Skip to Content

How to Hone Your Personal Filmmaking Style

You’ve gathered your equipment. You’ve written the perfect script. Now, it’s time to get some practice behind the camera. What senses do you want to evoke in your viewers?

Different shots, angles, and lights can help you achieve your desired effect. Learn how to hone your personal filmmaking style and soon, you’ll cultivate a signature flair in your movies.

Learn From the Greats

Next time you watch one of your favorite movies, keep a pen and paper in hand (or take notes on your phone). What makes Wes Anderson’s films so quirky and colorful?

How does Alfred Hitchcock build that famous suspense? Look beyond the plot and dialogue; pay attention to how the camera moves and how light and shadow affect the mood of the scene.

Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More

Get to know your camera. Work with it every day, even if you’re just shooting general footage around the house. Before you begin production on your movie, familiarize yourself with all the equipment you’ll use.

If you’re going to use a stabilizer vest, practice walking with it on. If you’ve got a drone to capture footage from a distance, make sure you know how to use it.

RELATED:  10 Best Movie Remakes Of All Time

Start Small

Before you dive into making a feature, why not make a short film? Shorts are perfect for submitting to film festivals. If one of your short pieces garners a lot of praise, it can be a jumping-off point for your full-length feature.

Before director Jared Hess made Napoleon Dynamite as the cult classic we know today, he made it as a black-and-white short called Peluca, featuring many of the same characters. If your ideas are strong, don’t be afraid to expand on them!

As you dive into your directorial career, take inspiration from the world around you. Use your camera to explore the world in a way that feels personal to you. These tips on how to hone your personal filmmaking style can get you started on your journey to cinematic success.

Find Out What Tools and Techniques You Prefer

It's hard to improve your own style until you know which techniques work best with your concepts. In fact, the lenses used by some of our industry's most important and iconic filmmakers may be used to define them.

The more you experiment with various tools and approaches, the sooner you'll find the mix of elements that will make your videos stand out. You could discover, like Kubrick, that the narrative you wish to tell might benefit from extra lengthy takes.

RELATED:  Most Memorable Parking Garages in the Movies

We also recommend knowing which lenses work best for which genres of films.

If you enjoyed this list, I have a monthly membership for parents and educators that want to teach or supplement lessons with shows and movies.

“I absolutely love sharing movies with my kids as a way to teach them valuable lessons. It's like this awesome bonding experience where we all snuggle up on the couch with some popcorn, and I get to see their little faces light up with curiosity. Whether it's a classic with timeless morals or a new animated flick with hidden gems of wisdom, it's a fantastic way to impart important life lessons in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the post-movie discussions are priceless – hearing their take on the characters and the story adds a whole new dimension to our family time.” –a Homeschooling parent

With Homeschooling with Shows and Movies membership, you will get resources every month, including:

  • List of This Month’s Suggested Themes
  • List of Monthly Observances
  • List Of Movies for Unit Study
  • Unit Study Resource
  • Seasonal Activities (minimum of three)
  • (BONUSES) Resources for you, the teacher

These resources are worth it if you'd like to easily incorporate shows and movies into your homeschooling.

Grab your membership here.

Related Posts:

RELATED:  Greatest Movie Sequels Ever Made

Sharing is caring!

Top Holiday Gifts for the Budding Filmmaker in Your Life

Tuesday 8th of February 2022

[…] How to Hone Your Personal Filmmaking Style […]

Best Tips for Creating an Animated Short Film

Sunday 30th of January 2022

[…] How to Hone Your Personal Filmmaking Style […]

Action! Tips for First-Year Film Students - Best Movies Right Now

Wednesday 1st of September 2021

[…] How to Hone Your Personal Filmmaking Style […]

Movies That Revolutionized the Standard for Visual Effects

Wednesday 18th of August 2021

[…] How to Hone Your Personal Filmmaking Style […]