; they'll be loyal and work harder & happier.
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FOOOOD. Food is good.
 
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If possible, try not to be a one-man-band. You will have your hands full being the "Director" of the film. If you ALSO try to set up lights, operate camera, and mic the actors, you will be completely exhausted, and mistakes WILL be made. Time spent with the actors is time well spent, and you can't do that if you're all over the place handling equipment.
 
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Great thread! Love reading all those insights :)
I never made a feature, but I will second it is about people. People need food and people function best when working 'normal' hours. No food and 16 hour days will kill the mood and the motivation.
Delegation is very important if you want to manage your time (and budget) the best way you can.
Preproduction is important and you need to have your heads of departments to be up to speed before being on set if you have to shoot more than 2 days.
 
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London is a PITA for locations.
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Locations = Relationships = People. It's exceptionally rate for a location to flake on me. I think it's happened to me twice in the last 20 years (not just filming) and it's always been when there hadn't been a relationship built. People own, manage, maintain and occasionally live in locations. I'll say it again, it's all about the people.
 
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Lighting: Make sure you and your DOP are on the same page in terms of what you (the director) want in terms of lighting. Trying to achieve "perfect" lighting, which the DOP obviously is striving for, can kill your day. And before you know it, it will be time for lunch. In order to avoid a tussle with your DOP on the set in front of everybody, go through the lighting setups for each scene beforehand. Make sure s/he's your best friend, and understands your reasons for all the compromises you're going to ask him/her to make. It's his/her career too.

Audio: And since Alcove didn't mention it, I'm assuming you must have your audio gear down pat. Windscreen, if you're going to shoot outside.

Cables: All kinds of cables, extra cables, power cables, hdmi cables, extension chords,...

Batteries: all kinds of batteries, extra batteries, pre-charged, chargers...

Edit:
Now let me say some things for which I surely will be chastised.
If it truly is your first time directing, then almost everybody on set secretly thinks they can do a better job than you. Everybody will try to come up with their own ideas (Most indie filmmakers think Spielberg sucks, so who the f are you?). But if you know EXACTLY what you want, you won't have to tell them anything, or argue with anybody, and they'll follow your lead. I know people say "delegate," and it has already been said on this thread, but if you delegate without keeping tabs on whether what you delegated, is being done, you're going to be in trouble. If you have a good AD, who's not goofing around, delegation will be easy, but you'll still have to make sure everything is the way you want it. If you're paying people, then delegation is easy, because people won't get paid unless they do their jobs. If you're not paying people, everybody is going to be making friends and "networking" instead of doing whatever it is they're supposed to be doing. An Indie filmmaking unit is not made up of professionals, at least not the ones I've been part of. I say this as a member of the community. I'm not a professional either, when I'm not being paid. Some are. Most of us are not. You have to keep that in mind when you delegate, or you're going to be in trouble.
Good luck with the film. Seriously.
 
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Sweetie said:
Locations = Relationships = People. It's exceptionally rate for a location to flake on me. I think it's happened to me twice in the last 20 years (not just filming) and it's always been when there hadn't been a relationship built. People own, manage, maintain and occasionally live in locations. I'll say it again, it's all about the people.
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It's about money. I have a great location which I get for £120. Literally, one of the best in London. However, I was bumped by MicroSoft which paid £5,000 for the location.

This is the deal with low budget stuff in London.
 
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