How to get your film made: 10 Tips of Edgar Wright's | BBC Maestro

Join screenwriter and filmmaker Edgar Wright, as he reveals 10 filmmaking tips for aspiring filmmakers.
In this video, Edgar dives into key topics many budding filmmakers face such as how to tackle imposter syndrome, ways to develop your own style, the subject of funding and more.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Tip 1. Use imposter syndrome as your motivation
01:33 - Tip 2. Don't set unreasonable goals
02:02 - Tip 3. Watch older films
03:02 - Tip 4. Your own style can come from others
03:52 - Tip 5. Don't rush your first feature
06:22 - Tip 6. Make procrastination productive
07:54 - Tip 7. Keep your screenplay about the dialogue
08:29 - Tip 8. Learn through making short films
09:04 - Tip 9. You don't need a Hollywood budget
11:32 - Tip 10. Be smart about film festival submissions
Learn more:
In his BBC Maestro course, Edgar covers everything you need to know to take your film from script to screen - bbcm.co/3Xnciqy

[@Jessabug]

For him to say “they’re gonna know I’m not a real filmmaker” blows my mind. It makes say to myself, f**k it, who cares what ppl think. You’re scared and so is everyone else…so just make the movie since this feeling doesn’t go away, just gotta push through it 😭

[@georgevillalba2810]

Thats the secret , push forward. Working filmmakers are the ones who pushed and pushed. Don’t give up.

[@anothersomeone7008]

As a beginner in my 30s, this is inspiring

[@BBCMaestro]

We love to hear it!

[@playstationaccount4473]

As someone about to be 40 this December and also shoot his first feature, this is amazing and very inspiring.

[@bobbyblazini]

Proud of you! I hope you succeed. Something about 30 makes you a need to get started. Never give up.

[@bobbyblazini]

​@@playstationaccount4473are you posting on KZbin? I'd love to view and support

[@dallasbhowell8485]

Same man! Shooting my first short next weekend! You can too!!!

[@colonelcrackerz2320]

They painted a target on the back of this guy at my film school (Staffs Uni) and said dont be like him he’s not a ‘serious director’. Yet I’ve learned more from Spaced, the cornetto trilogy, and videos like this about film making than I did my 3 years in film school

[@bobbyblazini]

Seriously or exaggerating? Because I want to go to film school lol

[@artofsam]

As somebody who went to Staffs uni I’m ashamed somebody said this. You have a right to dislike a filmmaker because of taste but to say they aren’t a real filmmaker says more about that person than Edgar who is very accomplished over a no name lecturing at university. I’m glad you ignored that person because if you want to learn filmmaking Edgar is a wealth of knowledge and unlike modern directors actually started out on his own without any formal education which in my view is actually what it takes to become a filmmaker instead of spending thousands on a course that might not get you anywhere. Sorry you had so pretentious people teaching you there, I had some when I was a student unfortunately too but whatever you’re doing keep going, education doesn’t finish when you leave if anything you actually learn more by going out in the world and getting real experience. Whatever you do though don’t go and live in London unless you have a good job lined up in what you want to do and being a runner is horrific, you will get used and be too exhausted to want to work on your own projects, what you have at your disposal when your young is time so just use it as wisely as you can and prepare for when that opportunity does comes along that you are already ready for it.

[@artofsam]

You will learn far more making your own shorts and getting friends together for your own low budget projects than what somebody can tell you on a classroom. The benefit of university is being around like minded people, surround yourself with them and make lots of mistakes. Nobody cares if your first shorts are shit are crap because nobody cares when you’re young and you don’t have to show them to anyone, learn from them and each one will get better and better just through the experience of understanding how the camera works with light and composition. The actors just need to be serviceable at best could even use your own family but as well as learning the technical side of filmmaking I can’t express enough how important writing is, download final draft and work on scripts understand story structure. George Lucas said it best with advice he got from his Father, learning to make films is easy… learning what to make films about is hard. The soul and meaning of your films is what people will care about so make that your absolute priority. Ridley Scott says the most important things about your movie the script, the script and the script. It’s quite literally the bible of your movie.

[@acadia5898]

recently, i've found out the imposter syndrome as a motivation myself. i was a bass player in a band, but i would consider myself as a filmmaker first and foremost and i didn't really take it too seriously and treated it as some sort of sideproject, skip to 2 years later and i found out we were on the radio a bunch of times in our local city radio and the one suggesting it was one of the biggest bands in my country. i'm not a musician, i'm not a filmmaker like everyone would say, i just do what i love to do and people will eventually enjoy it like you do. see yourself as yourself first and then decide what you like

[@TerryOnTuesday]

I paid for this entire Maestro class. I love Edgar's approach, techniques and flair.

