Film Expert...I follow...shared this

From Tim Runia,

Whether you found me through the 9 Shots Guide or the Stuck to Start guide, I wanted to follow up with a few tips that really helped me when I was stuck.

Here are 3 mistakes I made over and over when I was starting out and honestly, still fall into if I’m not careful.

Maybe you’ll recognize one or two.

1. Skipping the story

I used to focus so much on how the video looked.

Cinematic shots, smooth transitions, cool music.

But here’s the truth I ignored for way too long: If there’s no story, people don’t care.

Once I started thinking in story structure (not shots), everything changed. It gave the edit purpose. And it made filming 10x easier too.

2. Filming with zero plan

You don’t need a shot-by-shot storyboard… but you do need something.

A structure. A rough sequence. A sense of where the story is headed.

After 10 years on sets (both tiny and big-budget), I’ve learned one thing for sure: Nothing ever goes to plan.

But that’s the fun part, you get to improvise, shift, follow the energy.

Still, without any plan, you end up overwhelmed and scattered.

Planning gives you freedom, not the other way around!

3. Quitting halfway

This one stings the most.

I used to think that if I lost motivation halfway through, the project must not be good. But that’s a lie your brain tells you.

The middle always feels messy. Doubt always creeps in.

And here’s the weirdest part: The more personal and meaningful the project was, the more likely I was to abandon it. Because the pressure felt bigger.

The client work got always done because of the deadlines, but my own stuff... never!

So be careful for these mistakes :) Hope it helps, keep going!

—

25 comments