How do i get started?!?!?1

Robert Hughes · July 12, 2007

I dunno what HMFIC means either, but my film schooling was in the 80's, so guess I missed out.

My recommendations for anyone just starting out in film OR video is to get ahold of a 35mm still camera with manual focus and exposure. Still film practice gives you an understanding of the way that light gets captured on an emulsion, and is way cheaper to make mistakes with than motion pictures.

You especially need to learn to:

- get proper exposure, by using the light meter to set appropriate f/stop and shutter speeds,

- get proper focus and recognise the difference between critical focus and "close enough",

- frame a composition to have your image communicate its intent most clearly,

- see the effect that different kinds of lighting have on your subject.

Once you get to the point where you think you know it all, do some reading on both still photography and cinematography, then use what's available (like your dad's DV camcorder, or old Super 8 camera, orwhat have you) and start creating simple little stories for video. Get your friends involved, put them on YouTube, make them stars! That way they'll keep showing up when you ask them to work on the next project. Eventually you'll find yourself associating with like-minded folks and the ball gets rolling, with or without film school.

James Steven Beverly · July 12, 2007

I dunno what HMFIC means either, but my film schooling was in the 80's, so guess I missed out.

No, no, they had them in the 80s too, sometimes they are called other names or are reffered to by only part of the acronym words, ESPECIALLY by the crew, but there's only one on set and every set has one. B)

Edited July 12, 2007 by James Steven Beverly