10 Film-Making Mistakes I Regret

Since I began filming my trips with a DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex camera) three years ago, I have learned a lot about camera work, editing and filmmaking.

But every time I sit at my computer and begin processing the footage from my latest project, I will grow annoyed at myself for the latest stupid mistakes I have made.

Here are some of the things I did wrong out on the ice in “Greenland”. I’m listing them here so you don’t make the same mistakes with your films.

1. DETAILS – I did not film enough close-up details of things, such as equipment or ice formations. If I had filmed more details, I wouldn’t therefore have had to rely too much on quite repetitive long shots.

2. CUTAWAYS – Cutaways are the vital two-or-three second clips of details that you can use to break up long sequences. If I had used more cutaways, the audience wouldn’t have endured watching Martin packing the bags in the opening scene for quite a long period of time. Long sequences without cutaways can be boring.

3. FACES – It’s all very nice having pretty shots of big mountains, but the best part of films is the people. I wish I had filmed more close ups of our faces, particularly when we were tired and cold.

4. EMPATHY – The best parts of expedition films are when the viewer can relate to the human side of the people out on the ice. If I shot it now I would do more interviews, and would give the camera to the other guys more often to record their own thoughts.

5. STORY – I went off to Greenland, had a brilliant time, came home, uploaded all my footage, and then thought to myself “what’s the story here?” I then had to cobble together a story from the footage and audio that I had. I wish I had thought of the story I wanted to tell before I even began shooting.

6. AUDIO – Our microphone snapped due to the cold in Greenland. This made capturing good audio even more difficult. If I had bothered to do it right, I wouldn’t have relied on the camera’s in-built microphone. Good audio is at least as important as good video when creating a film.

7. FILM THE HARD TIMES – From the impression given by my film, Greenland looks like a lovely place for a sunshine break. I wish I hadn’t been weak and lazy and had got my camera out when things were grim. The time to film things is when your face mask is crusty with ice, your hands are freezing cold, the wind is screaming, you are hungry, and everyone is in such a foul mood that if you start filming them they might thump you. That is what you need to record.

8. HONESTY – The stiff upper-lip, it-wasn’t-so-bad-really attitude is very British. Unfortunately, it makes for very dull viewing. Honesty is far more raw and interesting. If I had a chance to shoot it again, I would document far more tears and self-doubt!

9. EXPOSURE – I do not know anything about post-processing video (fiddling with it on the computer to make it look prettier). I am deliberately not learning about it either. I simply don’t have enough time. I therefore have to depend on shooting things properly out on location, in particular getting the exposure of my clips right. This was hard to do in Greenland, particularly in very bright light. If I had known that some moments would have looked overexposed or underexposed, I would have paid more attention to the exposure without the need for any post-processing at all.

10. TRIPOD – the oldest, laziest, easiest-to-remedy of all. I wish I hadn’t been lazy and had used a bloody tripod much more.

b) Sum up his 10 mistakes using Conditionals.

c) Think of the latest films you’ve shot. Make a list of 10 mistakes you regret. Start each

sentence with I wish or If.

Exercise 70. Comment on the following statements. Do you agree or disagree with the

author? Give your reasons.

1. I look at other filmmakers and see skills in them that I wish I had but I know that I don’t. I feel like I have to work really hard to keep myself afloat, doing what I do. But I find it pleasurable. (Steven Soderbergh)

2. I heard a definition once: “Happiness is health and a short memory!” I wish I’d invented it, because it is very true. (Audrey Hepburn)

3. If my films don’t show a profit, I know I’m doing something right. (Woody Allen)

4. If I didn’t have my films as an outlet for all the different sides of me, I would probably be locked up. (Angelina Jolie)

5. If I were given a choice between two films and one was dark and explored depraved, troubled or sick aspects of our culture, I would always opt for that over the next romantic comedy. (David Schwimmer)

6. The only reason I would write a sequel is if I were struck by an idea that I felt to be equal to the original. Too many sequels diminish the original. (Dean Koontz)

7. Movies are as old as psychoanalysis. So if I were to put you or anyone else on a couch and say, “Tell me your favorite movies,” it would be a way of psychoanalyzing you. (Andrew Sarris)

8. If someone offered me a hundred million dollars to make a movie? I would first remind him that there are 850 million people in the world who don’t have enough to eat. (Lloyd Kaufman)

Exercise 71. How many words can you make out of the word RELATIONSHIP?

Your words can be any part of speech as long as they are not proper names.

You can’t use any letter more times than it occurs in RELATIONSHIP.

20 to 30 words – Not bad.

31 to 45 words – Good.

46 to 60 words – Very good.

61 to 75 words – Excellent!

more than 75 words – Wow! You are a linguistic genius!

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