Everybody knows the saying “Practice makes perfect.” This is absolutely true for everything in life. Especially if you plan on being a film maker. The question I get asked mostly is “How do I practice film-making?” The answer is simple. I pick something simple like a park bench, I then think to myself, how can I take this park bench and make it interesting? How can I make this park bench cinematic and artistic? These are the first questions I ask myself.
The beauty about film making is that there are no rules. If you went to school for film making, I am sure that your professors have preached to you that you MUST do ‘this’ or you MUST do ‘that’ in order to get the right shot. I strongly discourage listening to teachers who only preach to you about rules. I actually have gotten into many arguments with my professors when I took a few film courses. They kept telling me that I could only capture a shot one way. This is something I really didn’t like about taking film courses.
Film is an art, and art never has limitations. But that is beside the point. In order to become a good film maker, you must ask yourself how you can take an ordinary subject and make it interesting. Play around with different tools like steadicams or sliders and see how the shot can change and become unique. Play around with lighting and how light should pass through the shot. See which lenses produce the look you want. And of course editing is a big help too. But in the beginning it is always a good idea to just look at an object and think about how you can make it interesting.
If you do this frequently, you will exercise your brain and become a better film maker guaranteed! This is the best practice.
Enjoy and have fun filming!