Pinky Miranda Productions

Whether you’re creating a music video or a short film, the music playing the background is more important than you think.

Quick tips:

• In the background of dialog, insert subtle music that doesn’t draw attention away from the dialog and to itself
• Sometimes blaring orchestral tunes aren’t the best choice for action sequences- subtlety is a beautiful thing. Just a simple low chorus or woodwind ensemble can highlight the action.
• Keep a theme throughout: find a mood you’re presenting and stick to that. Music that jumps all over the place tone-wise isn’t the best idea. Everything should have a relating element.

I take hours to decide on what music I want to include- sometimes I even create my own music if I still haven’t found the right piece.

**Note: Sound effects can really emphasize certain things in your movie. Keep that in mind when you’re creating your soundtrack; you don’t want your sounds to be drowned out by screaming trumpets.

More tips to come!

~Rika

When you’re a screenwriter, there are a set of rules you have to follow, yet have all the license in the world to break. Add these rules to your list to fine-tune your scripts.

1. The 15 Minute/5 Second Rule: Depending on the length of your movie, this rule states that your main character cannot perish permanently in the first or last fifteen minutes/five seconds of your movie. Read this further explained in my other post
2. The 2 of 3 Rule: In every 2 of 3 screenplays you write, your villain has to have hair. I’m tired of watching the bald baddies taking over the movie screen. Read more about my pet peeve and this Hollywood blunder in my other post.
3. The ‘Break the Rules’ rule: your movies should push the envelope and all limits of the industry- in other words, break the rules. Even these. Break them like there’s no tomorrow- and then go back and edit your screenplay. You have to know the rules to break them, though.
4. Make it Memorable: the more plot details and character attributes your audience can remember easily is a plus. This is what makes for box office hits. It doesn’t help anyone if everyone forgets the name of your movie as they walk out of the theater.
5. Know your demographic: catering to the teenage and twenty something crowd? Chances are a musical won’t go over so well. (High School Musical is a rare exception- and should not be regarded as a ‘masterpiece’ anyhow) Throw in some suspense and action, and tone it down if your demographic is younger.

These are my very own screenwriting rules. Read ‘em, learn ‘em, break ‘em, and give the credit to me.

Note: Sorry about the long absence, it’s been pretty crazy with all of my writing jobs and I’m having a hard time with regular posts. I’m taking a Media Production class, and as expected my video projects are piled to the ceiling. Enough excuses, just expect the next post to be a little late.

~Rika

When done right, music videos can boost sales of the song dramatically. Remember the Viva La Vida commercial? I think the song’s success was due, in part, to that video. OK Go’s Here It Goes Again music video (on treadmills) brought them fame and glory.

Here’s 10 quick tips on creating memorable, creative music videos:

1. Use color: Have the band wear colorful clothing, decorate the sets with splashes of color, or add color in post.
2. Sync it! Make sure that the video is controlled by the rhythm of the song.
3. Keep it different: try and distance your music video from the rest. A couple creative ideas of the past include a music video in an animated paper doll style and the Pork and Beans music video spotlighting viral Youtube videos from the past.
4. Tell a story: not all videos have to tell a story, but sometimes even a loose plot can add to the video.
5. Chose your sounds: if the filming of your music video takes place in front of a busy street, it may be best to cut out the traffic sounds. Chose selective sounds, like a band member slamming a door, to keep in the final cut, but don’t include everything. Balance is important when it comes to audio- obviously you should work to showcase the song, but a few added noises can help.

~Rika

Anyone can write and film a sword fight. It takes creativity to film a sword fight that people care about- one that contributes to the storyline.

There are two routes screenwriters take. One kind of person writes “a car chase ensues”, and the other writes every little detail of said car chase.

Planning your action sequence helps the story seem more realistic, helps the character’s motivations become more clear to the audience, and is more entertaining. Every action scene should bring the story further, should help develop the characters.

The whole point of a story is to get you to care about the characters, right? And we care more about the main character being blown up in the car crash than if some average joe was in the same car crash, right? Character development is essential, and there is no better time than an action scene to do that.

With all that said, the action sequence should be a turning point, or a milestone at the least. It’s not the amount of the budget expended that makes it a good scene. It’s how much has changed because of that scene. If nothing changes or is revealed to the audience, then there’s no point!

Make these scenes more meaningful and you’re on your way to a better story.

-Rika

I have a lot of rules that I follow when creating my videos, along with the standard set of rules, which I’ll probably explain in another post. But my rule for short films and commercials is the five second rule.

No, actually I’m not talking about the one concerning dropped food. My five second rule is that in the first five seconds of your video (after the opening titles) something must happen to drive the story and set the tone. Otherwise, you’ll lose your audience quickly, especially if your film is on the internet. There are so many things out there vying for people’s attention that the precious first five seconds of your film must pique interest, satisfy it, and bring up some sort of driving purpose right off the bat.

I know that this truth is daunting, but think of it as a challenge. Now since this will set the tone for the rest of the film, you need to know what you’re going to be showing the audience. Carefully sculpt your first five seconds like they are a miniature version of the main attraction.

There are several things to keep in mind when implementing the five second rule, which I like to call the “First Impressions Rule”:

• Keep away the cliches. Stay away from that dream sequence or bashing of the alarm clock shot at all costs.
• Use the voice over sparingly. A movie is all about showing the viewer what’s going on, not just telling them. Trailers are a different story, of course. You only have so much time to work in a trailer, and voice overs add a dramatic effect.
• Keep the scene short. The five second rule usually carries into the whole scene, so keep the scene relatively short- use it as a springboard to the next scene and the rest of the movie. The length on your scene depends on the movie itself.

Keep in mind that there are exceptions to every rule, and these are just simple guidelines, and I’m just trying to help here. Every movie is different and these may or may not apply. But you have to learn the rules to break them!

Remember, first impressions are important.

Also remember that it’s not the least bit sanitary to eat food off the floor, no matter if it’s been down there for half a second.

-Rika