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Lights, Camera, Lockdown Part 1 - Pre-Production

Whether you're a parent with a house full of kids or self-isolating alone, odds are you might be going a little stir crazy.



Don't worry; you're not alone, millions of us are doing our best to adapt to the current situations, and doing our bit to remain indoors. To that end, we here at Jellyfielder Studios thought we could help use some of that endless free time we all have to do something fun, you know, for the kids (and big kids alike).


As we live in an age where we all have a camera in our pockets, now is the perfect time to entertain the family by making a short film at home. Over the next few days, we'll be providing you with a short series of blogs to help you plan, shoot, and edit your short film; we'll even give you some ideas on how to host your own movie premier, at home. So, let's get started with the most important part of any film, pre-production.


Pre-ProductionThis is the part of the process where most parents will thrive; it's the organisation section. Firstly, brainstorm some ideas for your story, is it going to be a comedy, action, horror, perhaps a new superhero movie? Once you've all agreed on the genre, it's time to start cooking up the story.


Here are a few things to consider:

  • What are your Character names?

  • What filming locations to you have available?

  • Do you have/can you make any props or costumes that can help tell your story?

  • Who are your actors?


When writing your story, try to keep dialogue simple, and be creative with the limitations


Now that you've got your story worked out, you're ready to start storyboarding the film, or rather your children are. Storyboarding is used in pre-production to map out the movie before filming begins. You can download some simple storyboard templates here, but all you want is an A4 piece of paper. Draw each shot of the movie in one of the squares, and write any dialogue for that shot underneath it. Once you are finished you will have a visual script which will help you film your story.


Also, why not make some "FILMING IN PROGRESS" signs as you might need them to let other people in your household know a major motion picture is in production. With the storyboards done, the locations decided, it's time to make any costumes, props, or effects you will need for tomorrow's shoot. We'll be back tomorrow with Production. Stay safe and remain indoors.


If you (and your kids) are creating short films, we want to see them. Send behind the scenes production photos, posters and of course, your final production to us, and we'll review it on our site We Love Movies [more than you].


Get in touch at Info@jellyfielders.tv or through our Facebook Page.

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