You don’t need Hollywood-size budgets or top-tier gear to come up with great movie ideas to make at home. By unleashing your creative side, picking up a basic camera (or even your phone), and having enough dedication to experiment, you can film captivating and entertaining short movies in your home, backyard, or local woods.
Whether your goal is to record a short horror film on a stormy evening, a comedy short with your buddies, or a wholesome story with your children, this post is bound to inspire you with ideas to make a movie at home.
Genre: Silent drama
What is needed:
Envision a universe where everyone loses their ability to speak. You can now only communicate with each other with gestures, facial expressions, and visual cues. Such a movie can be filmed anywhere – your living room, bedroom, backyard, or campus, showcasing how people adapt to their new reality.
Picking appropriate music is essential to ensure the audience feels the intended emotions. Consider coming up with a couple of relevant music video ideas before you move on to the recording process.
When preparing, rehearse making all kinds of expressions with your face. Write down a list of scenes to record, with possible options including arguments, fighting, or romantic confessions made without words. To ensure the movie is realistic, avoid chatter in the background. Pick quiet locations or employ video editing software to eliminate background sounds.
Genre: Inspirational adventure
What is needed:
This movie is centered on a mountaineer scaling a difficult climb. You can film it at a nearby cliff or mountain, or at home using a staircase or a properly masked stack of furniture.
Most shots should be close-ups of the protagonist’s determination, exhaustion, and joy rather than wide landscape scenes. You can add immersion by including relevant audio effects: loud wind, boots crunching, and the ropes straining under the mountaineer’s weight.
You need to plan out all parts of the climb and choose how you’re going to depict the ever-increasing challenge. In addition to bringing your video camera, prepare props like backpacks, gloves, and ropes. Rely on angled shots to create the illusion of height, and record in different lighting conditions to emulate weather change.
Genre: Fantasy drama
What is needed:
If you’re looking for good movie ideas to make at home, consider exploring the idea of an artist who can enter their paintings. This idea is perfect for indoor locations, as it just requires a small space with canvases, brushes, and vibrant paints.
The “enter the painting” scene can be made with witty editing: record the artist tapping the painting, then cut to a different location or an artistically decorated space that reflects the painting’s style.
Before you start recording, pick which “paintings” the artist is going to enter and prepare or make props that will be needed for the scene. Costumes, themed backdrops, or even digital backgrounds added via chroma key can be crucial. It’s important to match the mood and colors of the painting and the “real” version to ensure the transition looks believable.
Genre: Ironic horror
What is needed:
A calm night becomes creepy when the lead actor hears multiple knocks at the door while reading a horror book. Tension rises up until the moment of the big reveal – it’s just the pizza delivery guy. The jump from ever-increasing fear to the funny ending is going to please anyone interested in easy movie ideas to make at home.
When planning, prioritize audio design – loud knocking, creaking floors, deafening silences. Approach the choice of your video lighting kit with thought: dim corridors, flickering lights, or candlelight can help set the exact mood you need. Make the “delivery person” wear an unconventional but friendly attire to double down on the unexpected nature of the ending.
Genre: Scary mystery
What is needed:
In a mysterious town, citizens begin to lose their facial features, as they all start looking the same. This creepy transition can be showcased with the help of basic VFX or masks. The narrative can focus on the concepts of identity, paranoia, or the fear of blending into the crowd.
For this movie idea to make at home, it’s essential to come up with a consistent “faceless” look – blurry makeup, stockings over heads, or digital blurring in post-production. Plan scenes that have the main character surrounded by the faceless people, relying on repetition and symmetry to evoke a sense of discomfort in the viewer.
Genre: Sci-fi slice of life
What is needed:
Make a movie about a robot learning to comprehend human emotions. Consider crafting a basic costume out of cardboard, metallic spray paint, and LED lights. The main plot would revolve around brief, awkward interactions – offering someone a drink, attempting to support a sad friend, or having fun at a party.
