How Filmmaking is not a job, but a lifestyle ?

You can never be a filmmaker if you consider filmmaking as a job. It’s a lifestyle where you have to live equally in imagination while keeping a pace with the present. The most important of all is to keep your personal life away from your filmmaking. One day you come up with a new idea and the other day you consider it a scrap. Filmmaking is not as easy as it appears to the audience. The reality lies in the background.
Short films are generally of 30-45 minutes of duration and you have to be very selective in portraying every incident. A person with an eagle’s eye can only do that. You need to draw a boundary between the hard work and the smart work. Creativity and imagination play a very important role in deciding the fate of your work. You come to know more and more as you grow.
The first and the foremost step in filmmaking is deciding the genre of your film-narrative, comedy, action, thriller, romance or whatever. A clear cut idea about the objective must be known and then work is carried out accordingly.After deciding the genre comes the script writing. The ideas can be taken from anywhere like newspapers, magazines, daily life, short stories, etc. The story of the film should be like that it is able to connect with the masses and seems to be appealing to them. After all, audience response decides the ultimate fate of the film and hence they should be treated like almighty God.
Working on script includes outlining your ideas, name of characters, time of the story, character development, plot, inciting an incident, etc.Each shot must be well written and setting of the scene should be given. Decide what you need for each scene-props, background, etc. The script must create the similar idea in the mind of the person who is reading your script.
Everything that you have been deciding so far needs investment. Yes, we are Talkin about the budget of the film.All your ideas and work can go in vain if you are running out of budget.So deciding budget is the biggest problem every film maker face.You have sufficient and oustanding ideas, script, and everything but not the money, then it will remain only a dream.There are certain tactics to cut short the cost of eliminating night scenes.Shooting at night requires powerful/expensive lighting and the payment of nighttime rates to the crew. So its better to shoot during day time.Avoid location filming in famous or commercial areas, use unknown, non-famous actors instead of well-established movie stars, etc are some of the ways to lower the budget.
After deciding the budget and setting up the scenes, the requirement is of the audition. A film without proper actors is like a pencil without paper. The actors should be casted keeping in mind
the role requirements and popularity of the actors. It is the actor who interact with the audience on-screen and he or she must be such that the people can admire them.
Apart from auditions other things like costumes, makeup, music, etc.. are also very important and should be considered equally.
The film maker must possess the following characteristics so that he can face any difficulty in his way and can easily overcome them.
Leadership- He must be leader that can guide all other members of the crew. He should not behave like a boss but a leader who works along with them.
Communication skills- Excellent communication skills are mandatory for being a film maker.They must be able to clearly articulate what their production goals are and be able to work with all team members to accomplish that goal.
Imagination and Creativity- As said before, without imagination and creativity, you cannot touch people’s heart and your purpose of film making will b wasted.
Decisiveness-Great filmmakers must be able to make firm decisions and stick to them to help ensure production stays on track.
Be a collaborator and not a dictator.
Good relations with everyone and friendly nature.
Dynamic personality- Ability to persuade and motivate others should be there in a film maker. If you want someone to do a work which he is reluctant to do, you must have the ability to motivate him and make him do so.
Open Minded-Great filmmakers are open-minded to changes in their ideas. They accept input readily and consider other points of view without judgment.
Technologically Savvy-A great filmmaker is familiar with many, if not all, of the technological elements that are involved in the film making process, and has a grasp on what is feasible and what is not.
Strong Vision-Great filmmakers have terrific vision and can see the film from its conception through to its final product. They never lose sight of the ultimate goal.
Anyone can tell a story but not everyone can present well and convey his thoughts. A good film maker excells others in this art. Film making is truly an art and one who loves it, they enjoy it and never consider it as a profession.