Nurturing Creativity & Vision: Career as a filmmaker

Filmmaking is a medium that thrives on creativity and vision. As a filmmaker, one has the power to craft narratives, evoke emotions, and leave a lasting impact on the audience. Moreover, there is a wide range of films one can create or direct, including feature film, short-film, animated film, documentary , commercial film, silent film, biography, to name a few. So if one is passionate about creating a visual masterpiece, then the field of filmmaking has a lot of flourishing career opportunities to offer. 

Why become a filmmaker?

Budding filmmaker from Jalandhar and alumnus of Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA) Kunwar Raj Singh shares what are the advantages of becoming a filmmaker. “Well, filmmaking is something that comes naturally to a person. If you’re attracted to the world of stories and want to tell those stories via the visual medium, this is it. It is a long journey though, first you learn the craft, then you assist a director and after assisting in a lot of projects, one gets a chance to become a director.” 

The filmmaker who has worked on four Bollywood movies including Baadshaho, Soorma, Romeo Akbar Walter (R.A.W.), and Attack explains the advantages of being in this profession. “One gets to travel a lot. After becoming a filmmaker, I got to see a side of India that I would’ve never explored otherwise! Met some amazing talent, marvellous people and explored superb locations all around the country. Second is that no one forces you to be a filmmaker. You choose this career on your own, so you’re doing what you love. I guess this is the biggest advantage of all that you’re getting to do what you love and without love and passion, you can never be a filmmaker.”

So, is technical skill the key to becoming a filmmaker?

Budding filmmakers must not only master the art of storytelling, but also be very good marketers and communicators to reach more audiences. The advancement of technology, together with the rise of OTT platforms has given rise to strict competition. It’s also essential to acquire technical skills while familiarising oneself with camera operation, lighting techniques, sound design, editing software, and post-production processes. Attend workshops, enroll in film courses, and gain hands-on experience by working on independent projects or collaborating with fellow filmmakers. Kunwar also emphaises that it’s necessary to be 
tech-savvy. “The way everything’s changing, with the advent of AI and new-tech everyday, everyone has to upgrade and mould the skills to stay in touch with what’s coming next. I’m 100% in favor of using all these techs in filmmaking to make the user experience better.”

Any other key skill?

However, adding further, Ajay Govind, another director, who is also a producer, screenwriter, mentions that in a post-pandemic world, aspiring filmmakers need to focus on people skills in order to find stories. The world may have adapted to functioning remotely, but filmmaking remains undeniably a community activity.” 

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He highlights, “It’s time we created a distinction between producing a video and telling a story through films. Technology allows us to point, shoot, capture, and post. But making films is an artistic instinct that involves a lot of planning before one actually acts on that instinct. And more importantly, it involves the participation of people who support you as you follow through on that instinct. So, at every stage of the way, people skills become central to you truly exploring and exploiting the possibilities that films hold within them.”

Well, then how do one immerse in the world of filmmaking? 

Govind mentions that reading, listening, travelling will allow one to simmer and evolve. The idea is to embrace continuous learning as  the world of filmmaking is constantly evolving, with new trends and technologies. Embrace a mindset of lifelong learning and stay updated with industry advancements. Experiment with new storytelling techniques, explore emerging platforms, and seek out opportunities to expand your knowledge and skill set. Continuous learning will keep you relevant and open doors to exciting possibilities in your filmmaking career.