Composition Analysis

Emotion Expression

Color Strategy

Text Strategy

Story Beats Gear Every Time

Plan More, Shoot Less

The Non-Negotiables

Action Over Perfection

So, this is the part where I usually create an engaging hook and tell you all about my filmmaking experience and why you should listen to me. But today, I'm just going to dive straight in and tell you all about it. You know, when I started out, all I was focused on was getting beautiful shots, lens flares, shallow depth of field. And when you put that all together, it sure looks beautiful, and it can be good enough to enjoy watching, but it can also feel completely empty because story... That's really what makes people care, and a good story can make average footage feel really magical. But a bad story can really make the perfect shot feel completely meaningless. So focus on the story.

Filmmaking is already pretty hard, so my advice would be to not make it harder. That's something that I was very good at; I always thought I had to make things more complicated to give it more meaning and to make it feel more professional. But most of the time, really, the simple version is the best version. Especially when you just start out, you know the audience really doesn't care how complex your setup was. They really care about how you made them feel. So really think about, are you complicating things because the story needs it, or just because you think you have to? There's a really big difference.

They say that a film is made three times: when you write it, when you shoot it, and when you edit it. And it's so true because early on I used to completely panic when my shoot didn't go exactly as planned. But now I kind of expect it because that's just how it goes every time, no matter if you're shooting solo or you're directing a big film. You have to be able to adapt on set. That's really part of the job, and it's also what makes it fun. You know, it's also the creative part of it. So if you just let go a little, the film usually gets better and so do you as a filmmaker.

It is very tempting that once you start shooting to keep shooting. I'm very guilty of this, especially when I'm shooting abroad, because planning is usually harder, and when you get a little bit uncertain it feels like it's more safe to just film everything. But let me tell you, it's not because more footage doesn't make your story better; it just makes the editing take forever. So try to shoot with intention because if you know why you're filming something, you will shoot less, but you will be able to tell more with the footage that you have.

On the flip side, sometimes you think you've got the shots after just one shot, and then you go to the edit and you're stuck because there's no different angle to cut to. If you want to make this as simple as it gets, go for a wide, a medium, and a close. Always. It's filmmaking 101, but it makes your edits look instantly more professional and it gives you the options when you're piecing the story together later in the edit. And it's really nice to have that.

It might not always be the most fun part, but it really is one of the most important ones. Create your shotlist. Improvising feels really fun until you sit down in the edit and realize that nothing connects. And believe me, I've done full shoots where I forgot to film one key moment and suddenly I'm trying to stitch the whole story together with random B-roll and crazy editing tricks. Fix it in post. That's how we call it. But it's not fun. And you don't need a huge plan. Just a few notes or a simple shotlist makes the whole process much smoother. So this really is why you want to create a shotlist and to make it easier for you.

Last month I created a tool with which you can easily create shot lists on your desktop or on your phone or sync together. And then you can export the list to PDF, or just use it on your phone to take off the shots as you go. There's also a bit of help and guidance, and it's for each shot, and it's free to use for the most part. And if you want a full version, that's part of the Story Starter Kit, but the free version will really get you far enough.

You don't need another tutorial. You need a project because a project forces you to learn and practice and to face problems, to make mistakes and to figure things out along the way. And that is when theory actually clicks inside of your head. And of course you will still watch tutorials, but this time they are to fix specific problems inside your project instead of random tips like this video. So yeah, I guess don't watch more videos like this after this one of course. But seriously, every project you finish teaches you ten times more, at least than any tutorial ever could.

At one point, I went through something that I call my zoom transition era because every other shot had a creative transition in it, especially those hyper zoom transitions. Back then, it wasn't a lot of work to create those yourself. But now there are so many plugins and it's really easy to do, and it may feel creative, but most of the time it's just noise. Clean cuts usually tell the story much better. So yeah, really try to make those do the talking and not all those plugins and fancy editing transitions. Especially when you're just starting out... You will learn way faster and become a much better storyteller and filmmaker without those.

