Any advice on how to get started for film??

My Welcome Message.

I’m a sixth form student, just about to go into studying film at Uni. I wanna make films. I have no experience or any sense of direction into where I need to go. I do however have emotions I’d like to interpret into film and am intrigued by the research process and process of actually making films. Sorry for lack of experience and brevity of welcome message, but if anyone has any advice into what I can do now in the period before uni, I would greatly appreciate your advice.
 
Hello Ashton, welcome to the forum! Do you have any gear? A camera? If so, what kind? I recommend creating some separate topics here, such as 'What camera should I buy?' 'How do I get started with directing my first video?' or 'How do I compose a shot?' Whatever things you are curious about, because filmmaking is a huge topic to cover.
 
You don't need actors or even a real camera to get started practicing, you can just use your cell phone.

Look how creative you can be with some editing!
Pick out something you like, use some imagination, and make a commercial.

Get some fun experience.

 
You don't need actors or even a real camera to get started practicing, you can just use your cell phone.

Look how creative you can be with some editing!
Pick out something you like, use some imagination, and make a commercial.

Get some fun experience.

This.

Grab the camera that you have - phone, camcorder, DSLR, whatever you already own - and start shooting something. It doesn’t have to be great. Hell… it doesn’t even have to be good. Most first projects are terrible. But they’re great because they’re learning tools.

As for film school, not sure how different it is over where you are (UK, correct?), but it’s often less about what you learn and more about who you meet. Courses may cover some of the basics, but will skip a lot of practical knowledge that‘s really only learned through experience. Make the most of that time by using it to network. Take opportunities to work on other people’s films. Learn which professors have connections in the industry. Word of mouth is stronger than any personal website, business card, or cold call. It’s not as much what you know as it is who you know.
 
Make a film about someone attempting to recreate a TikTok video but everytime they try... Something annoying happens around them. Could be anything, lights go out, phone falls, etc... Whatever you want really. Could have tons of fun with something like that.
 
hey! I think watching films and noting aspects you enjoy in the film or subjects you enjoy visually would be a good start. My opinion is that you want to start off by doing things you enjoy and exploring the different skills that come with it. To build up technically, watching youtube videos or BTS videos of big films will help build your understanding of how scenes and shots are created. (This will then get annoying as you will recognise these methods while watching a film hahha).

Please do reach out as I am also a university student and would love to try and grow with you!
 
in the beginning is the story. write a short story and use your fone as a camera if you haven't got a real one. i would advise you to buy a second hand tripod. you can get them on flea markets for around $5. if you have friends who will act for you that's good but you can do without actors too. set up your camera/ fone and shoot yourself. here are a couple example what you can do on your own and very cheap.
good luck to you. you will find "doing it" will teach you more than uni.
 
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