“Do you watch Stranger Things?!” “Oh my gosh, have you seen the new Avengers movie?!” “What do you mean, you don’t watch The Office?!” “How can you NOT have seen Bohemian Rhapsody yet?!” – All questions I am sure you have received to some degree within the last few years. With the rise of streaming, binge-watching, and movie-theater-campout-obsessing, it’s no question that film & TV have easily become some of the most popular sources of entertainment today, if not the most popular. There’s always rumors of a new project, always a new trailer to watch, always a new season being released; the demands of an eager and hungry audience has resulted in a steady, almost overwhelming, stream of visual entertainment. 

One of the things that attracts people most to the film/TV medium is its unique ability to show you a story, not just tell it. I don’t know about you but I was obsessed with Disney movies as a kid, and one of the reasons I loved them so much was because of their exceptional ability to bring imagination to life. The movies they create were once stories that were just sitting inside someone’s head, and they were able to bring that story to the big screen for the whole world to see, showing us things we had never seen before.

The main point I am trying to make is that everyone has a story worth telling. Everyone’s got something brewing in the back of their minds that’s worth sharing with others. If you’ve been sitting on a story idea for a while now but just don’t know what to do with it, here are a few tips:

Where to Start:

Start by writing it down! Get out all your ideas on paper. Every detail you’ve imagined about the characters, the setting, the plot; write it all down. Once you’ve got the basic outline down on paper, you can start working and perfecting it. Or, if you’d prefer to jump right in, start filming some scenes.

“What if I Can’t Afford a Camera?”

Am I correct in guessing that you’re reading this blog on your smartphone? If so, then there’s your camera right there! Start with shooting some footage on your phone, and in the meantime,  you can be saving up for a video or DSLR camera. Or, if you have a friend who has a camera, ask to borrow it for a little while. 

“What if My Story’s Not Good Enough…?”

Umm… first of all, wrong! Your story is absolutely good enough. It may not be the next Marvel film or big Indie box office hit (yet), but it is still your story, and your story, as I’ve said before, is always worth sharing. Second of all, it is important to not compare your work to others while you’re working on your story. It can be so easy to say “Well, I’m no Alfred Hitchcock” or “It’ll never be as good as anything Steven Spielberg has done”, but it is important to remember also that Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg are not you. Your story is unique and has just as much power as anybody else’s. 

“Okay, I’ve Got My Idea Down. Where Do I Go From Here?” 

Have a friend or family member read it over, see if there’s anything you can improve on. There’s no harm in writing multiple drafts or shooting scenes multiple times. Then, start sending it out! Enter your footage or screenplay in contests; send it to known directors and producers; post it on your YouTube channel. If you’re passionate about your story, you can never over-share it.

Need Any Additional Help? 

One of Oak Film Co.’s greatest joys is getting to help people tell their stories through filmmaking. If you have a story to tell but are still unsure about how to get started, or have questions about filmmaking in general, shoot us an email at hello@oakfilmco.com. To contact the author of this blog post, email bailey@oakfilmco.com.