[@BBCMaestro]

Glad you like it!

[@paulfeldem]

Damn and I got it for free.

[@tennisCharlzz]

Edgar is such a likable guy, and yet is innovative in his directorial style. He's observant and he's willing to share. Great guy!

[@LukeLeavitt08]

this is the most random and most inspiring shit i've ever seen.. thank you edgar wright for being the way you are

[@JasmineJ-SuDirector]

Riiighhhht?! ❤

[@shenkaed]

How incredibly inspiring. What a generous and kind spirit he is for sharing this with the world.

[@Cambodiavibe]

I made my first short film at 54. It won a festival award. It's very addictive

[@bradical6019]

Became a film student last year. I'm 43 years old lol, never too old , apparently

[@bobbyblazini]

Amazing! Seriously it gives me motivation. I'm mid 30s and recently started editing music vids on KZbin. Now I'm addicted and I need film school and a the ability to tell a story

[@davidtrent399]

Yes every words been spoken, and every sentence written, matter of interpretation and how you put the pieces together🙏♥️😎

[@Purlatif]

Second Tip was what i needed to heard, thank you Edgar.

[@apian29]

Valuable insight

[@BrianLallyOfficial]

Good advice, cheers for that.

[@apian29]

This is so inspiring

[@Sisanf]

Great video

[@muaykaliente4386]

Just started 40 this was great

[@JasmineJ-SuDirector]

This is so goood and raw!!! Love love this. God brought me here 👏🏿🫶🏿❤️

[@dga-bkk2020]

nice

[@adrianavelbac]

Thank you for sharing! This video appeared on my feed, although I am a writer. The idea of filmmaking hasn't crossed my mind, but I accept films and books as sources of inspiration! Filmmaking in itself has not been my main objective although, it would be amazing to get producing attention (of course!) - What would be your advice for writers? Thank you so much, A.

[@JenRaeCordero]

First, cause it's Edgar Wright

[@flyingasuka]

I really liked what Ed was saying, but I think there were too many camera angle changes. Is it normal to switch angles so frequently in videography? I found it to be distracting. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@adamcammack3534]

Edgar please where is the Arrow video release of Fistful of Fingers its been 5 years and still nothing?

[@pizzaface9213]

This guy's voice so makes me wanna eat granola bars

[@lesterfalcon1350]

I'm not used to straight talking serious Edgar Wright, not chuckling away to himself.

[@Matt_Mosley1983]

*WHY IS THIS **_BBC_** CHANNEL MONETIZED!?* Isn't that against the rules? I don't get ads on other BBC channels for such reasons.

[@Filmmaker809]

I love Edgar, but its not easy as he says, not now in 2024. We are in a recession now mate. With fistful of fingers you were lucky to get connected on TV with Sky. Very lucky. Lots of connections.

[@VincentStevenStudio]

Find your own connections. I'm currently connected with my local filmmaking community. I've met actors, camera operators, sound mixers, all kinds of people. And it was all because I contacted an old friend from film school who is active in the indistry and asked to help on a set one day. Just keep meeting more and more people and build your reputation, and hopefully, eventually, you get somewhere.

[@Filmmaker809]

@@VincentStevenStudio That's great what you have been doing. I'm releasing my 3rd feature, a documentary soon.

[@MehdiHusain]

Advice: don't pursue that dream. All you are going to achieve is to build the skills for an underpaid job that you would never have done hadn't you put that much energy into this quite common dream. There are thousands of talented people getting on the market every year and there are people with far better connections than you have. Don't believe those who say that good work always pays off. They are the lucky ones who made it and perpetuate the survivor syndrome.

[@VincentStevenStudio]

It's not just about pursuing the dream. It's pursuing it the right way. Don't have connections? Build the connections. But you'll never have them if you don't pursue them and just wait for someone to hand it to you. Another thing that you have to understand is that your work needs to stand out. And it stands out by being of really good quality. Let's be honest. The majority of amateur filmmaking is bad. Really bad. And lots of people can't see how bad it is. They are so lost in their own ego that they don't realize how bad they are at it. Even I know a friend who's constantly making short films, has festival runs, won a few awards but they amount to nothing because the films are bad. And no one has the heart to tell him. Hey, your movie sucks. But sometimes you have to hear your movie sucks in order to get better. Lots of people fail because they pursue the dream the wrong way. The lucky ones aren't just lucky. They were smart about it. They made the connections, they took their time, made mistakes, learned from them, and eventually made a really good film.