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Home » Blog » Filmmaking For Rookies

Filmmaking For Rookies

Article by Lorabella

Want to make a great film someday but not sure how to go about it? Every time you watch a good film you wish that you could make one yourself? Fret not! Filmmaking is accessible to anyone who has the talent and the focus to make a movie. However, filmmaking is not like shooting a shaky home video. It requires time, it needs patience and it needs oodles of hard work and talent. But that shouldn’t stop you from acquiring some great skills that will only hone your filmmaking techniques in future.

Watch as many Films as you can

Hey! You are going to be a filmmaker someday, you have to devour, in fact eat, breath and sleep films. Try to understand which genre of movies you like the best. Do you get shivers up your spine every time you watch an Alfred Hitchcock film? Or do you love the samurai warriors from Akiro Kurosawa’s Japanese films or the fantasy musicals of Tim Burton make you go crazy? The more films you watch the more you will get inspired to make one. Many famous directors are cinephiles themselves and have gotten inspired to make films by watching movies like fanatics at their local theatre.

Educate Yourself

Although some of the greatest filmmakers never stepped inside college, forget film school, studying filmmaking does have its advantages. First of all, it provides a great training ground for amateurs, by giving you a sound training in the various bits and part that go into filmmaking. You will learn how to use a camera, come up with scripts, make experimental films, and watch loads of movies for free. A film school is also a good place to connect with industry bigwigs, listen to great directors at seminars and a primer for the big bad world of films. But that does not mean you can’t be a filmmaker if you don’t go to film school. You can continue your own education with books, films and gain practical experience through internships.

Keep Jotting down Story Ideas

Whenever a plot comes into your mind quickly jot it down or speak into a Dictaphone. Keep working on your story ideas and developing them. There are a lot of online tutorials and enough information about writing scripts to help you out. Whenever you watch a film, jot down what you liked about it.

Get Hold of a Digital Camera

Invest in a basic digital video camera and start shooting. If you don’t have enough cash just ask your parents to chip in. if they can’t, just borrow one from friends or family. Try to shoot as much as possible. Shoot a short film in your neighbourhood. Famous director Quentin Tarantino first started making short movies in his backyard. Convince your friends to become actors and shoot them just like a proper film. A good idea is to put your work on video sharing websites or send them across to friends online for their feedback.

Learn the technicalities of filmmaking

Filmmaking is not only about writing grandiose stories and shooting randomly. It is also about learning the technical ropes involved in making movies. Try experimenting with your camera by setting up different camera angles or changing your settings to sepia or black & white. As and when your hand starts getting steady you can change between various locations, try to control your shots and explore various angles. You can brush up on the various techniques of shooting from time to time by borrowing books from your public library or from the internet.

Read more about filmstudier at Noroff.no










Go here for the chance to get a FREE t-shirt and a signed Film Riot mini poster!!! bit.ly Today Ryan covers the basics of camera techniques, including the emotional effect using them will have on your audience.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Question by mrxxbrian: filmmaking?
Any filmmaking forums to post films and stuff like that and just talk about student/amateur films? And promoting films? I already know Youtube, however they do not have a forum. No myspace please

Best answer:

Answer by sexyman3
no sorry

What do you think? Answer below!

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Writer / Director Kevin Smith talks about how he started writing and making movies, his growth as a film maker and the advantages of being in film school for 16 years
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Filed Under: Filmmaker News Tagged With: Filmmaking, Rookies

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