Starting out as a filmmaker you think you want to do films about "A". (Enter gym vids, sport vids etc) You start there. You build the portfolio, craft the pitch, set up the website. You're convinced this is "it." Then you do the work. And somewhere between the third shoot and the tenth project, you realize you actually love B. Not A. B was always hiding in the details—in the way light hits a product, in the rhythm of a different kind of story, in working with clients who excite you in ways you didn't expect. So you pivot. And then stumble into C. My A was skateboarding videos My B was fashion films. My C was artistic documentary filmmaking. And it is still evolving. This is the filmmaker's journey nobody tells you about. ⚠️ The Trap of thinking you need to have it "all figured out" and spend hours over-planning. Here's what most people do: they figure out what they think they want to do as a filmmaker, then they invest heavily upfront. New website. Logo. Brand guidelines. Marketing funnel. Social media strategy. The whole apparatus. And this is what i did myself. Six months in, they realize it's not actually "it." Now they're either stuck doubling down on something that doesn't excite them, or they're starting over with all that wasted effort. ✅ The Better Way: DO THE WORK FIRST before you build the business around it. Start free. Start for passion projects. Start for friends. Start for anyone willing to let you experiment. Why? Because doing reveals truth that planning never will. When you're actually on set, actually editing, actually talking to clients—that's when you discover what genuinely lights you up versus what you thought would light you up. Maybe you start making gym videos and realize you're actually obsessed with luxury e-commerce cinematography. Maybe you thought you wanted narrative but you're actually a documentary person. Maybe you think you want to direct but you're really in love with color grading. The work teaches you. Planning only guesses.

Do you use your phone? A DSLR camera? Which camera do you use?

Hello everyone! I’m Emmanuel, a filmmaker base in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hi friends!! Its been a while!! I have been dealing with life but am excited to learn and create with you all !

When I first started filmmaking, I thought storyboards were just fancy doodles — something only big studios needed. But then I tried it myself with just a pen and paper. The difference was night and day. Mapping out my story visually before filming helped me: - Clarify my ideas - Spot story gaps early - Save hours of shooting and editing time - Communicate my vision clearly to everyone involved You don’t need fancy tools or software. Just two sheets of paper: one for your story, one for your drawings. It’s that simple. Your challenge:Write your story on one page. Draw six small sketches that illustrate key moments on another. Post your results below — I’m giving away a free one-hour coaching session to someone who shares their storyboard here. Let’s bring your vision to life! For a complete introduction to storyboarding, watch how my friend Pillar approaches it the same way. https://www.skool.com/filmmakingfundamentals/classroom/2b9ab11c?md=bd15817fbbf54095aa1de21141078846