If your goal is to make a viral video based on this idea, start planning out short, relatable scenes. Prompt the lead actor to move in stiff, mechanical motions and communicate in a monotone voice. Employ video editing software to add suitable sound effects like servo motors or electronic beeps to strengthen the robotic feel.
Genre: Sci-fi survival
What is needed:
If you’re looking for fun movie ideas to make at home, you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s perfect for conveying the idea of isolation and the perseverance of the human spirit. It can be filmed indoors using red lights and dusty filters to emulate the scenery on Mars. The movie should feature moments of joy, struggle, boredom, and determination.
Before the shoot, prepare your “Mars environment” – it can be a small room with handmade gear. Make some basic but essential props like oxygen tanks, data monitors, or a Martian rover with the help of household items. Add some background music, which you can download from royalty free music sites to set the mood and highlight the emotional state of the protagonist.
Genre: Comedy or drama
What is needed:
An invisible hero goes through life – coming up with pranks, listening in on secrets, or having trouble opening doors without being noticed. You can get very creative with this idea by relying on POV shots and items moving “on their own.”
Prep work includes choreographing movements so that the props look like they’re floating naturally. Employ a fishing line, hidden hands, or creative camera angles. Pick a genre – this idea can be either a funny comedy or an introspective piece on the subject of loneliness and feeling invisible.
Genre: High-stakes drama
What is needed:
One phone call between someone contemplating suicide and a counselor can save a life. This dialogue-focused movie idea to make at home can be recorded in two simple rooms: the caller’s home and the counselor’s office.
The film would be focused on authentic performances and emotional vulnerability. Since it’s a very serious and socially relevant topic, it can also be used as a YouTube video idea.
To get ready, study how actual suicide prevention conversations go to ensure your movie is realistic. Employ warm, calming lights for the counselor and colder, harsher hues for the caller. Don’t use a lot of props to ensure the viewers are focused on the actors’ faces.
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
What is needed:
Record the everyday life of a person living in a completely empty world. Barren streets, empty houses, and a creepy silence. Using a handheld camera will help make the film feel more authentic.
Think about some quiet, low-traffic locations. Do most of the recording early in the day or during off-hours to make it easier to capture empty spaces. Focus on telling a story that conveys both the freedom and the sadness of being completely on your own.
Genre: Adventure fantasy
What is needed:
If you’re looking for movie ideas to make at home with friends, you can’t go wrong with the classic time-traveling plot, be it past or future. The jump can be caused by a mysterious object, a dream, or some sort of accident. Display the culture, fashion, and technology of the era by using appropriate props and outfits.
Before recording, pick the time period and look up visual references. Consider raiding thrift stores or making DIY props that would fit the scenes. I recommend performing color grading during post production to set different time periods apart visually.
Genre: Nature film
What is needed:
Record how the scenery in a single area transforms throughout the year. It can be your backyard, local park, or just one old tree. Such a conceptual movie would showcase nature’s rhythm and cycles in a visually striking way.
If you don’t have the patience to record the same scene for an entire year, you can try emulating the changes using props – fake snow, yellow leaves, and spring flowers. Feature plenty of close-ups to focus on details like frost on grass or buds on trees. Include ambient nature sounds to set the mood.
Genre: Pet documentary
What is needed:
Record your cat’s or dog’s daily life from their point of view. Consider filming their feeding time, play, naps, and interactions with people. A small camera harness can give a fun POV angle.
Preparation is mostly centered around planning out the “story arc”. Consider having them look for their favorite toy or goofing around with a neighborhood cat. I recommend recording over multiple days to ensure you have enough content for a movie.
Genre: Urban documentary
What is needed:
Record the process of your city going from a calm evening to a serene morning. Consider filming aerial and wide shots, before focusing the viewer’s attention on street-level environments. Record nightlife activities, from bustling bars to mysterious alleyways.
The main thing you have to do when preparing to implement this movie idea, when you’re still at home, is map out a route. Consider bringing a tripod for lengthy, stable shots, which are a lot harder to do handheld. I also suggest filming some brief interviews with night workers or partygoers.
