As a new entrant in the film industry, every filmmaker is prone to some mistakes while making their initial films. While it’s not possible to point out every mistake that a filmmaker can possibly make, here are a few common ones.
Camera Framing: The most common mistake of an inexperienced filmmaker is to not pay enough attention to camera framing. Unless you want a different perspective, it’s advisable to keep your camera at eye level. Any higher or lower angle must be done by design and shouldn’t look like a mistake.
Lighting: Lighting can be considered the most important visual element of production. New filmmakers typically avoid using additional studio lights and rely on natural outdoor lighting. Professional lighting establishes the level of crispness and brightness in a moving image and sets the tone or mood of the setting.
Movement: Several new filmmakers tend to shoot stationary scenes, avoiding basic panning, tilting and dollying. Even with a single camera set-up, a good tripod able to perform smooth pans and tilts is a bare necessity. Stationary scenes might do fine for certain genres of videos, but this should be used sparingly in films. On the same note, a filmmaker also needs to be aware of too much movement happening on screen, and give the audience some downtime with some slow or stationary scenes. The point is to create a thorough combination of both active and still shots.
A good film is made by striking the right balance of visuals and sounds, as per the plot.
Mixing camera styles: This is another common mistake of aspiring filmmakers where they shift from tripod to handheld cameras to make fasten the pace of shooting. Unless there are action scenes, or the plot demands you to change the camera style, it’s not advisable to do so.
In summary, a good film is made by striking the right balance of visuals and sounds, as per the plot.
