Top 10 TIPS for Successfully making an animated student film
- Sign up for a Production Number
Sign up for one right away. You have three weeks to do it at the beginning of the semester without penalty. The requirements can be completed later.
- Sign releases FIRST
Don’t let any volunteer touch your film without signing a volunteer release, or you risk never being able to archive, enter into film festivals or be eligible for awards. If you plan to pay someone with your USC budget, don’t let a paid crew member work on your film without being completely hired first, because YOU will be responsible for paying them if they don’t fill out the paperwork and get hired.
- Make your deadlines earlier than the actual deadlines
Make a realistic schedule that leaves space in case something takes longer than you planned. If you leave space for something to go wrong, you’ll have time to fix it. Don’t miss your sound mix because you don’t have the composer’s music files. Don’t submit all your receipts from the entire year on the last day in case USC rejects one or needs more clarification. Don’t wait until the last minute to render as nothing goes slower than a computer are up against a deadline!
- Be Kind to your crew
Your film is not their top priority, so respect they are also students/people with lives. Be someone they WANT to work with. Give them clear directions, doable deadlines, and encouragement. That’s more important than money. When it comes to Sound, ask them what you can do to help them create what you are looking for, and be clear about what your end goals are. Your connections in school, and ability to work as part of a team, can lead to jobs later!
- Ask for help
If you don’t know how to do something, or where to get a resource, ask your instructor, ask your mentor, or ask Rachel. You are here to learn, and we are happy to help. Don’t suffer in silence.
- Have a Sound Plan
Your animation, unless you are choosing to make a silent film, will have music or sound effects or dialog, or a combination of those things. Good sound and/or music is vital to the process. Those things take time too, so have a plan and engage with a composer and/or sound designer early!
- Keep it legal!
Everything you put in your film you should have the rights to use freely and completely in theatrical release and distribution without limits. Buying a turbosquid model of a jeep might save you time, but if you don’t have permission to use it in your film for festivals and distribution, you won’t be able to archive. That song or sound effect you found on the internet might be awesome, but if you don’t have the permission to use it, your film cannot be promoted.
- SAVE
It’s basic, but SAVE your work. Save early and often. Back it up regularly. Have Maya save periodic backups. Back it up on Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive. Back it up on physical media. For Thesis/Capstone can use part of your production budget to buy an external hard drive, if you don’t have one.
- CREDITS
Your Credits are also part of your film, so let them be a part of your film. If you only have music/sound for your film and tack your credits on silently at the end, they will look like the afterthought that they are.
- ARCHIVE
You did all the work, it’s time to show it off! Fill out the paperwork. Submit your film to archiving. It will be eligible to go into festivals and be submitted to win awards. The Festivals and Distribution office even has money available to help with festival fees. If your film gets into San Diego Comic-Con you’d get several tickets for free worth hundreds of dollars. Your film will later down the road be eligible to be included in distribution deals that could possibly earn you money.