The 1 Essential You Need Before You Make Your Own Film

Ready to start making your own films? Perfect, here’s the one essential thing you need before you write, direct or produce your own films

Don’t worry if you’ve already started making your own films, you can still implement this if you don’t have it, or maybe you already do. If so, we’ll go through how you can take it to the next level so you’re able to make even more of your own films with confidence and ease

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When we first focus on our own work, it’s usually all about the project, right? The story, the script, locations, cast, the list is almost never-ending

But there’s one key thing every filmmaker needs, and it’s something I see skipped a lot

The Vicious Cycle

When you don’t have this, you tend to fall into the vicious cycle of having an idea, struggling to get a producer, to get funding, to just get it into production. You spend months, or even years working on it, and when it’s finally done and out in the world, the most you get is compliments

If you know this cycle a little too well, like I used to, put your least favourite emoji in the comments

This is the one thing you need to help end that vicious cycle and move up to bigger and better things

The Clarity Factor

The one essential is knowing the answers to the questions: what do you make, how do you make it and how do you communicate that?

Or, put more simply, it’s having clarity about exactly what you do and what makes it different

Anyone can say they’re a director, or a writer/director, but they can’t make what you make, and that’s your power. That’s what you have to lean into

When you have clarity on that, you start to step up

Because you’re no longer a writer or director, you’re an artist, a creative with a specific vision and skillset that no one else can bring to the table

Your Unique Perspective

From a producer’s perspective, we value that specificity above almost anything else. I have writers and directors in my inbox every day – I’ve had three emails come in since I started recording this – so I won’t necessarily pay attention unless I know that what they bring is unlike anything else

That doesn’t have to have a totally unique idea, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you just have to bring your unique perspective to it

That’s why Quentin Tarantino has fans queuing up whenever he releases a new film, because he brings something unique and has proven that with every film

In order to get to that point of consistently making your own feature films, raking in the box office takings and having that level of creative control you have to start with knowing what you make, how you make it and how you communicate that quickly and effectively

I make films about the dreamers who dare to do things differently – and it’s broad enough to not box me in, whilst still effectively communicating what makes my project a Charlotte Atkinson project

One of my current clients makes films about antiheroines grappling with their independence. Her films subvert dark tropes with feminine visuals, making films that spark conversation

Quick, snappy, and it immediately grabs the attention of the right people, the ones who want to work with you

So that clarity is the one essential thing you need before you start making your own films

Even if you’ve already started making your own films, go back and check you can answer those questions confidently

It Starts With You

Remember that whoever it is backing your project – producer, investor, company or even just your neighbour who donated to your crowd funder – they’re not just backing the project. They’re backing you too

So you need total clarity about what you bring

Back to Basics

If answering what do you make, how do you make it and how do you communicate that seems like too much of a reach for you right now, that’s okay. We can strip it back even further

Start with knowing the exact job title you want (and definitely don’t want)

Then decide if you want to make your own films or work on other people’s. Maybe it’s a combination of both

Start Attracting the Right People

In this industry, people aren’t willing to back a jack of all trades, because there’s no reason why they’d pick you over anyone else and they know it doesn’t sell

So make it a priority to become known for the one unique thing that only you can bring. This is how you’re going to stand out, start attracting the right people to you and start getting more of your own films made and out into the world

Time to be Loud

If you have that clarity, the next step is to start being loud with it. Include it in your pitch decks, your social media bios, your email signature. Make sure that people are aware of the unique value you bring

Also if you have that clarity, let me know in the comments. I would love to know more about you & what you bring to every project