Becoming a Filmmaker from Scratch

Nowadays, we are bombarded with a highly valuable film theory resources and journals, also watching international films in all genres is easier than ever. Technological advancements brought new possibilities when it comes to film equipment, which are still rapidly progressing making film production more efficient and affordable. Yet, both; the set of skills and some equipment are needed to produce motion pictures looking like those shown on the big screens of film festivals. Couple of years ago, I decided that I want to be a filmmaker, both for fun and for a living. The initial lack of experience, equipment and networks made the idea of a successful film pre-production, production and post-production seem daunting and close to impossible. Following that, I decided to share insights of how I got to where I am at the moment, hoping to help anyone at the initial stage, as I was not very long ago.

No Experience, No Equipment, No Networking

This problem can be solved in many ways, even without any financial costs! The first movie that I produced was filmed with my friend's LCD Camera. Even though it might not offer the best quality of an actual picture and sound, cheap LCD cameras, or a phone camera are a great equipment to start your journey with and to get the gist of film-making. After playing around with mobile phones and LCD cameras, I discovered that many film clubs, which you can easily join for mostly low membership fees, offer all of their members equipment to use. They also organise many beginners' and advanced workshops which all members can attend. Many of these workshops are a great platform to improve your practical knowledge. Members are usually offered to work on a film with other people in the group, sharing the same level of experience and supervised by mentors. Therefore, I recommend to search for some local film clubs and to definitely join them. They are also great for the increase of your industry networks since most of people there share the same interest.

My next step was attending couple of international film workshops. It is very

easy to find good opportunities for free if you look for them. For example, I attended a 10-day workshop in Krsko, Slovenia organised by Luksuz Production, then I managed to receive a full scholarship for a 'Young Filmmakers' Workshop' in Denver, Colorado and attended couple of them in Croatia. (links can be found in the description).

ZagrebDox Festival with my colleges from a workshop in Slovenia

@copyright: Julien Duval, 2016

What about editing?

There are many free editing programs available online.

Here are some of them:

Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows)
Avidemux (Windows/Mac/Linux)
WeVideo (Cloud-based)
VSDC Free Video Editor (Windows)
Wondershare Filmora (Windows/Mac)
Blender (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Lightworks (Windows/Mac/Linux)

If you need any assistance in using them, there is lots of tutorials on YouTube which can help you out. Also, if you decide to invest into your editing skills, you can purchase more advanced programs such as Premiere Pro or Final Cut.

Where to find the crew?

As I previously mentioned, it is important to have a good networking circles. Connect with people you meet in workshops, film clubs and keep in touch with your friends who share the same interest.

One other possibility is to attend a summer film school program or to study film in the university. In that way, people with the same interest will suddenly become most of the people around you.

For some more experienced filmmakers, it is of a great value to join Facebook groups for filmmakers in the area they live in. Don't expect to be paid every time. Having an opportunity to work in a professional environment is already a great opportunity itself and every new work

experience looks great on your CV.

On the left, there is a promotional video for the exhibition of Eastern-European Avant-Grade Art that took place in Milan, Italy, two years ago. Even though, I was a volunteer, the Institute provided the equipment and covered expenses for travelling and housing in the hotel.

What about the sound and music?

For a filmmaker, it is always great to have friends that are playing and producing music. A lot of times I have asked some of my friends to compose for a film, offering them a 'shutout' in the film credits in a return. One other way to find free music for film is to look for 'CC licensed' music online. There are some music databases that make the whole process a lot of easier, offering you to choose genre, instruments, style, mood, etc. of a music you are looking for.

Click here to find websites to find free creative commons music.

Sound equipment for film, if not available can easily be replaced with an iPhone voice recorder. Even though, you might think that this will not give you the quality of the sound you are hoping for, check out my Street Art Documentary, which was selected to many international festivals.

(All diegetic sound was recorded with iPhone 7)

Free Film Distribution

After I finish a project, I love to create its FilmFreeway account. It is a website which can help you to submit your films to various international film festivals. Some of the festivals have their application fees, but there are always festivals that do not require you to pay anything for a film submission. Also, a great feature that FilmFreeway provides is having all the information about your film in one place, allowing you to use one application for a great number of festivals.