Production design: controlling your project's color scheme
(Page 10 of 13)
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One of the things that really set professional work apart from home videos is control of the color scheme. The color scheme is simply the collection of colors in the film or video: the clothes, the backgrounds, the props, the makeup, the locations, etc.
Deciding on a color palette before you shoot and sticking to it in production will work wonders for the production value of your project.
Don't film your actors against a white wall, especially if you're shooting on video. If you really must have a white wall as a background, make sure it is not lit flatly: dappled light will make it look a lot better.
Make sure the costumes work well with the background (set or location) and with the people wearing them.
If color schemes are not your thing, an art director and/or production designer will do the trick (for most projects you should have them anyway). A talented production designer can add a lot of value to your project; a few well-placed props of the right color, a fresh coat of paint or some well-designed set-pieces can make the difference between a terrible location and one that looks like a million bucks. Production design is one of the aspects of filmmaking that are most neglected by independent filmmakers; you have a lot to gain by enlisting the services of a talented production designer.