Tom Barrance
I've been a film educator and trainer for over 30 years. I run the site learnaboutfilm.com and I've created resources including an ebook, an interactive kids' guide, and films for learners to edit.
Location Wales
Activity
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I take a storyboard as the starting point and improvise as well - I usually film shots that aren’t on the storyboard.
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Tom Barrance replied to Lorne Kraft
Thanks for the suggestion - but see my note above regarding scam film festivals. Film Freeway has reviews which may help you judge whether a festival is genuine.
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It's important to be flexible. Often something that seems to be a problem can lead to new ideas.
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
When you're working on a computer, the play bar (rather than the mouse/trackpad) is the most efficient way to start/stop playback. With most programs, you can also use left and right arrow keys to move forwards and backwards one frame at a time.
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
It's tricky, especially when you're trying to make your edit as snappy as possible without confusing viewers. It helps if you can get a second opinion from someone who hasn't been involved in the film.
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Tom Barrance replied to Dawn France
That reminds me of Matt Madden's book '99 Ways to Tell a Story' which tells a simple story in comic book form using dozens of different styles and approaches. It was inspired by Raymond Quenau's 'Exercises in Style' which does the same thing with prose. Either book could give you some ideas for filmmaking.
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Tom Barrance replied to Aram M.
@AramM. Thanks for the XKCD link - very amusing.
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Tom Barrance replied to Verity Minns
A puzzle/enigma like that could make a good basis for a short film.
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This analysis shows just how much you can infer from a soundtrack.
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Tom Barrance replied to Anne J
Interesting that you prefer the longer shots. Some modern filmmakers (eg Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Abderrahmane Sissako) deliberately use longer shots to encourage viewers to immerse themselves in the scene.
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Tom Barrance replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Thanks for the detailed analysis. I haven't seen the film but I loved the TV series.
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As you suggest, using more shots maintains interest and adds to the excitement - and the closeups allow us to see feelings.
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Yes, as you say the large number of shots is important for the pace.
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
Other professional programs such as Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve also allow you to work with proxies.
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Tom Barrance made a comment
If you have the Adobe Creative Suite, it gives you access to a huge free effects library: https://www.adobe.com/products/audition/offers/AdobeAuditionDLCSFX.html
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Tom Barrance replied to Aaron Dawson
Hi Aaron, your video is showing as 'Private' on YouTube.
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Tom Barrance made a comment
If you are planning to submit to a film festival, make sure it's genuine. Unfortunately there are a number of 'scam' film festivals. See this link: https://filmmaking.net/blog/198/How-to-spot-a-scam-film-festival
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
You can lock focus with the iPhone by holding your finger down on the screen. The newer iPhones (13 and above) have a 'cinematic mode' which lets you preset focus, and even change the focus after you've filmed a shot.
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Tom Barrance replied to Aram M.
I use Highland 2 (https://highland2.app) - it's a Mac-only screenwriting program that adds automatic formatting. The free version has a watermark, though students can get the full version for free.
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Tom Barrance made a comment
It's great to see so many learners and comments from all around the world. If English isn't your first language, you could use Google Translate (https://translate.google.com) to translate your comments into English. (Comments in other languages may be removed by Futurelearn.)
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Gracias Katia. Could you use Google Translate to translate your comments into English? Futurelearn will remove comments that aren't in English.
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Tom Barrance replied to Marcos Prieto
The videos don't have YouTube links. If you're having a problem this page may help: https://futurelearn.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115009302768-Problems-with-video-or-audio-on-FutureLearn
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Si, es en inglés. Unfortunately Futurelearn doesn't allow comments that aren't in the course language. If you want to comment, could you use Google Translate to translate your comments into English?
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Russian Ark was the first full-length feature film to do this (it was impossible before digital video was invented).
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
Hi Ian, are you familiar with the use of 'proxies' with Final Cut Pro? It involves generating lower quality versions of the files for editing, so it's less demanding on the computer. Here's the link on Apple's site: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/final-cut-pro/verb8e5f6fd/mac
Also, you can dramatically reduce the amount of space a Final Cut Pro...
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Tom Barrance replied to Laura Donaldson
Hi Laura, if you're in the UK you'll be redirected to a page with UK pricing. The e-commerce platform converts everything to dollars, but that won't make a difference to the price you pay.
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Apparently they're dancing the 'Madison'.
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Tom Barrance replied to Ian McGregor
The course is about doing the whole process - planning, shooting and editing - yourself. However, if you were to shoot most of the shots yourself, and just include a few journal images (3 or 4) that would be OK.
Another reason for requiring original images is to avoid copyright issues, but obviously that shouldn't be a problem with your father's pictures.
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The scene from Lawrence of Arabia is remarkable. Fun fact: Panavision built a 482mm lens especially for filming this shot, which has never been used again.
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Hi, could you post in English please? You can use Google Translate. Futurelearn will remove posts that aren't in the course language.
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Unbalanced means that the composition is very much off centre. 'Dutch angle' means that the camera is on a slant (so that walls and the horizon seem to be tilted).
