A guide in amateur movie making - Post production

I have had my hand in making a number of short movies/photo stories for friends and the place where I work at. A few times, it would be as good as arranging a few photos in the Windows Movie Maker and clicking the 'Create Movie' button but then there are times when I have spend hours burning the night oil sitting in the front of my digital video editor, playing around with everything in the video- velocity,color, contrast or anything. Often it takes hours or even days just to get the right combination or that right setting which suits the directors 'Eye' especially when he had at his disposal a normal handy cam to shoot with. So if you are one of those aspiring directors/editors/cameraman who is looking to make short movies and impress people, be aware of the following. Listen when I am speaking from experience. :)

1. The foremost important thing is to know who you are making the video for. If you are doing it for a friend, be sure that he is going to be grateful that you are doing it (This point holds good only as long as you are making a presentable movie :)). Keep him in loop about your work and set the expectations right. Your friend shouldn't be expecting it to 'have the look-and-feel of Sin City'. If you are doing it for the place you work in or some place,handing you the work, make sure that you know who is in charge. You wouldn't want to spend a lifetime on it and then later hear someone tell you that "Cool, the movie is good but my boss is in charge. I am not sure what to do with it".

2. Try to use something other than Windows movie maker for editing because the transition and effects options, it gives, are very limited and is very easily identifiable. Moreover its known to affect the quality of the video.

3. Never do it for free. People never value anything they get for free. Ensure your return whether its money or anything else. If you are trying to impress anyone by not charging anything, chances are that your DVD will end up in that waste basket which is kept for electronic waste. (It comes with a board- For Floppy disks, CDs, printer cartridges etc)

4. Never deliver a movie ahead of time. It will be taken for granted, tossed around, there will be reviews and requirement changes as if you were making a software. Keep them waiting till the last moment. They will be dying to have a look at it!!

5. If you are working on a concept video, make sure that its re-usable from your end. You might end up putting your best ideas into a video and it might get lost in a heap once you deliver it to the 'client'. It might never see daylight again. You are not smart enough if you cant take this video, edit all the text and the images (My concept videos are usually full of text and images) and make an entirely new one with whatever stuff you actually shot using a camera.

6. Expect the worse. Seeing the video you just made, might take you to Cloud Number Nine. Others who see it need not feel the same. Take it easy if your video doesn't see daylight again and keep in mind point number 5.

Happy Movie making and all the best!! I will be back with a Pre-production guide soon!! :)