Simple & Effective Tips for Aspiring Filmmakers

5 min read

Career Trends: June 29, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS


A career in filmmaking allows an individual to use their leadership as well as creative thinking skills to spearhead and direct motion pictures or made-for-television/OTT films.

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Filmmaking is an art and a science. It is art because it requires your creative abilities and science because the story in your mind becomes a movie only after going through a whole lot of technicalities and procedures. Filmmaking is the process by which a motion picture is produced. It involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story or idea.

What is a filmmaker’s job?

A filmmaker is in charge of making, leading, and developing movie productions. It is a career that allows an individual to use their leadership as well as creative thinking skills to spearhead and direct motion pictures or made-for-television/OTT films.

Filmmakers need to have multiple skills at their disposal. In fact, they need to be not just creative but also entrepreneurial.

If you’d like to break into the world of filmmaking, here are some tips for you:

1. Use the resources available to you.

  • This tip applies to available material objects, your own knowledge/history, and your skills as a filmmaker.
  • For example, you may hear about a film competition starting tomorrow, but you might not have time to gather all of the resources you would ideally want for your project.
  • However, you might be able to make the scenery around you work for your project. This way you can display your ingenuity to all those who will view your film.

2. Consume as much media as possible.

  • You should study acclaimed films so that you can learn the finer points of great movies.
  • Also, watching and studying these films with a critical eye will allow you to see just how much thought, effort and skill goes into creating a movie.
  • Additionally, you’ll want to read and listen to as many different media formats as you can.
  • Audiobooks, podcasts and paperback books contain a wealth of information that can be used by filmmakers and all creatives.

3. Develop an entrepreneurial drive.

  • As an aspiring filmmaker, you’re most likely focused on creating a great product.
  • You want to find the best shots, cast the best actors and create the movie you’ve always pictured in your head.
  • Those things are all absolutely important. However, you also need to be sure that you are treating your projects with an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • You should be attempting to make connections with all of the big names throughout the industry so that you can get your foot in the door.

4. Never stop learning.

  • Early in his career, the boxer Mike Tyson was known to watch hours and hours of film on his opponents before every match.
  • He quickly became one of the most skilled and powerful boxers of all time.
  • But Tyson knew that if he got comfortable and rested on his laurels, he would end up flat on his back.
  • Filmmaking is no different. If you get too comfortable with your skills and discontinue new learning, your projects will suffer.

5. Be respectful to all.

  • When you’re making a film, you’re going to need to work with large groups of actors and get permissions in order to use certain locations.
  • If you have a displeasing attitude through this process, you’ll quickly find that people won’t want to work with you.
  • For this reason, you should always respect everyone involved in a project, no matter how small or big a role they may play.

6. Think like a business person.

  • As was stated in the introduction, filmmaking should be viewed as both a creative pursuit and an opportunity to make money.
  • Odds are, you’re going to need to convince a number of people to invest in your project.
  • In some cases you might receive charitable investments, but for the vast majority of the time, the contributors are going to want a significant return on their investment.
  • For this reason, you need to learn business and negotiation skills.
  • You should devote some time to learning how to talk to investors and how to convince them to believe in your project.

Not every project will be a roaring success and failure, at some point, will be inevitable.

So what?

It is very important to not let this negativity impact you. If you truly love filmmaking and want to create something that will be enjoyed by people, remember that you’re also going to suffer rejection along the way. Keep pursuing your dreams!


Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?

Tips For Jobseekers Dealing With Imposter Syndrome


(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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