Q&A for How to Make a Movie

The majority of work on any film project is done in the pre-production phase of planning, or the phase when you get everything ready for when you're actually filming. That's so everything moves on schedule and as perfectly as possible. Planning a lot in advance will help you be more efficient with your time.

You want to look for actors who are good at what they do. The majority of communication in a film isn't actually verbal. It's body language. You want your actors to be able to evoke a feeling or emotion without actually saying anything. You want them to sound real and authentic when they read the script and not cheesy.

The first step is always the idea or concept—in other words, what are you trying to create? The next step is fleshing out the idea and transitioning it from a concept to an actual storyboard or script. Once you have that, you're able to put a lot of the pieces together and figure out what your budget will be and so on.

There is no age limit on making a move. The basis is ability, knowledge and access to equipment. If you feel capable of making movies, then you can start. Of course, your ability to make a good movie will take time but the earlier you start, the better for your future movie making skills. Start with YouTube and treat it as a big learning process.

Yes, you should still give credit to all those who helped make your movie a reality.

It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you have time and equipment.

You can put the video on a USB drive or a DVD and share it with your friends and family instead.

All you need to do is buy a projector, a white sheet and something to hold the sheet up. At a local park, have a "movie night." Charge a small admission fee if you like, and if it's legal. Then, take a survey of what could be better. Once done finishing it up, buy DVDRs, burn discs of your video and try to sell it at local stores or online.

Hang up a bright, solid-colored sheet behind the actors. Make sure the color doesn't match anything in the scene. Light the sheet as evenly as possible from the left and right sides. Have the actors stand well in front of the screen to avoid casting shadows.

There is little point making a movie without good lighting, as the shots come out poorly, making it hard to watch. Viewers won't tolerate shadowy, blurred or dark movie images for long. Purchase or find good lighting, make use of daylight as much as possible and use tricks such as working in rooms with light wall colors, and sunshine streaming in. If you can't afford lighting, work outdoors more or check free donation sites and ask for lighting.

You can get started with our script-writing instructions . If you're working on a big project, you might want to read books that explore the process in-depth, or take a creative writing course.

Actors can be found by placing an ad in a local newspaper or arts magazine or by reaching out to a local acting school.

No, this is considered plagiarism. You must first get the music source's permission to use the music, after which you probably need to give them credit.

I would actually say a movie, because it's basically a 2-hour TV show episode but it doesn't necessarily have to connect with anything else. In other words, a TV show would be harder because that's a minimum of 20 minutes per episode, but it has many within a season and all the episodes have to relate to each other and no major detail can be left unaccounted for. For example, I just finished the third season of "The Last Man On Earth." Sure, each episode is only about 25 minutes, but it's had 49 episodes that equals 1225 minutes, which is almost 21 hours worth of watching.

To make the green screen, only some editing programs can do this. Vegas Pro or Vegas Pro Trial are the best for green screen. It is a very simple process! You can also read more details in How to Make a Green Screen .

If you don't have a camera and want to make a movie, you'll need to buy one or borrow a friend's.

Yes. A lot of movies could take place in an apartment. Maybe someone died there and your movie is a murder mystery, or maybe you could just make a movie about the people that live there and their relationships with each other.

Yes. Get your parent's permission and do not give out too much information.

Many craft and DIY stores, like Hobby Lobby, have online sites where you can buy supplies through the Internet.

Most camcorders and phones can record sound for your movie.

Plan and prepare as stated above, except when it comes to the story writing process, include horror! Costumes will prove to be important in this genre.

First, you should know that films with low budgets can be good if they are well-written. That being said: Work. That's really the only way to make money. You can also create a fundraiser for the money, and ask people to donate.

No, there is no age requirement. But, if you wanted your film on the big screen, you would probably have to be at least 18 years of age. If you are going to make a movie and show it to your friends and family, make sure to get good lighting, good actors and editors.

Use your imagination to try to create a suitable background, or scout your neighborhood for suitable locations for filming.

Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), a web site (wix, google sites, weebly, etc.), word of mouth, or posters.

If you don't have a computer to edit footage on, you should either buy one or borrow a friends. Of course, you always have the option to edit on the camera and record everything perfectly, but as said above, this can be quite time-consuming.

It's hard to give an exact number because it would depend on what props/costumes you need, what the topic is, etc.

Of course! There are many actors who do this in Hollywood. You might want to have a co-director to help you while you're acting, though.

You'll need to convince a studio or a distributor to bring your movie to the big screen. Some theaters might accept your film independently, but to talk to each theater owner individually takes a lot of work. There are lots of film festivals or amateur films, so if your movie is good enough, eventually it will get the attention it deserves.

It is possible to make a movie without editing, but it may not be as refined.