How to Make a Silent Movie
Choose some music., Develop a story., Find a camera., Find a set., Find some actors., Shoot the movie., Import your shots onto your computer., Start editing your movie., Add the finishing touches., Save your movie.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose some music.
Music can transform a silent movie.
Typically, the best music will be instrumental (or use wordless vocals).
The music can be energetic, sad, festive, or anything else, depending on the mood of your movie. -
Step 2: Develop a story.
What is going to happen in the movie? You don’t have to plan every single thing that is going to happen in the movie, but get an idea of the sorts of things that are going to happen.
Keep in mind that the length of the story has to tie in with the length of musical piece.
Also keep in mind that there will be no speaking in your movie and that you won’t be able to portray ideas and plot with words. , This can be a digital camera that can also shoot video or proper video camera.
The camera quality depends on what you plan to use for your movie.
If you are just going to show it off to your friends, the camera quality doesn’t have to be as good, but if you are submitting into a competition or film festival, you might want to choose a higher quality camera.
You might also want to use a tripod or a flat surface to steady the camera. , The set you choose would depend on what kind of movie you plan to make.
If you are making a movie about mountain bikers, you will want to get into a forest.
If you are making a movie about someone who has lost his glasses in his home, you are going to need a house.
Use common sense! , You will need a person to film with the camera.
You could get your friends or acquaintances to act in the film for you, or you could hold auditions. , Using your story, camera, set and actors, start filming the movie.
Remember that you need to portray all ideas with actions and facial expressions as you won’t be able to hear any talking. , The methods of doing this can vary depending on what camera you are using and what outputs your computer has.
You may need a cable, or simply a memory card.
Save all of your clips and the music that you will be using for your movie in a folder on your computer. , Open up Windows Movie Maker .
Import the music that you’ll be using and drag it into the audio/music section of the timeline at the bottom.
Import the clips in your movie and put them onto the timeline in the order you want.
Add any effects you may want.
Trim any clips that have bits at the start or end of them that you don’t want to keep. , Add a title screen to the beginning of your movie and credits to the end. , Go to File, Save Movie File, (assuming you're using Windows Movie Maker) and choose "Best Quality for Playback on my computer." Click the next button a few times and let the exporting begin, once it finishes you're good to go! -
Step 3: Find a camera.
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Step 4: Find a set.
-
Step 5: Find some actors.
-
Step 6: Shoot the movie.
-
Step 7: Import your shots onto your computer.
-
Step 8: Start editing your movie.
-
Step 9: Add the finishing touches.
-
Step 10: Save your movie.
Detailed Guide
Music can transform a silent movie.
Typically, the best music will be instrumental (or use wordless vocals).
The music can be energetic, sad, festive, or anything else, depending on the mood of your movie.
What is going to happen in the movie? You don’t have to plan every single thing that is going to happen in the movie, but get an idea of the sorts of things that are going to happen.
Keep in mind that the length of the story has to tie in with the length of musical piece.
Also keep in mind that there will be no speaking in your movie and that you won’t be able to portray ideas and plot with words. , This can be a digital camera that can also shoot video or proper video camera.
The camera quality depends on what you plan to use for your movie.
If you are just going to show it off to your friends, the camera quality doesn’t have to be as good, but if you are submitting into a competition or film festival, you might want to choose a higher quality camera.
You might also want to use a tripod or a flat surface to steady the camera. , The set you choose would depend on what kind of movie you plan to make.
If you are making a movie about mountain bikers, you will want to get into a forest.
If you are making a movie about someone who has lost his glasses in his home, you are going to need a house.
Use common sense! , You will need a person to film with the camera.
You could get your friends or acquaintances to act in the film for you, or you could hold auditions. , Using your story, camera, set and actors, start filming the movie.
Remember that you need to portray all ideas with actions and facial expressions as you won’t be able to hear any talking. , The methods of doing this can vary depending on what camera you are using and what outputs your computer has.
You may need a cable, or simply a memory card.
Save all of your clips and the music that you will be using for your movie in a folder on your computer. , Open up Windows Movie Maker .
Import the music that you’ll be using and drag it into the audio/music section of the timeline at the bottom.
Import the clips in your movie and put them onto the timeline in the order you want.
Add any effects you may want.
Trim any clips that have bits at the start or end of them that you don’t want to keep. , Add a title screen to the beginning of your movie and credits to the end. , Go to File, Save Movie File, (assuming you're using Windows Movie Maker) and choose "Best Quality for Playback on my computer." Click the next button a few times and let the exporting begin, once it finishes you're good to go!
About the Author
Ralph Davis
Ralph Davis has dedicated 13 years to mastering advertising. As a content creator, Ralph focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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