Tips for Indies by Sandesh Gawande

These notes I have collected are from my experience or borrowed from others. Most of the points were implemented or missed by me, on  my projects. This effort is to document experience for my own  future benefit and also for others..... who are pursuing similar dreams.....

A. Production designer

1.  Color palette should be harmonious. Example: Don’t have people wearing random colors like blue, red yellow, white, green, etc. Of course if there is a reason people or objects with contrasted colors can be brought it.

2. The clothes of the actors should also become darker with the mood of the movie and to support low key lighting or lighter to support High key (see B.2).

B. Cinematographer

1.Lens selection, can change the feeling of the movie. As the movie proceeds from light  to tense moments, the choices of lenses should move from Telephoto lens to wider ones.

2. As the story becomes tenser the change should also reflected in the background light. Example: High key to mid key to low key. Basically background can be made darker with the tense moments so that all the available light is only focused on the character.

3. Subtle camera movements,

4. Dark scene and DOF,

5. Crane and DOF,

6.For edits, Shoot cut away shot for edits, shoot multiple takes & multiple angles for the same shot and do not forget establishing shot.

C. Director

1. The POV of the move should not change randomly.  Example: If the story is about a boy and a ghost in the house. Is the story from boys POV or Ghost POV? There can be a total change in the chemistry of shots and edits based on the POV. If the POV is not consistent then Audience will get confused. Example: This is a stroy of a boy who moved in a new house, which had a ghost . OR This is a story of a ghost who used to leave in a house and a boy started living there.

2. Fear and night,

3. V.O. usage,

4. Directing actors,

D. Casting & Auditioning

1. The most important aspect for audience is the actors’ performance. No compromise should be done when hiring actors.

E. Producer

1. Casting for comedy should be generally known actors or studio movie?

G. Writer

Example movie: The Serial Killer

1. Plot/ External problem, A serial killer being tracked down a cop intensely.

2. Character Arc/ Emotional Problem, Why is the cop so intense? Maybe his sister vanished when he was a kid and he was there but was not able to prevent it as he was very afraid. His inaction probably hunts him. Similarly the serial killer might have a emotional problem of his own, which he is not ready to face..a psychologist may be able to expalin.

3. Subplots, Someone might be trying to Cover up the crime and protect the S.K. There might be office poltics that might be making the cops life mesirable. There could be romance angle between the cop and magistrate who happens to be his girl friend. There might be media reporters that might be making the capture of the S.K. difficult because of publicity. The S.K. might try to implicate the cop in the murders.

4. Escalation, The problem may become worst before it beomes good.  The reporter might realize her mistiake that she is aggrivating the problem and realizes that S.K. might be coming for her. Decides to help.

5. Pacing, One incident after another. Replace FX --with suspense (when audience knows but the heroes don't. so audience can tell something bad is going to happen but can help), humor/dark humor / sarcastic comments, comedic relief, Interesting dialogue/statement by the hero, villain or friend that brings a realization of deeper aspects.

6. Suprise/ twist, the S.K. is cought & killed but was he alone? was the cop really invloved in it.

7. Set-piece,  Here instutition like Police, hospital has been used. Similarly church, japanese games, school, Govt. Judiciary can be used.

F. Editor

H. Actors

I. Audio

1. Do not forget to clap in the shooting room, if you hear echo bring in the sound blankets.

2. Shut off all the electrical equipment including heating and cooling.