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Hi, unfortunately your comment will be removed as it's not in the course language. Could you post it in English? (Here's the Google Translate version): "Pocari Sweat's long-shot commercial is quite surprising. A girl in school uniform keeps running, and the camera quickly follows through different scenes. People come and go, dazzling. A shot without any...
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Tom Barrance replied to Oke Babatunde
Could you film a model, a doll or an object?
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Tom Barrance replied to Adam Loudon
Counting the cuts is what I meant, so you're right. Yes, some of them were reused.
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Tom Barrance replied to Emma-Jane De Villiers
Thanks for pointing that out, I've added the italics!
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Tom Barrance replied to Olivier Bonetti
Your idea of the man and the cat could work well.
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Resolve is good but it needs a powerful computer to run well. On a PC, there are a couple of free options for beginners: Adobe Rush or VN Editor (for this, you'd need to install the BlueStacks Android emulator).
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Tom Barrance replied to David Martins
Hi David. Futurelearn have asked that you go to one of the pages where you experienced the problem and click on Support (bottom right hand corner) to get help directly from them.
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Tom Barrance replied to David Martins
@DavidMartins Thanks, which operating system (Windows, Mac, Android)?
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Tom Barrance replied to Rakesh Sharma
You will need to upgrade before you can get a certificate. Here's more information about certificates: https://www.futurelearn.com/proof-of-learning/certificate-of-achievement
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Tom Barrance replied to David Martins
You will need to upgrade before you can get a certificate. Here's more information about certificates: https://www.futurelearn.com/proof-of-learning/certificate-of-achievement
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Tom Barrance replied to David Martins
Hi David, could you let me know what browser and operating system you're using so we can see if we can resolve this?
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Tom Barrance replied to ellen mcdougall
Hi Ellen - the video is private so I wasn't able to watch it.
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Tom Barrance replied to Yassine Khoulfi
@YassineKhoulfi - sorry, Futurelearn removed your comment because it wasn't in English. But your film is useful for other learners so here's the link you provided: https://padlet.com/BFIEducation/1-20-upload-your-shots-rrht54s0b42i9le0/wish/2540347976
Yassine did the activity, and included a shot at the end to show how he used his camera strap to keep the...
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Tom Barrance replied to Yassine Khoulfi
"Standby" = "Préparez-vous". Dans ce contexte, "Turn over" signifie "Démarrez le caméra" (comme un moteur peut 'tourner').
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Tom Barrance replied to Gemma R.
Normally it's the other way round. The master shot is 'insurance' for when the other shots don't edit together smoothly.
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Tom Barrance replied to Rakesh Sharma
Hi Rakesh. I assume you can watch the movie at the top of the article? The movie in the 'See also' link is the same. We added the link because it has an article about the film.
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Tom Barrance replied to Rakesh Sharma
Hi Rakesh. The reason we are asking students to use Padlet is so that everyone on the course can see them. Some students aren't able to access YouTube videos.
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Tom Barrance replied to Rakesh Sharma
Padlet accepts MP4s. The free version only accepts file sizes up to 25Mb. Here's a link to Padlet help about video files: https://padlet.help/l/en/fun-things-you-can-do/how-do-i-post-an-image-or-video-on-padlet
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Tom Barrance replied to Javiera Miraglia
That's right, some of the shots are repeated.
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1917 not 1971 (there are two films called 1971 but they're not the one you mean!)
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Hi Michael, did you intend to remove your video from YouTube? It's no longer available.
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Tom Barrance replied to Martine Borge
Yes, you could certainly use it metaphorically.
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You can try anything if it works for your story! You sometimes see shot reverse shot where there's no 'looking space' (see step 1.13). This has the effect of suggesting conflict or failure to communicate.
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The film is about Ollie's unconventional gender identity - you can watch the whole thing at the Vimeo link above.
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@LorneKraft You're right. I've just read "Flicker: Your Brain on Movies" by neuroscientist Jeffrey Zacks. He explains why most people don't notice most continuity errors. (The explanation is fairly complex but fascinating.)
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Tom Barrance replied to Marcy Y
Yes, I did repeat shots.
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That's an useful idea, particularly if it's a factual film.
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I found the Terminator treatment elsewhere. I've updated the link.
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Hi Michael, thanks for letting me know. It's an external link and there seems to be a problem with their site. I've contacted them.
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Tom Barrance replied to Dennis Paul
No problem, I hope you find the course useful anyway.
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Barrance
@LorneKraft I think if you add your videos to the BFI padlet (rather than setting up your own) you shouldn't be limited?
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Barrance
You should be able to access the padlet by clicking on the link in the description of the activity.
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Yes, I'd always add a description of the shot size/angle/movement for each shot.
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Tom Barrance replied to ben ueanteiti
@AdamRobinson You're right, the video is silent. I've updated the description to make this clear.
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With film it's essential to plan in advance. But it's also a good idea to be open to filming additional shots that you hadn't planned.
