A little bit of film motivation:
What does it take to succeed in the film industry? Is it the cameras you use? Or maybe it’s the software. It could be the connections you make on a daily basis. All of these things help in the process of getting some level of success in the industry. However, time perfecting your craft is ultimately what you want to be striving for. First, I want to qualify this by saying that success is relative. One person’s success could be winning and Oscar while another person’s success could be making a documentary that speaks to people. Whatever success you want to have in the industry, continue to work at that.
Some techniques can be taught but a lot of what makes great film-makers is instinct. Learning on your own and growing and getting better with each project. Be a student of life. Study your surroundings and take notes of what’s going on. Try to recreate lighting or situations that you’ve experienced that really spoke to you. Make mistakes and learn what not to do so that you can make projects that inspire others. Pick up a camera and start shooting. Post your findings on Instagram or Vimeo. Don’t be afraid to share your work. Learn to take constructive criticism and not just look for validation. When you do that, you grow and get better.
Be a student of film. Learn something every day. Take courses online or watch tutorials on youtube. Hopefully this blog inspires you but what are you going to do after you read this. Will you just say, “That was inspiring” and do nothing. Or will you really take actions toward reaching your goals. The best way to get to where you want to go is just to start. Even if it’s a little bit at a time, you train your body and mind to do what you tell it to do when you form habits, whether those habits or good or bad.
In closing, I would also recommend that you try to focus on one key thing in film and get really good at that. Of course if you are wanting to succeed at being a director you’ll have to know a little bit of everything to be able to communicate with your crew. But even director’s can work on things like communication. I find myself telling film students that you can be a Jack of trades and a master of none. Some times being average a lot of jobs actually is a good thing. But training like your a training for a marathon will ultimately ensure that you take steps to succeeding in this industry. Keep pushing forward!!!
