Creating Mood Boards for Filmmaking

Introduction

• Mood boards and treatments are crucial in pre-production for DPs and cinematographers.
• This guide covers creating mood boards, the apps used, and their importance in filmmaking.
• Not using mood boards is a disservice to oneself as a filmmaker.

What is a Mood Board?

• A mood board is a visual display of a project's look and feel using color palettes, pictures, and videos.
• Helps provide a visual reference for everyone involved in the project.
• Essential to be descriptive and dial in on the vision.

Reasons to Create a Mood Board

1. To get the job:

   • Mood boards act as a resume for DPs, helping them get hired.
   • DPs present their treatment based on the project rundown.
   • Competing DPs present treatments, and the best one gets the job.

2. After being hired as a DP:

   • Collaborate with the director to define the project's look and feel.
   • Find inspirational images together to guide the project's visual style.

3. For personal projects or specs:

   • Helps in working the creative muscle.
   • Essential for brand deals to show the envisioned execution.
   • Acts as a reference on set to ensure all shots and ideas are included.

Recommended Apps for Creating Mood Boards

• Frameset: Great for commercial projects, offers motion visuals.
• Shotdeck: Focuses on film and TV references.
• Canva: Versatile with templates, textures, shapes, fonts, and more.
• Other options: Milanote, Notion, Pinterest.

Workflow Using Frameset and Canva

1. Using Frameset: Search for inspirational photos

   • Example: Search for “roller skating” for relevant images.
   • Create a set from selected images to tell a story.

2. Building the Deck in Canva:

   • Title Page: Main picture and project/client title.
   • Technical Details: Camera, lenses, and support equipment.
   • Project Description: Brief overview of the project.
   • Shot Choices and Angles: Descriptions and visuals of key shots.
   • Color Tone and Mood: Visuals of the intended color scheme.
   • Location Shots: Visual references for locations to show clarity.

3. Additional Elements: (if needed)

   • Lighting Grid: For planned setups and interviews.
   • Storyboard: For detailed planning with the director.
   • Presentation Style: Keep it simple but aesthetically pleasing.

Final Tips

• Invest time in making mood boards; they clarify the vision and improve collaboration.
• Mood boards should aesthetically please and clearly convey your vision to the team.
• Continuous learning and practice will help refine your mood board creation process.

Acknowledgments and Conclusion

• Shoutout to Erin, a cinematographer who inspired and taught the importance of mood boards.
• Encouragement for viewers to ask questions and engage with the content.
• Call to action: Like, share, and subscribe for more content.