With the evolution in digital video technologies, the art of filmmaking have bundled down to the level where it is possible for independent filmmakers to create short and feature films that are very appealing in the movie market.
It is safe to say that so many independent films have even amassed the kind of success that would have been expected of great movie industries like Hollywood in America and Nollywood here in Nigeria.
When you check out the social media platforms, you will discover how so many people have been able to make interesting and captivating films with their mobile phones.
But even with this massive success in the film industry, it is still sad and unfortunate that so many people have failed to make it to the spotlight because they were unable to figure out from the start if the film industry is really their calling.
In this article therefore, I am going to dive into those you can get to know if filmmaking is actually for you and without any further ado let’s get started with it.
How To Know If Filmmaking Is For You.
To know if filmmaking is for you, you have to check and analyze the following qualities:
- You are a very gifted storyteller.
- You are able to learn the film production stages.
- You understand the technologies used in filmmaking.
- You will be able to withstand the stress that comes with filmmaking.
- You have the communication skills.
- You are able to adapt to change.
- You are able to work within a budget and financial limitation’s.
- You are able to inspire people.
1. You are a very gifted storyteller.
The main aspect of filmmaking is the storyline and storytelling requires some technicalities and formalities as you are not supposed to write anything that comes into your head.
To be a good storyteller, you must be able to blend the elements of a film in a storyline. Your story needs to have dramatic high and low points, character arcs and flaws. Even though people are naturally born with film talents, film skills are not something one is born with as they can only be learned with lots of hard work over time.
However, when it comes to storytelling in film, one has to possess a creative mind and have a sense of originality.
2. You are able to learn the film production stages.
If you want to know if filmmaking is for you, you need to learn and understand all the basic stages of film production because film production does not just happen, you need to adopt and follow basic stages that will help you to successfully make a film.
To learn the film production stages, you can undergo online courses and webinars, read blogs and watch tutorials on filmmaking, or even enroll in a film college or school that will help you to learn and get a degree.
3. You understand the technologies used in filmmaking.
There is no denying the fact that scientific knowledge has been applied to develop several equipment that are used to successfully shoot and edit films.
Some of the most vital equipment includes, camera, tripod stand, video lights, sound recorder etc.
Thus, if you want to know if filmmaking is for you, you need to study and understand how any or several of this equipment is used in filmmaking. And once you can get conversant with any of them, you can then choose that as a profession to pursue in the filmmaking industry.
4. You will be able to withstand the stress that comes with filmmaking.
Filmmaking is not something that happens overnight as cast and crew have to spend weeks, months and sometimes even years moving from one location or another to shoot the various scenes of a film.
For this reason, you must have a foreknowledge of the stress that comes with filmmaking and in so doing decide whether you will be able to cope with them.
5. You have the communication skills.
Every single film you are going to shoot will require you to work with a team, on one side is the casts who will be working tirelessly to interpret the roles or characters in the film while on the other side, you will have the crew who are working behind the scenes to ensure the characters appear the best way they should before they are being captured into the visuals and sound equipment’s.
And to succeed working with such team, you must have the ability to communicate with every member of the team as it relates to the profession or part you are playing in the entire film.
6. You are able to adapt to change.
I think the constant thing in life is change and the film industry does not lag behind on this part as you will discover industry trends that will be cropping up to change a particular or the entire process of filmmaking.
For example, before now, it was digital cameras like the Canon DSLR that were used to shoot movie scenes, but today, iPhones have the capability of recording videos that seem to compete with or even surpass most of the digital cameras that we have around.
So as a filmmaker, you must be someone that easily adapts to change so you can be able to spot when to switch from using a particular equipment or style of filmmaking to the one that is currently used.
7. You are able to work within a budget and financial limitation’s.
There are films that are shot with a high budget as well as those that requires low budget.
So to know if filmmaking is for you, you must be someone who can manage a film budget based on what the particular film requires.
On the other hand, if you are someone who usually aims to produce only movies that are shot with a high budget, I am afraid you will often find yourself not having any movie projects on the ground if you keep rejecting the ones with a low budget.
8. You are able to inspire people.
The ability to inspire others is another way you can know if filmmaking is for you.
Basically, filmmaking is all about inspiration, so whether you are working behind the scenes or acting out any particular role or character in a film project, you must look upon yourself as a source of inspiration to your team and viewers who are looking out for it.
For this reason, you must aim to be that person that works with a lot of passion and energy to see a movie project you are a part of becoming successful based on the inspiration you are going to provide.