Genre: Inspirational drama
What is needed:
Tell the story of a protagonist overcoming a serious struggle – illness, heartbreak, or financial troubles. Consider featuring multiple flashbacks to show the entire journey they had to go through and all the various setbacks.
The most important thing is to ensure the “low points” and “turning points” resonate with the audience. Employ lighting and music to convey the actor’s emotional state, becoming more uplifting as they improve.
Genre: Nostalgic slice of life
What is needed:
Exploring a time period before smartphones became a mainstay can be one of the best movie ideas to make at home for kids. Possible activities include board games, outdoor exploration, and just regular conversations and banter.
The key preparation stage is getting rid of all modern devices in the locations you’re going to film. Instead, fill them with items from thrift stores to emulate an older era – rotary telephones, cassette tapes, and vintage outfits. Stick to a warm, somewhat faded color grade to establish a nostalgic mood.
Genre: Mystery drama
What is needed:
The protagonist returns home after spending years in a different country, only to learn that they’ve been forgotten by everyone. The narrative is focused on their quest to find someone who does, as the story crescendos when one person finally does.
Most of the prep work revolves around picking places that would emotionally resonate with the protagonist – their school, favorite bookshop, etc. Have the other actors in the movie demonstrate confusion and avoidance to raise the stakes and show the whiplash the main character has to go through.
Genre: Mini-documentary
What is needed:
Dedicate your movie to a historically significant or interesting landmark – a statue, old building, or park. Showcase its beauty, history, and importance.
Start by learning more about the landmark’s backstory. Record the movie at different times of day to show its appeal in different lighting. Consider approaching and talking to the locals so that they share their personal stories related to the landmark to make your movie more engaging.
Genre: Family comedy
What is needed:
If you’re interested in funny movie ideas to make at home, you can have your family look for a long-forgotten recipe card, flipping the house upside down. As their search continues, you can have them discover old memories and mysterious or comedic secrets.
When prepping for this funny video idea, be sure to stage the parts of the house you’re going to use for filming to make them look like “search” scenes.
Consider adding fast cuts and lighthearted music to keep the overall tone relaxed. Such a movie needs a little twist at the end – maybe the recipe was in plain sight since the beginning.
The FixThePhoto team has a wealth of experience in producing and enhancing movies, so they offered the following advice to newbies who want to film interesting and informative home movies.
“Even simple movie ideas to make at home need some structure. Map out the scenes, dialogue, and transitions before filming to ensure you can stay focused and always know what to do when it counts.”
“If recording indoors, employ white bedsheets or poster boards to reflect sunlight and fill in shadows without having to purchase expensive lighting equipment.”
“Shaky videos almost always look amateurish and hurt the immersion. If you can’t access a tripod – improvise on the spot. You can stack books, place a chair, or tape your phone to a steady surface.”
“Film 30 seconds of “room tone” (ambient noise) before or after each scene to streamline the editing process.”
“A busy background can distract the viewer’s attention from the characters and the narrative. Even a plain wall, curtain, or blanket can be used as a minimalistic backdrop that helps you set the focal point of the scene.”
“Include as many props as you can. Common everyday items can be used as set pieces, outfit accessories, or futuristic gadgets as long as you show a bit of creativity.”
“Cut all scenes that don’t fit the story you want to tell. Employ free or cheap solutions like Adobe Premiere Elements, iMovie, or DaVinci Resolve.”
“Leverage royalty-free music sites (e.g., Pixabay, Artlist) or make your own background sounds to make your project feel more unique.”
“Transform problems into opportunities – if the location is small, film a claustrophobic thriller; if you own pets, make them the stars of your movie.”
Once you’re done filming your home movie, you can leverage these free tools to enhance the footage. You can conveniently apply premade settings that will increase the quality of the lighting and colors while also helping you set the desired mood or add Hollywood-grade visual effects. Simply install LUTs in Premiere Pro and apply them to your videos in just a couple of clicks.
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