Okay so filmmaking tips. People keep asking me how to write stuff about making videos that doesn’t suck. Honestly? I used to just type whatever came into my head. Yeah, sounded smart to me! Finished an article? Boom, hit publish. Feeling proud.
The Big Awkward Moment
Showed one to my buddy Carlos last year. Big mistake. He’s this editor dude, super picky. He scrolled, maybe two minutes. Silent. Just… stared. Then “Man, this is like… unreadable?” Ouch. Like a punch right here.
My perfect article! What was wrong? He pointed:
- Jargon City: I was dropping terms like “dolly zoom” and “key light” like everyone should just know.
- Zero Pictures: Just wall after wall of text. Looked boring.
- Rambling: Jumping from camera settings to script ideas to lighting in one messy paragraph.
- Too Fancy: Trying to sound like a film professor instead of a dude talking filmmaking.
Felt kinda stupid, not gonna lie.
Switching Up My Act
Decided, fine, gotta fix this mess. Started actually thinking before typing:
Step 1: Pick ONE Tiny Thing:
No more “How to Make a Short Film.” Too huge. Think “How I Stopped My Handheld Shots Looking Like Seasickness” or “Three Cheap Lights I Used For My Last Interview.” Just that one specific trick or tool. Way easier.
Step 2: Actually Take Pictures!
Doing the thing? Snap photos like a tourist! Camera settings? Photo! My messy desk setup? Photo! My wonky homemade reflector made of foil and cardboard? Gross, but photo! Show, don’t just yell. My phone camera became my best friend.
Step 3: Talk Like Explaining to My Mom
Started literally pretending I was explaining it to my mom over coffee. Would she know what a “jib” is? Nope. “The wobbly pole thing that lifts the camera” – yeah, she gets that. Ditched the fancy film school words. Felt weird at first, like talking too simple. But Carlos? He nodded. Progress!
Step 4: Keep it Short and Choppy
One idea? One paragraph. Bam. Done. Next idea? New paragraph. Short sentences. Lots of them. Like how people actually talk. Those huge, winding sentences? Gone. Chopped them down. Hard. Felt like breaking rocks sometimes.
Step 5: List Stuff Out Clearly
Found myself listing steps? Or tips? Stopped burying them in text. Made them into bullet points. Like this:
- Step 1: Plug in the mic.
- Step 2: Check the sound levels (see pic!)
- Step 3: Press record.
Suddenly even I could follow it!
Where I’m At Now
It’s a work in progress, for sure. Still sometimes fall back into old habits. But that wall of text thing? Mostly dead. Articles get shared way more now. People say “finally, I understood that!” Carlos? He smiles now. Sometimes even says “Good.” High praise.
Turns out the secret wasn’t knowing more about filmmaking. It was knowing how to share the little bits I did know without sounding like an instruction manual written by a robot. Just break it down, show it, and talk like a human. Not some big clever plan, just stumbling and figuring it out.