The Importance of Doing Research

Research is something you’re going to have to do when learning how to make films. Because there aren’t enough friends, classes, or time to experiment in the world to figure out everything you need to know about filmmaking as fast as you need it.

Research is something I hate doing. Partly because I’m no good at it. It’s like in gym where you enjoy it less with each injury you sustain. Using the internet to find what you need without knowing where to look is like trying to find a needle in an atomic explosion.  Google is like handing me a metal detector and pointing me to that same explosion.

I once tried to look for a new camera to buy. I looked on Amazon. I compared the types. I did research. I thought I knew what I was doing.

I had no idea what the differences were.

I talked to a friend. I took them two minutes to figure it out.

So how do you go about finding the best ways to do research?Some things are easy to find on your own. If you need a tutorial on how to use a particular camera or Adobe Premiere, those are good with a google search and one is as good as another.

Where things become a problem are when you’re looking for specialized knowledge and expertise or equipment. With that, the best way to get started is get your filmmaker friends to recommend places for you to look. My friends recommended several film sites such as “No Film School” for general tips on better filmmaking, and “Every Frame a Painting” to help me notice the artistry of film. Once you find sites like that, they typically lead you to other sites that are helpful.

At that point you also become much better at discerning what things are going to be useful to you when you do your own research.

Basically: get friends help, find useful sites, just bite the bullet and research.

Not every part of film is glamorous. But you can wear shades and help that out a bit.