5 Tips to Help You On Your Filmmaking Journey
There is a ton of advice out there for aspiring videographers and filmmakers. And if you’re new to the scene, it can be overwhelming! That’s why I wanted to create this short list of the five tips to help you as a beginner videographer and filmmaker.
And these tips are more conceptual and mindset focused. I could give you all the technical tips—and I do, over on my YouTube channel—but you’ve got to start a little philosophical. While gear and choosing the best new camera is important, these tips are more about why you’re doing this, strategies for success, and how important it is to invest in yourself.
Without further preamble, here are the five tips you need to help you on your videography and filmmaking journey:
1 —
Use the gear—don’t let the gear use you!
How many times have you watched a music video or a film and just sat there thinking, “they used a gimbal there… Gimbal… Again, gimbal… Again!” If someone is shooting everything on a gimbal, they’re letting the gear use them. They’ve invested in a tool—a great tool!—but they’ve overdone it.
Instead, you’ve got to use the gear to create diversity and interest. Your shots should be varied—some with a gimbal, some close-up, wide-angle, handheld, or whatever else you need to do to get the shot.
2 —
Invest Your Time & Money
To be successful as a videographer, you need to invest both time and money into your craft. What do they say again? The best things in life don’t come easy. And it’s the same with videography. You need to invest in two things:
Gear: Play the long game and invest in a new camera or gear that will help you succeed as a videographer. That means buying a new camera that is best at video; photography is the second priority. If you’re going to be doing more content-creation, YouTube, then a hybrid camera may work. Otherwise, invest in gear that will give you the career you want to have.
Knowledge: Gear and a new camera can only go so far. You equally need to invest in your own knowledge and skills by taking courses, watching videos, and practicing. It’s okay to work for free to build up a portfolio. Don’t just sit back and wait for clients to come to you—build your skills, get yourself out there, and continually invest in yourself.
3 —
Plan, plan, plan: Have a concept & don’t shoot twice
You need to have a detailed plan for every single shoot you do. Don’t just go out there and wing it—you’ll end up wasting time and shooting things twice. Instead, come up with a detailed shot list. It should include details such as:
Location—where will you shoot?
Angle, framing, lighting with the corresponding gear—i.e., close-up, hand-held, gimbal.
The purpose of the shot—what are you trying to convey?
Without this kind of detailed shot list, you may miss something you wanted to get or end up shooting it twice. Go into each shoot prepared so that you end up exactly with what you need.
4 —
Copy your cinematography inspiration
If you want to be a creative and innovative videographer, then you need to be looking for inspiration all around you! There are so many amazing videographers out there… who inspires you? Take what they do and, well, copy them.
No, not exactly. You’ve always got to put your own spin on something. Bring in creativity ideas and sprinkle in your personality! But you can copy their style, lighting, shots, etc. This is the best way to learn and grow, because you have something to model your work after.
When you’re a beginner, the best thing you can do is copy someone who’s already done it—learn from their skills and experience so you can get to where they are.
5 —
Be a humble videographer
This last one is all about mindset. Please don’t develop an ego! It’s not going to help get you to where you want to go. The reality is that there are enough clients and enough money for everyone who wants to be in the industry.
Instead of tearing people down and judging their ability or how they choose do business, let’s lift each other up, help each other, and grow together!
There it is—the top five tips to get started as a beginner videographer or filmmaker. If you want to check out the video I made on this topic, click here. And if you’re looking for more tips, tricks, and advice, make sure to check out my YouTube channel, Victor Tyler. I regularly put out videos to help other self-taught creatives and filmmakers get started in this industry—see you there!