Pro Filmmaking Skills # 2 - Sell a Good Story

Pro Filmmaking Skills # 2 - Sell a Good Story

More than mastering the rules for proper camera settings and filming techniques, a major component that will draw your audience into your film is of course, a good story.

A good story doesn’t start on set, it starts in pre-production. The pro filmmaker doesn’t just shoot with the camera, he or she makes the story.

We can make up any story and say it’s good, but a pro filmmaker knows that you can’t sell a good story unless:

You know and understand your niche.

What do you want to be known for? Would you like to be known as the hotshot cinematographer that shoots action movies? More than choosing a specific genre, do you have your own film technique? We know for sure Dark Knight’s director and writer Christopher Nolan uses interesting shots like “The Roll” in which he rotates the scene like a barrel roll. This technique is very rare yet Nolan uses it in a variety of films like Inception. Another technique is placing the camera behind the main character at eye-level using a camera crane. Camera cranes give a better perspective of the main character and the emotions behind his situation. You can use the Telescopium DSLR Camera Crane which is suitable for filmmakers on the move. This 8 foot camera crane is collapsible to 42 inches in length and handy for travel since it weighs only 9.5 pounds.

Nolan is known for making non-linear films in which there are flashbacks and flash forward scenes that leaves the audience fitting the pieces of the story together. With this in mind, his audience tag him as the clever director who makes mind-blowing movies that are often ambiguous, and this is his niche. You can find your own filmmaking niche by targeting a specific audience and surveying on what they love to watch, and incorporating a creative filmmaking technique in most of your projects.

You have a budget from start to finish.

Let’s face it, every time you market something, you have to shell out a few bucks and the same rule applies to filmmaking. There are many ways you can get funding for your film, you can get sponsors and showcase their products or get film grants, but before you can do that, you need to convince them with a powerful pitch. Once you’ve created your story and you get a heads up from your team, you will also need to set aside budget for the production crew and filming in different locations then get the big bulk of your budget to the editing and distribution of your film which is a long and tiring process but still very rewarding in the end. You can check out Studio Binder’s The Essential Guide for Crafting Film Budgets (with FREE Film Budget Template) for a more thought-out process.

Your story is based on a goal, not a feeling.

There might be days you’re not inspired to film, but filmmaking isn’t just a passion, it’s like any successful business; you need a vision to keep yourself and your crew going. As a pro filmmaker, you need to set SMART goals that will keep your momentum and encourage your crew to finish what they’ve started while maintaining a good standard of video production.

Your story makes a difference.

Your story needs to have impact and that is often invoked by the right set of filmmaking tools like camera cranes. Camera cranes add to your production value and add depth to your story using different crane movements that see beyond what the human eyes can. Invest in a lifetime guaranteed and maintenance free camera crane or jib that’ll raise your story to the next level and be convenient enough for your to shoot especially in rough locations. Get started on filming your project with the lightweight Telescopium DSLR Camera Crane with no tools required for setup. It also has a lifetime warranty and 30 day money back guarantee which saves you time, energy and cash.

Your story includes a promotional timeline.

Schedule is always on top of every film project so make sure to create a film project timeline from start to finish so you can minimize cramming and achieve most of your goals for film.


With these top five tips in mind, you’re on your way to delivering a compelling and good story for your target audience. Check out more of our blogs for top pro filmmaker tips.

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