Filmmaking

Blog post by Muireann Grealy, President

In September, Belle Katherine Hayes shared her path to making her first soon-to-be-released short film Art Me Up, and insights into the behind the scenes processes that need to happen to make any successful entertainment.

Katherine started out as a writer of novels, moved into writing for stage and screen, and then to theatre directing but wanted to try her hand at making films. A short film is the perfect calling card to let prospective employers see a range of skills.

 

 

Scripts and storyboards are the beginnings of visualising the film on paper. They follow fairly set conventions and are worth studying to get right!

Where you’ll film is crucial – Katherine talked us through the pros and cons of the flat she filmed Art Me Up in, the perils of a hot summer day when filming outside (you don’t want your actors getting sunburned!)

Even short films require a lot of hands on deck (just look at the length of the credits next time you’re at the cinema). Choosing the best collaborators will have a huge impact on a finished film.

 

Finishing the film isn’t anywhere near the end of the job – you want as many people as possible to see it at festivals and also use it as a tool to attract future work.

Lastly Katherine put all of us on the spot and asked us to come up with ideas for our very own entertainment – and pitch it in under 25 words! We hope the bug takes hold because we very much want to see some of these on the big screen!