CLASSROOM: Misconceptions About Filmmaking1 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Writer and director V Reneé writes:
Filmmaking as a newbie looks and feels much different than it does when you have some experience under your belt.
The years of making do with less time, money, and resources…
The surefire plans that crumble right when you arrive on set…
The questionable sums you get after adding A to B and not getting C…
All of these things and more give you a clearer picture not only of what filmmaking actually is but what it could’ve been when you first started out.
So, let’s go over some common misconceptions beginners have about making movies so we can spend time forging paths rather than backtracking through them.
A good camera will make you a good filmmaker
Classic. I believed this. You probably believed this. When we see our cinematic heroes shooting on these enormous cameras with all the bells and whistles—monitors, battery packs, matte boxes, wires, cables, cords, and a lens the size of a full-term newborn baby—it’s easy to think, “I want to be as good as them. They shoot on that camera. Therefore, I need that camera to be as good as them.”
But you don’t. You camera specs matter so much less than you might think. What actually matters is your own ability to tell stories visually with the tools you have at your disposal. Those tools include writing, lighting, editing, camera movement, costuming, set design, sound design, and so much more. Don’t sweat your T3i or your phone. Does it shoot video? Yes? Then you’re good.
Photo credit: No Film School