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Tom Barrance replied to Adam Robinson
Almost all the sound was added afterwards using effects. The only live sounds were the foot splashing in the puddle, and kicking, dropping and handling the object. I recorded these with an on-camera mic (the Rode VideoMic Pro). I recorded the heavy breathing separately.
I've updated the article with information about sound.
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Tom Barrance replied to Gemma R.
A master shot shows the whole scene. You'd usually frame it as a long shot or extreme long shot.
When you film a scene with a single camera, you'd film this shot first. Film the whole scene all the way through. Then you can film the rest of the action as separate shots like mid shots and closeups. The master shot is like a kind of backup. It means you've...
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Tom Barrance replied to Raphael Chikumbi
We've suggested some software on the introductory page: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/make-a-short-film
What device will you be using to edit - PC, Mac, iPhone or Android phone?
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Tom Barrance replied to Eleni Pappa
No problem, glad you've got it sorted
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Tom Barrance replied to Joseph Bell
If you open the page in a web browser, you can drag your video file directly into the window. That will create a new post using your file.
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Tom Barrance replied to Joseph Bell
It should accept fairly large video files
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Tom Barrance replied to Joseph Bell
You can drag your video file to our padlet page - https://padlet.com/BFIEducation/yserc6kzf6pgnuo6
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Tom Barrance replied to Eleni Pappa
@EleniPappa Apparently your IP address was blocked as it has been sending spam. If you're using a VPN or proxy you could try changing the location; otherwise turning your router off and on again should solve the problem.
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Tom Barrance replied to Eleni Pappa
Hi Eleni, thanks for the info - I'm looking into this
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Tom Barrance replied to ben ueanteiti
I've uploaded the video again, I hope it works for you now. If there's still a problem, could you try using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge instead of Safari?
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Tom Barrance replied to Maggie Morrison
I've uploaded the video again, I hope it works for you now. If there's still a problem, could you try using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge instead of Safari?
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Which part are you finding confusing?
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Tom Barrance replied to Maggie Morrison
@TalalAlchawa thanks for the information, was that on a Mac or a phone?
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Tom Barrance replied to Maggie Morrison
Are you still having a problem? If so could you let us know which browser and operating system you're using?
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Gleadell
@MaríaQuintana I can’t comment on everyone’s video. But here’s some brief feedback on yours.
You’ve planned a good sequence with plenty of different shots.
My main comment is that all your shots are joined with dissolves. In the continuity system it’s normal to use cuts. In iMovie (on iPhone/iPad) you can change a dissolve between shots to a cut by...
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Tom Barrance replied to Jan Zurcher
I would normally storyboard every shot. But you could miss out repeated shots (for example if you're cutting back and forth between closeups in a dialogue scene).
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Tom Barrance replied to Huahua Sun
It partly depends on your camera. Professionals would use a 'pull focus' attachment. ('Focus puller' is a separate job in the industry). Some cameras have continuous autofocus that's good and fast enough for filming, but some don't. I try to plan my shots so I don't need to change focus when the subject is moving.
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Gleadell
I'm not going to be able to give feedback for everyone, but I'll give you some quick feedback on your film as it could be helpful to other students as well.
There are some nicely framed shots. But shots 2 and 3 are a bit too similar (the angle doesn’t change between them) so the camera seems to ‘jump’ forwards. You could fix this by inserting a POV shot of...
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Tom Barrance replied to Anne J
Yes, it's fine to make a documentary.
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Tom Barrance replied to Molly Saunders
Hi Molly, those shots work well together. But in Week 2 we'll be looking at the 'continuity system' which will help you make sequences that flow more smoothly.
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Tom Barrance replied to María Quintana
That's a nice storyboard. But you're right about the second shot. It 'crosses the line', so her screen direction changes. You could fix this by filming from the other side of the road, if that's possible.
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Tom Barrance replied to Aram M.
Thanks for posting, that's a useful link. @AramM.
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Tom Barrance replied to George Rajasekaran
There are a few things you can do to make it easier. For example, keep the story short and fairly simple, and use pictures and sound (and maybe voiceover) rather than dialogue.
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Gleadell
Thanks Tom. Putting your storyboard frames into a video sequence, as you've done, is called an 'animatic'. It can be a useful way to visualise your film.
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Gleadell
That sounds like a good basis for a short film.
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Tom Barrance made a comment
I should clarify that you don't HAVE to include dialogue. If you can tell your story without it, that's fine.
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Tom Barrance replied to Verity Minns
No, you don't have to have dialogue. If you can tell the story without it that's great.
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I don't think there's a standard way to script split screen scenes. I'd probably just write LEFT above the scenes that happen in the left screen, and RIGHT above the scenes that happen on the right.
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Tom Barrance replied to Anne J
Aspect ratio is a good way to show time shifts. I'll check that series out @AnneJ .
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Tom Barrance replied to Tom Gleadell
You could add a subtle colour grade, as long as the film doesn't rely on visual effects to tell the story.