It is so easy to get caught up in the flow of shooting that you just assume that everything looks and sounds fine, and then you come home, you drop it in the edit and you realize that one shot is out of focus, or the mic was recording too loud, or you mixed up words. And I've done that too many times. And to be honest, it still happens sometimes. Also with these YouTube videos. But if you can... just take a minute between setups or when you're changing gear to just check the playback. Zoom in. Just listen back and just make sure it's all there, because that will really save you from bumping your heads into your desk later.

So about 8 years ago, I was moving to Amsterdam. And I know this is insanely stupid that I put all my camera gear together with my hard drive full of client footage in a box in this net that we pull up three stories high. But that's just how people move places in Amsterdam. So of course you can guess what happened. The box fell out, and my completely new GH4 with lenses and everything and a hard drive fell down. And I still don't know how exactly, but the camera itself and the lenses, they all survived... I think because the hard drive was on the bottom, so the hard drive didn't survive. And you will only have to learn this lesson once, most people will learn it the hard way. So let me tell you this once. Back up your footage twice because you will be forever grateful when something happens. And of course, never put your hard drives in a net. That was so stupid.

Probably every filmmaker learns this lesson that great visuals with bad sound is unwatchable. You can shoot on your phone from 2015, and things are fine if the audio is good. But the moment that someone can't hear you properly, they instantly click away. So really be sure to check your audio before you start recording. And also in the edit. Spend enough time on balancing it out and listen to it on different devices just to be sure that it sounds good enough.

So yeah, sound is really a big part of your story. And that's why I care a lot about the tools that I use for it. And this video is sponsored by Audiio. They've just released LinkMatch 2. 0. It's a rebuilt version of their music matching tool that makes finding the right soundtrack way easier. You can drop in any song link that you like from Spotify or YouTube, for example, and it will instantly give you similar tracks from their library. So if you already know the kind of vibe you want, it really helps you to find something that fits fast. You can even refine it by a specific part of the song, like the intro or the chorus, and it shows you exactly which section matches your reference. If you want to try it out for free, go to audiio. com/linkmatch. And if you decide to get the full version, use my link.... Audiio. com/timrunia and the code 'Tim Runia' to get 70% off your first year of Audiio Pro. Now let's go to the next mistake.

If your timeline looks like a big spaghetti mess, I really get it because it can become extremely chaotic. And when I was starting out, I didn't think it mattered that much. I thought it was pretty cool with all these layers. But once you start editing longer projects, organization becomes everything, especially when you're a bit chaotic. And most creative people are. So yeah, use color codes to structure, name your sequences properly and just find full structures that work for you. Creating these habits will really make editing feel much smoother and way less stressful, because your brain can now stay focused on the creative parts instead of constantly having to search for stuff. And that's much better. So create that habit.

The best filmmakers are good editors. A lot of people think editing is just the boring part, and that it's necessary. And I understand why, because sometimes editing can feel very repetitive, very frustrating. But editing is not the finishing touch. It's really where the story comes alive. So for me, I've always loved editing, and it's always been the part where I really find the story. You know, random shots start to make sense, or the metaphors that I thought of in the script really come alive, and the music does its job perfectly, and that's really the magic of it. So if you start to hate editing, please remember that it's not just post-production, it's really story creation. And the better you can imagine your edit before you start filming, the easier it will be as a filmmaker. So go practice.

So yeah, I think that there's this phase that every filmmaker goes through trying to make videos that look like everyone else's. Because you copy other creators, you copy their shots, you use the same LUTs... And of course, this is fine because it can teach you a lot, but it is very possible that one day you suddenly realize that it doesn't feel like you. Now, I don't think you have to be original on purpose, but just following what you really find beautiful, that really develops your own taste, you know you can really use your own taste as your compass. Because that is what eventually will make you stand out from the crowd, your own taste. So follow it.

Most people fall into this trap, and it's really a problem because most beginners want their first video to look like some sort of cinematic short film that only more experienced people can make, so then they never finish. Especially if you're someone who's starting out. Or maybe if you're someone who does have experience but is starting to create a different kind of video, you know, maybe you're starting in front of the camera for the first time because you're doing YouTube or you're acting or whatever... your first video isn't supposed to be perfect. It's really not. And the faster you finish one project, the faster you will grow. Really, believe me.

