Filmmaking / Directing : Lacking resources and knowledge. by Karl M Kelly

Keep creating is my only option!! Lol

Do you have a library card? Then you have access to education. Not only their physical and digital resources but access to lynda.com, which has literally hundreds of filmmaking courses.

If you're on-line ... lots of free sites will teach you about filmmaking and how to ... Video CoPilot (for visual effects). Film Riot has great tutorials for filmmaking as well. HitFilm has the editing program HitFilm 3 Express for FREE, and there's GIMP (free - a Photoshop like program) for photography. Lots of resources out there!

Check out Dov SS Simens. You can connect with him on this site. Or go through my friends list if you want. He gives great 1, 2 or 3 day seminars on how to make a film. If you want to learn how to compose, frame, actually tell the story, etc you'll have to study and train. Many universities ,other than expensive ones like USC, have great film programs. Personally, I'd say learn all you can from every source and strive to develop partnerships with talented DPs and other technicians. Films are mostly collaborative efforts in the end anyway.

The internet is your friend… and so is your network. I haven't got any formal education in regards to filmmaking. All I know I learned three ways: 1) Asking others who do know, 2) Researching on the internet and 3) Experimenting.

Lynda.com Check it out, they have many tutorials and are great teaching videos.

Just jump in and do it. You'll learn more by trail and error than you will in any film class. Plenty of free stuff on the internet to learn from as well. No one has all the answers, but connecting with people who has what you are lacking is a great help.

Watch loads of films. Track the beats as you watch (first turning point, etc.) Read loads of scripts. Listen to commentary tracks and watch bts video. Then go out and shoot stuff. It'll take a while just to get to "good." Keep practicing. Keep shooting. Good luck!

You want to get into an extremely competitive world. If you want to jump into it, do it fast, and place the stuff on youtube. That will let you understand firsthand the results. Otherwise, read about it, watch movies, TV shows, and web productions with an analytical mind. The components you must understand are: camera (photography and cinematography), lighting, and movement; editing and montage; script and story (plot, character development, story flow, climax, etc.); acting (character objectives, blocking, moment to moment acting, gestures, staging, etc.) The more you know, the better your chances to make a consistent quality.

I took this to be a Distribution question? The OP said, "I know where I want to go with my films." I took that to mean that Karl has completed films in need of Distribution. Karl, if I'm reading you correctly, you may want to post your question in the Distribution section of the Lounge. In any case, break a leg!!

But he also said lack knowledge. Knowledge of what? Craft? Business?