Plan it out

This stage tends to be a bit laborious, but it's well worth it when it comes to filming day. After

all, you only get out what you put in.

The first step is to write a screenplay with all the lines of dialogue as well as directions for

your actors. Ask people you trust to read over it - maybe your teachers or parents - and ask

them what they think. Make changes wherever necessary.

If you're up to it, draw up a storyboard that illustrates what you plan to shoot, scene by

scene. You don't necessarily have to be good at drawing to do this. I tend to photograph my shots on location because stick figures don't

really do it for me.

During this stage you should also construct a shooting schedule. That just means a basic plan of when and where you'll do your

filming. This helps you stick to a schedule, but it's also useful to let your actors know when

they're needed.

Finally, make sure it's legal to film wherever you want to do your shooting. I once got

kicked out of a shopping center for filming without permission. Lesson learned:

permission is important!