How to Make a Film Look Book & 7 Big Reasons You Need One

Creating a director’s look book for your film is a very important step. It will help your team be more effective and improve your storytelling.

Part of knowing what you want is taking the time to deeply explore all facets of your film. Creating a look book will help you with that, in addition to being a crucial reference. As the decision-maker of the film, you must take the time to know what you want. By being ready to make definitive decisions, your set will run smoother, your team will execute your vision more seamlessly, and you will finish the project with a result closer to what you originally envisioned.

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How a look book helps you in pre-production

I’ll start by covering how the visual reference helps you as you are planning for your shoot, as a director.

Firstly, when you break down your film into categories, you will have to consider each of them. If one of your folders is empty, it makes you think, ‘why haven’t I considered any of this? Do I not care about these elements? How do they matter and how might I use them?’.