“It’s so easy to make a movie these days? Anyone can pick up a camera and do it.”
This is the refrain that you hear over and over again from people who don’t know the difference between pushing the red button on a camera and making a movie. While it isn’t technically wrong to say that all you need to make a movie is a camera and a dream, it doesn’t tell the entire story. Yes, anyone can make a movie, but not every movie is going to get the results that you want. Not every film is going to get distribution. Not every film is going to get into a film festival. Many projects never even get finished.
If you have an eye for still photography, you probably already know a lot about what it takes to compose a shot. Before you take your SLR and try to make the next great American classic, there are some things that you’re going to need to know about the things that go into making a film. Here are some tips that will help you make the transition from still photographer to filmmaker.