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<br /><p>Many moons ago, when the economy was unstable and layoffs were rampant, this author decided to switch careers to pursue filmmaking. With a new perspective and energy, but without any guidance, knowledge, or tools, going back to school for digital filmmaking was a no-brainer. The aim was to tell real stories in documentary form, and it became a challenging but ultimately rewarding adventure.</p>
<h2>Tips for Starting Out</h2>
<p>If you’re just starting out at the dawn of your student career, or find yourself older and wiser looking for a change, and you want to make documentaries– how do you begin? For the younger folks, your school will be the place to borrow most of your gear and use your classes and experiences on campus as a starting point. Start looking at doc formats: feature-length films, social-media reels, or corporate/non-profit shorts. Choose styles that fit your stories: talking heads, freeform, stock footage, or b-roll with narration. Go to seminars, borrow gear from film collectives, get feedback from focus groups, watch <a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/videos/video/want-to-be-a-filmmaker” target=”_blank”>instructional videos</a>, and most important of all—watch documentaries. As many as possible.</p>
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</p><p>For more life-experienced folks who are returning to school, you may need to consider supplementing the school-provided gear, investing in your own kit and finding gigs while taking classes.</p> …