Struggling to find your story?
Hey Filmmakers,
So you’ve decided to make a film and you’re excited to get straight out there with your camera and start shooting. Not sure what the story is? Well, that’s one way to do it, and you might stumble across gold, but we recommend starting with a great idea!
Where do you find that great idea? Lots of places! Maybe it comes from an issue or topic you’re passionate about, or maybe you want to have a try at a genre you love watching. Here are some of our top tips for finding the subject for your film.
Top Tips
Get passionate!
Maybe you don’t want to make-up the whole story. Are you part of a club or sports team, or an activism group? Consider making a documentary about something you really care about, the audience will be able to tell when a film is made with real love for the subject.
Look for inspiration around you!
Try carrying a notebook, or use your phone to jot down a reminder when you see something interesting and come back to it later and brainstorm some potential story ideas around it. You can even blend fact and fiction, and just take inspiration from a person you admire or group you’re part of.
Keep a dream journal!
Ever wake up in the middle of a dream and just wish you could stay asleep to finish the story? Write down a few notes to jog your memory in the morning. Maybe you can finish the dream by making a short film based on it!
Make a mind-map!
List all the things you’d like to see in a film, and any ideas you have for ‘discovery’ and ‘game’. Then try to connect the dots and see if there’s a narrative to be found.
Watch more movies!
This is an easy one, but watching films, and paying attention to how you think they were put together is a great way to get inspired!
Our next newsletter will be about turning that idea into a story, but for now,
Happy Filmmaking!