“We strive to tell stories about the human experience. Love and loss. Ups and downs. If you watch one of our films and feel that you’ve lived in the story, we’ve done our job well.”
Cole J Sheldon - Founder & Storyteller
Peer Reviews
“False Take Films has developed a reputation as one of the premiere filmmakers in the Midwest. Their films are beautifully-shot, the stories they tell are moving and often profound.”
“The False Take team excells at exploring the depths of emotion and what it means to be human.”
“False Take Films takes you on an emotional journey with a unique visual style. Their films are just good at putting people in their feels, plain and simple.”
The Process
There is so much beauty in the mundane
We find the lessons and emotions in events that could happen to anyone, on any given day, and making something that (hopefully) speaks to anyone who takes the time to watch. Relatable characters, beautiful images, and moving music - all working in consort to bring beauty to the mundane.
Execution
Meticulous Spontaneity
Film is such an interesting beast. We do months of planning - from the first spark of a concept to the first call of “Action!” on set - things are mapped out to the letter. But then, you get on set, and the lead goes off script. The Director of Photography points the lens at a random animal scurrying across the road in between takes. We retool whole scenes, or even more extreme, throw them away entirely. All because of a feeling.
And that’s how we believe the process is meant to be. A perfect marriage of a meticulously planned blue print, and the spontaneity of the human mind and body. Throw in a car sound after sound is speeding or a mistimed joke that causes the lead to burst into tears - boom, “false take”. Even our name comes from things not following the script.
Finishing Touches
Fix it in post? No, perfect it in post.
If there is anyone in the industry that deserves more respect, it’s the editors. Well, maybe the sound guys too, but we’re talking about post right now.
There really is something horrifying about seeing the first rough cut. It scary to see all of the ways that each scene falls short initially. This is usually the point where we start to wonder why we had the audacity to even make a movie in the first place. But, with a little patience and trust (we’d throw pixie dust in there if we could), the editors we work with take our raw thoughts and knee-jerk on set decisions and build something for all of us to be proud to have worked on. But the work is far from over once the editor says picture lock.
Sound design, color, & music. All of these processes take just as much time and thought as the edit, the framing of a shot, and even the script itself. We spend the time to get things just right in every one of these mediums, because if we didn’t we would be doing a disservice to the whole cast and crew - but more importantly to you, the viewer.
