The first step that will get the ball rolling is to set a date. Pick a date (I recommend a Saturday or Sunday to avoid conflicts with people’s work schedule- assuming this is a one or two day shoot) and go from there. You will then need to lock in your cast, crew, locations and equipment all based around this date.
So first thing you need to do is lock in your cast. Find out what roles you need in your particular project and then go about finding these people. There are several ways to do this. If you have a comedic role, a comedy club is a great place to scout for talent. Craigslist postings also provide you a quick and easy way to get many people interested who will then email you all their information. You can then either hire them based off their headshots, resume, etc. Alternatively, you can hold auditions and have people read your lines in front of a camera so that you can get a sense of how they play the role. After you have selected your cast, you can then confirm them all and make sure that they all are available that day.
The next step is to lock in your location. Find a place to shoot that works well and then make sure it is available that day. Lock that in based on your date and you should be good to go.
The next step is to secure your crew and equipment. The most important crew position is a cinematographer. You can find good ones through Craigslist postings (Ask them to send you their reel) or by asking around. Once you find one you like, lock him in on your date and go from there. The same process can be used to find the rest of your crew ranging from Sound, Makeup to Production Design, etc.
The last thing you will need is a camera and lighting equipment (if necessary). You can find this at various rental houses and can usually rent a camera and certain lights for a good price. Another smart thing to do is to ask your friends (or your cinematographer) if they own their own camera, lights, etc. and if you can borrow it.
After you have locked in your cast, equipment, location, and crew for your specific day, you should be ready to shoot. Now, that everything is in place, go ahead and take some extra time to block out your shots and talk to your actors and crew and make sure everyone is on the same page creatively. Once, you are confident of that, you should be ready to go.
Jay has been interested in health issues for many years now, although he is fairly new to article writing.
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