Tips for short movie making

Making a film is divided into three stages – pre-production (scripting, raising funds and planning), production (shooting the film) and post-production (editing, grading and visual effects). What you do before the camera starts rolling is as important as what you do on the day. Script and storyboard your film, make sure you've budgeted for all your needs and get copyright clearances for visuals and music – otherwise you might not be able to show your film in festivals or get distribution.

Probably the most important part of the process is writing the script – you can take the best actors and the most expensive kit, and still make a bad film if the script isn't up to scratch. It's also the cheapest part to fix, so take your time over it.