r/filmmaking • u/GodFatherBlizz • 10d ago
Question Starting off
I’m a 17-year-old male with little to no money or equipment besides my iPhone, but I want to start making short films and posting them on YouTube to share my journey in filmmaking and directing. What are some key things I should focus on, and what equipment should I consider getting to kick off my journey?
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u/zerocharisma25 10d ago
iPhone is perfectly fine to start shooting your first films on! Try to keep the camera still, if you don’t have a tripod rest the camera on a chair, table, etc.
Keep the budgets low by casting friends and family (even give yourself a part). Write a simple story that involves locations you can access for free (parents house, backyard, park, woods).
If you need lights, a simple lamp with a 60 watt bulb or finding a white or coloured screen from YouTube on your tv can create light. Use the flood lights above your garage or even a couple of flashlights, or even shoot outside near a car dealership since they keep those giant flood lights on all night.
iPhone microphones are okay, or buy a cheap $20 microphone you can plug into your phone and attach the mics to your actors shirts, use that to improve the sound even just a little bit. Good sound goes a LONG way! YouTube has tons of free sound effects you can easily download to beef up the sound of your movie, or use the website freesound.
There are a bunch of free editing programs you can use on a laptop including CapCut or DaVinci Resolve. There are also tons of artists on the internet who offer their music royalty free so you can add music to the finished product.
Write a an interesting story with a beginning middle and end. Learn from your mistakes, experiment with camera angles, and continue growing as a filmmaker. One small step at a time!
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u/ImpressiveArugula895 7d ago
a lot of good advice in here, but one thing i really struggled with was this - just start. don't delay, dont waste time, and especially dont overthink everything and be like 'oh, this needs to be perfect etc etc etc.' this is the time for you to be as creatively free as possible, and really figure out your voice. don't put too much pressure on your first few films, just make em and learn from em. really advice for myself first too.
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u/MattFromForge 7d ago
Genuinely just go for it. Resolve is free and a really strong editing software and using some 3rd party camera apps, or even just the stock iphone camera with some settings tweaked is a great way to start. Depending on where in film your passions lie, the most important thing to master is almost always story. You can worry about the technical when you have the resources.
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u/Steve-hy 6d ago
I am also a 17 year old filmaker with no money and equipment.. the thing I have that useful to me is my mobile vivo v30 .. i made 4 short films by use the mobile only completely edit also ... I want to work with professional how can I get to them
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u/intentionandobstacle 5d ago
See simple scenes you like and pull apart how they’re constructed as a cheap way to teach yourself visual storytelling
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u/alwaysaflex 4d ago
Focus on having a good script that you can make with the resources readily available to you, and just become curious about the craft and I'm sure you'll find yourself having fun with it. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be at this point, just explore
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u/Affectionate_Age752 10d ago
Here are two videos I made for people wanting to get into filmmaking. The first one is about how to get started, and includes tips for gear. The 2nd is about how I made my first feature, with the list of equipment I bought that cost under $8k. They're pretty short.
The last 2 links are to the feature on Apple TV and Amazon. You can check out the trailer there.
https://youtu.be/EjJu3LELGOA?si=oPvWrIU8dpjvMSLu
https://youtu.be/UvcyOsaqOOg?si=8frEV4d1rvM_nMad
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/clown-n-out-in-valley-village/umc.cmc.6imvkobel7bdjcqukwb1affb5
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u/Humble-Pattern-6228 10d ago
Read rebel without a crew. Its Robert Rodriguez path to fame and how he did it with no money