Films can be broken down into three very broad categories:
- Live action
- Documentary
- Animation
Within these groups, are a whole host of areas and subdivisions. Use our tips to decide what's right for you.
The best thing a young filmmaker can do is to get hold of a camera and some film, and make a movie of any kind at all - Stanley Kubrick
Found footage
This is using archive film clips to make your own film.
- A quick way to get starrted
- Good for subject-based curriculum work
- You are not relying on good acting or performers of any sort
- No variety of roles - everyone is doing the same sort of activity
- See results quickly
live action / drama
- Can accommodate most themes
- Requires the most pre-planning in terms of scripts
- You can see results quite quickly
- Is the area most similar to that which young people are used to watching : so they will have lots of ideas (but beware of completely derivative ones, unless they have a twist)
documentary
- An ideal way to get started
- Good for subject-based curriculum work
- You are not relying on good acting, although you still need good 'performers'
- Less adaptable
- Good sound recording is absolutely essential
- Potentially sensitive
- You can't rehearse it
animation
- Great for young groups
- You see results quickly
- Needs more equipment
- Your film will probably be short
- Some techniques are more labour intensive than others