Filmmaking (or, in an academic context, film production) is the process of making a film, generally in the sense of films intended for extensive theatrical exhibition. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages including an initial story, idea, or commission, through screenwriting, casting, shooting, sound recording and pre-production, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a film release and an exhibition. Filmmaking takes place in many places around the world in a range of economic, social, and political contexts, and using a variety of technologies and cinematic techniques.
The Audition That Changed Everything I walked into my first film audition for “Pity Party” convinced I’d blown it before I even opened my mouth. My shoe caught the door frame, papers went flying, and I nearly face-planted in front of three stone-faced casting directors. But instead of mortification ending my career, something unexpected happened—they … Read more
The First Time I Saw My DSLR Footage on a Theater Screen Three years ago, I shot a short film called “Beta Tested” entirely on a Canon Rebel T8i. Nothing fancy – just 2 DSLRs, three actors, and a story about what happens when an AI hologram knows everything about you in your own house. … Read more
The $3,000 Mistake I Made on an Island Last summer, I wrapped a short feature called “Coming Home” on a remote island location. Picture-perfect scenery, golden hour lighting, actors nailing their lines. Everything felt right. Until I got into the edit bay. In one wide shot, you could see our production vans parked behind some … Read more
The Audition That Changed Everything Back in film school, a classmate needed a voice for an animated short about a depressed coffee mug. Yeah, you read that right. I figured, how hard could it be? I stood in a makeshift booth made of blankets, read some lines about existential dread and caffeine, and walked away … Read more
The Day I Showed Up Unprepared We were three hours into our first shoot day for a short film when I realized we didn’t have the costume for the lead actor’s final scene. Not even close. The wardrobe person looked at me like I’d just asked her to pull a rabbit from a hat. We … Read more
Why Your Shots Look Flat (And How I Fixed Mine) I was shooting Going Home on a ridiculously tight schedule when my DP pulled me aside. “Your actor’s face is half-gone,” he said, pointing at the monitor. He wasn’t wrong. The key light was doing its job, but the shadow side looked like someone had … Read more
The $4,000 Mistake That Changed Everything Three years ago, I watched a first-time director burn through four grand in 48 hours. The plan? Shoot a 70-minute feature over a single weekend with borrowed gear, unpaid actors, and a crew that had never worked together. By hour six, half the cast had bailed. By day two, … Read more
The Gourd That Changed Everything While co-directing and acting in Married & Isolated, a comedy about the frayed nerves of a couple in lockdown, I faced a challenge from both sides of the camera. In one scene, my character had to be driven to a state of quiet, simmering insanity by his partner’s minor, innocuous … Read more
Introduction – 15 Must-Read Guides That Actually Work I remember sitting in a parking lot at 2 a.m., halfway through post on Going Home, completely stuck on a scene that wasn’t working. The editor and I had been going in circles for hours. Then I cracked open In the Blink of an Eye by Walter … Read more
Camera Movements Every Filmmaker Should Master I remember the first time I tried a dolly shot on “Going Home.” I’d rigged up this makeshift track system using PVC pipes and a skateboard, convinced I was about to capture something magical. What I got instead was footage that looked like I’d filmed it during an earthquake … Read more