Making films and having to direct people can be very difficult to do, but sometimes it can be even harder if you are directing your friends! In this blog post, I'm going to share my experience of filming with friends and my advice for you, if this is something you're thinking of doing!

A Quick Introduction

I made the unofficial music video, as shown above, for my A Level Media Studies Coursework between Nov 2019- Feb 2020. I used a handheld Canon camera to film it in local outdoor settings and in a college studio, before editing the footage using Adobe Premiere Pro. I am pictured below (on the longest day of filming) with my friends; Elly, Dan and Mantha, who were the stars of my music video.

1. Don't take yourself or the filming too seriously

Obviously, it is very important to be focused when making a film. However, when directing friends it is important to not be too bossy when shooting, as (luckily not in my experience!) this could cause an upset or an argument between you and your friends. It's very important to try and keep things light-hearted and fun on set, as this will make sure that your friends' morale is kept up, therefore encouraging them to keep doing what you ask- even if it's quite a long filming session- especially if they're starring in your film for free and doing you a favour!

2. Don't have too rigid or strict a plan

Again, it is important to know what you want to shoot, to ensure that you have got all the equipment you need and don't waste time planning and coming up with ideas when you actually get on-location. However, in saying this, it is important to not have unrealistic expectations and to not have a strict plan when it comes to working with your friends, especially if they don't have experience with acting/ drama, as it can leave you disappointed when you get to filming. 

It is also important to be flexible when you're filming as just getting the shots that you planned might leave you with an average film, however trying out something that you didn't plan to might actually work better with the actors (your friends) then what you had previously planned! I experienced this with my filming. I had planned some shots for the arcade scenes, however when it got down to it, I just sent my friends into the arcade to play on the machines and the shots that I got actually looked more natural and better than the ones that I had planned to get.

3. Allow your friends to feel comfortable and relaxed

You must remember that although filming and directing is probably something you're very comfortable with (I'm assuming as you are reading this that you have got some interest/ experience with Media, Film and Television Production) however for your friends that may not be as used to this (none of my friends who featured in this film are Media or Acting students of any kind) it is important to make sure that they feel comfortable and relaxed on-set and you must make sure that they don't feel pressured to do anything that they don't want to do- even if they are your friends- and that they are working with people that they feel comfortable with, as this will allow you to get the best out of them on-screen.