Movie Making For Kids For Dummies For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Making movies is the process of creating and telling a story or presenting information through the art of movie making using digital video cameras and smartphones. Basically, it’s a way creative people like you can turn the ideas in your head into movies that audiences can watch on movie screens, TVs, or computers.

You can assemble a team to create your movie, audition and hire actors, and then shoot your movie. Afterward, you can edit your movie using commonly available editing software.

The roles on a movie-making team for kids

There are so many different roles in movie-making. You can see this when you watch the credits at the end of a mainstream movie: The credits seem to go on for ages at the end of a movie as they thank all the people involved, from the actors to the technical crews to the costume designers.

What are some of the main roles in making a movie?

Tips for auditioning actors

Movie auditions can be quite stressful, so they’re also a good way to see how an actor works under pressure. This can give you an idea of how the actor will behave in front of a camera. After all, even the most confident person can become shy when a camera is pointed at them.

Auditions can also be good experience for the actors, especially if acting is something they want to do as a career.

The following list describes some things to look for in the actors you meet when running auditions.

• How do they deal with stress? It’s not unusual for actors to get nervous. It’s how they deal with that problem on-camera that’s important. Can they hide their nerves? Do the nerves affect their performance? Do they look like a stunned rabbit in headlights? Give them time to relax by telling them about what will happen in the audition and a bit about the production if you want. Here, you can see how they listen and if they are interested in what you are telling them.
• Are they natural? When an actor is performing, does it look and feel real? You should be able to believe what the actor is saying and almost forget they’re playing a role. Do they sound like they’re just reading lines? If so, ask them to think more closely about the lines they’re performing and to try to imagine they are the character.
• What’s the actor’s voice like? An actor’s voice should suit the character and the lines they’ll be saying in the movie. When performing, does the actor sound like a robot or do they deliver the lines with feeling and emotion? An actor’s voice is as important as their facial expressions and body. It should convey emotion, and it should sound interesting, not boring. Also, listen to how clear the person’s voice is: Do they mumble or rush words?
• How does the actor respond to direction? The actor you choose should listen to you and do what you ask them to do. The last thing you want is an actor who thinks they know better than you and does whatever they want. During the audition, ask your actors to change something about the way they deliver their performance. See whether they do what you ask (or whether they at least try). You could ask them to pause before saying a line or change the amount of emotion in a line — for example, ask the actor to “be more angry,” or “be less cheerful.”
• How does the actor work with others? It’s important that your actors be able to work well both on their own and with other actors. The only way to test this in an audition is to have the actor act a scene with another actor in the audition. Look to see whether the actor responds to what the other actor is doing in the scene. Do they overpower the other actor or do they support them?
• Has the actor learned the lines? If you asked the actor to learn a scene or part of the script for the audition, they should have taken the time to learn it. This shows whether they are committed to your movie and is a reflection of how much they want the part. You could allow them to have the script on hand to refer to, if necessary. But, sometimes, a script can be more of a distraction than a support — if it’s there, they’ll look at it. Ask the actor if they’re okay working without a script before taking it away.
• What does the actor know about the character? Knowing some background about the role shows enthusiasm and a real desire to get the part. As part of your audition process, ask the actor questions about the character and what they know about the movie. Remember, they won’t be a mind reader, so unless you provided information about the project with the audition information, then they won’t be able to answer much. You could ask them about the character, however, because they could get some information from the script. For example, you could ask the actor what they think is happening in the scene they’ve prepared, about the emotions the character is expressing, and how they feel about playing the character.

Movie editing keyboard shortcuts

There are a number of different editing applications that will help you edit your movie. Although these applications have a number of differences, the keyboard shortcuts are, generally, the same across all applications. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that can help with the editing process.