I've seen this happen so many times, even to people who are really good. A friend of mine who I share this office space with. He shot all this beautiful footage for a documentary he's creating and it's really amazing stuff. But then suddenly client work took over and months went by and I know that's just how it goes. And yes, I'm talking to you, Ruben... And I really get it. It's happened to me so many times as well. And that's just how it goes. But what I've learned is that if you want to keep a project alive, you need to keep momentum, even if it's just 15 minutes a day or two hours a week. You know, just selecting a few good clips or writing a sentence for the voiceover. It doesn't really matter what it's all about. Keeping a project inside your head, because once you stop completely, it all fades out of your mind very quickly. And the difference between finishing something and abandoning it completely is just usually staying connected to it long enough to give it a push across the finish line.

Yeah. So this one's really painful because I did it for years myself as well. I would spend weeks working on something and then it would be ready and I would convince myself that it wasn't ready or that it wasn't good enough. But let me tell you that nothing will ever be ready, and nothing will especially not be good enough. And sharing your work will always feel vulnerable. But in the moment when you share your work, when you start creating, you will find out what actually connects with people, what part of you actually connects with people. And that is really how you grow as a creator, or how you grow as a filmmaker.

Comparison really kills creativity faster than anything, and I've wasted so much time scrolling through other people's videos or websites wondering why they look so damn professional. But this kind of comparison is never fair, because you always have a different look on your own work than someone else's. Always. Because with your own work, you were there the whole process. You know all about your own messy stuff that went on behind the scenes. But you never see other people's first ideas, bad takes, and what went wrong during the shoot. And that's really why it feels so different when you watch your own stuff compared to someone else's stuff. It's always a highlight that you're watching. So take inspiration from it, but don't compare because you can just never live up to it.

Seriously dare to ask for help. I really had a problem with this because I was really afraid that people wouldn't get my ideas or they thought it would be cringe. Especially as a commercial director moving to YouTube videos where I'm sometimes asking myself, it felt so weird and vulnerable. But of course, it really turns out that people love to help. And collaboration is what always makes the work better. But also the experience is much more fun. You don't have to do it all alone. So please ask for help and you will be surprised how helpful people actually are, especially when they share the same passion as you. It's really energizing.

So this one's a thin line, I think, because ignoring feedback keeps you stuck, but taking advice from the wrong people can also pull you in the wrong direction. I used to be very bad at receiving feedback. Because making videos can feel really personal. So feedback can feel really personal as well. And of course, not everyone understands your vision and your taste. So that's okay. So if you get feedback that doesn't feel right, you don't have to follow it. But if multiple people mentioned the same thing, you just might have to pay a little attention. So learning to tell the difference between those two is really how you can grow a lot. So at least be open to feedback.

Last one. Also the most important one. Filmmaking can be really stressful because of deadlines, because of all the self-doubt, gear problems or algorithm pressure. You know, all of it can drive you completely crazy. But at the end of the day, you started this because you love doing it. And I'm kind of talking to myself here. But really, guys, you know, making something from nothing that is really kind of magic. And it's easy to forget that when you're deep in a project. But that joy and it's curiosity is really what makes the work good in the first place. So please don't lose that trying to be perfect.

And if you're stuck at mistake number two: no story or number one: watching tutorials instead of creating, well, that's literally what I built the Story Starter Kit for... Because it helps you create your video from idea to final edit with one simple structure. So the link is in the description check it out. And if you choose to ignore my number one tip to stop watching tutorials, fine. But then at least watch this one, because that will actually teach you how to write a story and that is the most important thing in filmmaking. So thank you for watching. I really appreciate you very much and I hope to see you in the next, because the next video will be a big one. Yes, it's going to be nice. But I have to film still a lot, so go watch this one. It's in fact also one of the reasons why I want to make this video, not to create a perfect video, but just to create something quick and hopefully useful for you. So please let me know in the comments which tip resonates most with you? Because I would really love to hear that. And I read everything.