Indie Filmmaking Will Humble You: Mistakes I’ve Made and Lessons I’m Still Learning

I love filmmaking.

Let me start there because after everything I'm about to say, somebody might wonder. 😂

I love taking something that started as an idea in my head, putting it on paper, gathering people together and eventually seeing it on a screen.

There's nothing like it.

But filmmaking?

Filmmaking will humble you QUICKLY.

Especially independent filmmaking.

I've written projects. I've produced. I've directed. I've been on set. I've dealt with casting, locations, crew, schedules, budgets and all the little fires that somehow wait until production day to introduce themselves.

And I'm still learning.

Actually, the more I do this, the more I realize how much there is to learn.

Some lessons came from things going right.

Others?

Baby...

Those lessons came with invoices. 😂

A Good Script Doesn't Automatically Make a Good Movie

This was probably one of the biggest things I had to understand.

You can write something beautiful on paper.

You can see every shot in your head.

You know exactly how the scene should feel.

Then production starts.

And suddenly the location doesn't look how you imagined.

The lighting isn't right.

You're running behind.

A performance isn't landing.

You didn't get enough coverage.

Or you get into editing and realize:

We don't have the shot we need.

That's when you understand that writing the movie and making the movie are two completely different skills.

The script is the blueprint.

Production still has to build the house.

Stop Assuming Everybody Sees the Movie You See

As the person who wrote something, I already know what it's supposed to look like.

That's dangerous sometimes.

Because I can assume everybody else sees it too.

They don't.

Your cinematographer can't crawl inside your head.

Neither can your actors, production designer, editor or crew.

If something matters, communicate it.

If a specific shot matters, communicate it.

If the background matters, communicate it.

If you're expecting something to feel dark, intimate, chaotic, romantic or expensive—say that.

And don't stop at saying it.

Use references.

Create the shot list.

Talk through the scenes.

Make sure everybody understands the vision before the camera starts rolling.

I've learned that “I thought they knew” can become a very expensive sentence.

Hiring Somebody Doesn't Mean You Stop Paying Attention

This one is big for me.

When you hire someone because they specialize in something, naturally you expect them to know their job.

And they should.

But as a producer or director, I still have a responsibility to know what is happening with my project.

I can't just say:

“Well, that's their department.”

Not when my name is going on the finished film.

I've learned to ask more questions.

What are we shooting?

What coverage are we getting?

Did we get the wide?

Do we have the close-ups?

Did we get another take?

What happens if this doesn't cut together?

Not because I need to micromanage everybody.

But because once production wraps, “we should've gotten that” doesn't help much.

Cheap Can Become Expensive

Independent filmmakers are always trying to stretch money.

We have to.

You might have a $100,000 idea and a $10,000 bank account. 😂

So you negotiate.

You find favors.

You combine locations.

You shorten shooting days.

You figure out what you can do yourself.

There's nothing wrong with being resourceful.

But I've learned there's a difference between saving money and making a decision that might cost more later.

Because if saving $500 causes you to have to reshoot a scene...

Did you really save $500?

Sometimes the cheapest option isn't the least expensive option.

I'm still learning where to save and where not to save.

Your Schedule Is Probably Too Ambitious

Independent filmmakers love looking at a schedule and saying:

“We can get it.”

Can we, though? 😂

Because on paper, everything works.

Scene 12: 45 minutes.

Scene 13: one hour.

Lunch.

Move locations.

Scene 17.

Wrap by 8.

Beautiful.

Then real life shows up.

Hair takes longer.

Makeup takes longer.

An actor has a question.

Sound hears something.

Somebody has to move a light.

Wardrobe needs five minutes.

The camera needs adjusting.

You're waiting on somebody.

Now that perfectly organized schedule is looking at you like:

Good luck.

I've learned that rushing doesn't just affect time.

It affects performances.

Coverage.

Lighting.

Sound.

Continuity.

And eventually the edit.

Get the Coverage

If I could put this on a billboard outside every independent film set, I might.

GET. THE. COVERAGE.

Wide shots.

Medium shots.

Close-ups.

Reactions.

Inserts when they're important.

Give your editor something to work with.

Because while you're standing on set, you might think:

We got it.

Then you sit in the edit.

Suddenly you realize the scene desperately needs someone's reaction.

Except you never filmed it.

Now everybody is staring at the timeline like maybe the missing footage will magically appear if we wait long enough.

It won't. 😂

Don't Ignore the Boring Stuff

Everybody wants to talk about cameras.

Casting.

Red carpets.

Premieres.

Posters.

Trailers.

Nobody gets excited about:

Contracts.

Call sheets.

Insurance.

Release forms.

Location agreements.

Backups.

Budgets.

Contingency plans.

But those “boring” things can save your production.

The creative side of filmmaking gets most of the attention.

The organizational side is what keeps the creative side alive.

I'm learning to respect both.

Don't Let Excitement Make You Rush

This one is hard.

When I get excited about a project, I want to make it.

Now.

I don't want to spend another month planning.

I want to cast it.

Find the location.

Get the camera.

Let's shoot.

But preparation shows up on screen.

So does the lack of it.

Sometimes pushing a production back isn't failure.

Sometimes it's the smartest producing decision you can make.

I'd rather delay something and make it better than rush something just so I can say we finished it.

That's a lesson I'm still practicing.

Have the Difficult Conversation Before Production

If something feels off before filming, address it.

Don't tell yourself:

We'll figure it out on set.

Set is probably the worst place to discover that two people had completely different expectations.

Talk about responsibilities.

Talk about money.

Talk about deliverables.

Talk about schedules.

Talk about equipment.

Talk about creative expectations.

And put important things in writing.

People remember conversations differently.

A contract doesn't.

Watch What You're Actually Getting

This is another lesson I'm carrying with me.

Don't become so busy producing that you stop looking at what's being captured.

Sometimes you're answering questions, dealing with talent, checking the schedule, solving a location issue and thinking about the next scene.

Meanwhile, the movie is being filmed.

I've learned that I need to make time to actually look at the frame.

Is this what we discussed?

Does this look like the movie we're making?

Is the performance working?

Is there something distracting in the background?

Do we need another take?

Fixing something while everybody is standing there is usually a lot easier than discovering it weeks later.

And Please Back Up Your Footage

Actually...

Back it up twice. 😂

There are mistakes you can recover from.

Losing footage is not one I ever want to play with.

Independent filmmaking already comes with enough stress.

We don't need to voluntarily add:

“Where are the files?”

to the list.

Every Film Is Teaching Me Something

Here's what I've realized.

I don't think I'm ever going to reach some magical point where I say:

“Okay. I know filmmaking now.”

I don't think that point exists.

Every project introduces a new problem.

A new personality.

A new technical challenge.

A new mistake.

A new solution.

And sometimes a new version of me.

I'm learning to ask more questions.

I'm learning to prepare more.

I'm learning that protecting the vision sometimes means having uncomfortable conversations.

I'm learning that a beautiful idea still needs good execution.

And I'm definitely learning that what happens before you yell “action” can determine what you're looking at months later in the editing room.

Do I still make mistakes?

Absolutely.

I'll probably make some new ones on the next project.

Hopefully they won't be the same mistakes. 😂

That's the goal.

Because I don't think becoming a better filmmaker means never getting anything wrong.

I think it means being willing to look at what went wrong, learn from it and walk onto the next set knowing a little more than you did before.

And trust me...

Indie filmmaking will make sure there's always another lesson waiting.