Tension and conflict in movies is what creates drama and interest for an audience. It's essential to make sure that there's conflict between characters in each scene in order to keep audiences engaged with your film. Conflict can be interpersonal conflict, or between characters and groups, or between characters and their environments.
- As director, it's your job to make sure…there's enough drama in your film…to keep audiences engaged,…and that means ensuring that the conflict…throughout the film,…and in each scene is enough to maintain viewer interest.…Even if the writer didn't add conflict,…you'll need to add it.…This might be the single biggest problem…of the original version of The Assurance,…and honestly the tension in the final version of the film…isn't exactly gripping.…We shot the sixth scene in post-production…to add a little bit more tension,…but it was still just one shot,…so we created the motif that we talked about earlier…of splitting shots into two pieces…and showing part of the scene at the beginning of the film,…and then showing it again later…revealing more details about the shot…when we see it again,…and you know, that helps,…but the biggest problem is that we never see…the biggest villains in the film,…Golhatan and that sickness,…we never see those things directly interacting…with our heroes.…
Cordea mentions them in the voiceover,…
Watch and learn how to shoot a script, using visual motifs, atmospherics, framing, and different types of shots to tell the film's story. Find out how to give direction to your crew and be a good leader, while staying on budget and on schedule. Plus, get tips to improve shots during retakes or in post, and to become a better director, storyteller, and communicator.
Note: Like the rest of the Creating a Short Film series, this course was shot during the production of The Assurance. It offers a unique window into the actual struggles and challenges filmmakers have to overcome to get films made. Find the rest of the courses in the series on Chad's author page.
- What a director does
- Interpreting the script
- Scouting locations
- Choosing the tone and theme of the film
- Using motifs
- Shaping the story through visuals
- Being a good leader on set
- Respecting budgets and schedules
- Planning shots
- Moving the camera: on a tripod or dolly or in handheld shots
- Using rolling takes
- Framing shots
- Adding atmospherics
- Directing in post-production
- Becoming a better director
Skill Level Appropriate for all
Creating a Short Film: 04 Working with Actorswith Chad Perkins1h 49m Appropriate for all
Creating a Short Film: 01 Producingwith Chad Perkins1h 6m Appropriate for all
Creating a Short Film: 02 Writingwith Chad Perkins3h 17m Appropriate for all
1. Preparing for Production
2. Themes and Tone
3. Shaping the Story
4. Running the Set
5. Planning Shots in a Scene
6. Getting the Shot
7. Improving the Shot
8. Directing in Post-Production
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