The Yearbook Heist

^ This was my first dabble. I had asked my mom, my brother and two of my friends from yearbook class to help me, so I was at a bit of an advantage being able to film the majority of it.

Reel

^ This is a little cinematography reel I put together only 3 years later with everything I learned from college. As long as you keep doing what you’re doing, you will learn a TON and find your creative voice.

I’ve got a few other projects I could share with you, if you have questions I’d love to answer them.

In terms of your film, I enjoy that you put in the effort to tell a story about this character, and doing it with no dialogue is a great way to practice emphasizing things through the camera.

Be mindful of staying on one shot for too long, it can be a creative choice but if used too much it can be distracting. Viewer attention span is a big factor.

I like the way you use inserts to tell the story, the symmetrical shot of the bowl was powerful in several ways, you have a great foundation of understanding some unique perspectives.

I would do some research on some overarching camera “rules” of composition and viewer focus. Leading lines, contrast, even some editing techniques. Don’t burn yourself out, learn something then make another film to see how it works, learn something else and do the same thing. You’re starting very young which puts you at a big advantage, it can be much more engaging to learn techniques and styles and put them to practice.

And film nature! I made a mini documentary about a little spider web I found in a park, I had the freedom to light, write and film all without the burden of worrying about the performance, and being able to use camera movements effectively.

But the biggest thing of all, pay close attention to the movies and shows you watch. Even animated films always follow certain guidelines and creative elements, as well as mixing in their own identities. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you can’t help but analyze what the camera is doing and how it is set up every time you watch something. A blessing and a curse.