How to make a movie

It was a real miracle... But I filmed my own film one two ago.

This was an amateur, zero-budget project. Rather an interesting one. Now the movie is under the stage of post production. And while I am working on special effects I can share my experience: how to make a film without a budget. And how to make a movie in general. Despite the fact that I am no professional in this area, I hope that my experience will be rather interesting to the community.
**I think we should start from the script. **
So one fine morning you woke up with a wonderful idea in your head and reflect upon how to turn it into a good story.

There are enough books on the screenwriting. And I am no Tarkovsky. That is why I will touch upon only those theses, which helped me personally. The first rule of the magician is as follows: create a story and characters, which will be interesting for you. The flaw of the modern Russian movies is that the characters are dull. The situations are typical. Development of the action is predictable. By the way, this is the flaw of many Hollywood movies. But the reasons for that is another story.

And here is our story.
Describe in detail for each character their motivation, their short story of life. His nature. You can make the movie character cards. It is really very helpful. Write down the facts from their biographies, childhood, and important landmarks. Later it will be extremely helpful at the stage of explaining to the actors who they should perform and the pre-history of their characters.
A well-thought, bright character should pertain the following PECULIAR features:

1. The spectator should empathize with them. Identify them with themselves. Want to be like them.

2. The character should have a riddle. There can be various options. Where were they born? What had they been doing before the situation in the movie? What is hidden in their cupboard? You, as the author, should know everything about these “skeletons”. And the spectator should guess. Where did the Alien come from on that very planet? One may only guess. Why such a clever person as a Hannibal Lecter, became a maniac? What Obi Wan had been doing before he met Luke Skywalker?

3. The character should have weaknesses. This makes them closer to the real life and, therefore, makes us feel greater empathy. Why is the Predator so well known? Yes, the design of the costume was remarkable. But he had a weakness. That is, a specific type of vision and special hunter patterns. Detochkin is an outstanding car thief and is able to deceive any militiaman, and, at the same time, he likes children.
   The “Die Hard” Willis had to run weaponless on broken glass in the skyscraper full of scoundrels.

4. Small details. Little touches to the portrait are important in order to ginger up your character. A specific rubbing of the nose. A pocket watch in the epoch of smart phones. Unusual tattoos. Stuttering in the moment of nervousness or a remarkable hay-burner. All this adds to the life in the cadre. For instance, I invented my main character as a pipe smoker. (And right after that I had problems related to smoking propaganda) :))

5. Superiority. A striking character must do something better than others. This is an opposition to the weakness.
   

6. Goal (what the character wants). Where does the train go? Should be known by the driver and our character as well. The goals are divided into global and local. Let us consider an example, as usual. Mad Max only wants to survive. It goes without saying that he does. But deep inside he wants to get rid of a feeling of guilt and protect well-deserved people. Comrade Sukhov wants to escort the Eastern women unharmed? Evidently. But as a matter of fact he is dreaming about the final of the endless war.

7. The character should overcome the more and more complicated obstacles. And this, again, sends us back to the reality. Shtirlitz neutralized the provocateur and saved the pastor Schlag, but he found himself under the surveillance of Muller. Uncle Vova and the Violinist flew away from Kin-dza-dza but found themselves on the Alfa where their friends were about to be turned into plants.

8. The character should evolutionize during the action of the film. In other words, all the events which take place on the screen should change them and it is not important whether he will become better or worse. Anakin, just like steel under the blows of the hammer, is turned to a dark lord due to circumstances and efforts of the manipulator Palpatine. Frodo gains experience and becomes ready for a truely self-sacrificing attitude. A lot may be said about the characters. However, let us go further. This article is written as a review.

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All photos are taken by me for the project

to be continued...