The 6 biggest mistakes beginner filmmakers make 

TIMELINE: 1. 0:45 Frame rate - 24 fps for motion blur 2. 2:08 Lighting - having soft (not harsh contrasty) lighting - using them accordingly - background separation 3. 4:34 Lens - 16 mm to 70 mm - macro - 70 mm to 100 mm - medium (face) - > 100 mm until 200 mm - telephoto 4. 6:31 Audio is half of the viewing experience - capture clean audio - sound effects - match volume levels - song choice - sound design > external mic - On cam mic - Lavalier mic - Boom mic > close to subject > audio levels -18 dB to -6 dB 5. Story telling - don't make useless videos 6. Cut the fat (excessive footage) GUIDE: 1. Preplan 2. Create emotion 3. Clear purpose 4. Shoot to edit 5. Cut the fat

“don’t be lazy and use the same focal lents for everything” well I’m not lazy I’m poor

I remember watching Parker’s Thailand trip , and him talking about how most of the clips he gets he doesn’t end up using. Huge tip, because even though I want to show everything from the trip, the audience only wants to see the best

I’ve been film making for 36 years and this video has given some of the best advice I have heard in one simple video for new film makers. Great job!

I love that at the end you say "longer isn't always better"... Man I feel so releived now 😄

This was really helpful. I especially like when you show both the bad and good examples - it helps me understand the importance of your point. Well done!

Great tips, even if I was blushing judging my own content through this whole thing 😆😅! Definitely sobering and helping me focus my content! Thanks, Parker!

Just by changing a lighting Literally EVERYTHING in a room has changed

I've learned most of these mistakes the hard way and this would of help me big time a couple years ago! Finally think I got the hang of my filmmaking for my channel!

I already learned this in Parkers 1 hour training and I love to watch it over and over again❤

This channel is superb. Parker’s tips about filmmaking would really change the way you create your next video. I’ve been using those tips especially with my newly uploaded youtube travel video 🤙🏼

Really called me out there when he said “no one cares about your local park trees and sun flares” 😂

Just got myself the a6000 and am still a beginner. This video really gives a sense of direction for any beginner and all of your tips are implemented well. Thanks!

These guys are damn crazy about filmmaking and because of them even i am addicted to filmmaking....Thanks Full-time Filmmaker's ❤️🙏👍🔥

Probably one of the most informative video about film making i've ever watched. Thank you a lot!

Wow can’t believe I learned all these things in 9 minutes. I love filming.

That was an awesome session.. Great stuff Parker. Tip at 10:24 will help many plan their life and career. I would add, "if you are passionate about something and wish to take it to pro level, take the first step and let people know". Recording a free music video, or offering to shoot a wedding for free was a great tip... Thanks Parker

"Don't do what was beginners do and go to the park or backyard"...this sums up perfectly what I started doing. Thanks for the tips. Nice to see creators teaching not just selling "content commercials" 👍👍👍

Finally! A video that explains everything. This is the most helpful video! Thanks!

This video is pure gold, thanks guys for putting all these tips together!

Thank you very much! This video is super helpful I have trying to self teach myself on filmmaking and just overall photography and watching you guys has really helped me God bless! 🙏🏾

Informative 👏🏾 you killing it Parker

The first video every beginner should watch! Sharing with a couple of friends right now! 🙌

Hands down one of the best videos I have ever watched on youtube. Answered a million questions I have had.

Great tips and tricks! Though I frequently edit in 30fps for a few reasons: Broadcast compatibility if I need to licence to TV and frame judder on drone/smooth pan footage (if digital TV/monitor refresh rates were at 48hz this wouldn't be a problem). I'd say use 30fps timelines for corporate/event coverage/some documentary work and 24fps timelines for more artsy cinematic edits/weddings/etc.

"That isnt relevant to ANYONE" hahaha i love your way of words parker! Absolutely ruthless, love it!

Very helpful! Appreciate the fine work that you do!

This is so well summarised and extremely helpful. God job guys 🙌

damn those are REALLY great tips, short and right to the point... even for intermediate filmmakers as a reminder :) thank you!!!

Bruh I learned more about filmmaking in the first 2 minutes than in 3 months in media arts class in high school

Just started editing you tube vid content in Australia and watched this. Can't help notice the beautiful temple grounds and beautifully modest gorgeous dresses the brides are wearing . Great vid mate. Well done.

Great content and delivery. Thanks for just getting to the point. Loved it

Parker: Tip 2 - Take care of Lighting Me: Auto WB on

Of course the reason that 30 frames can look like a news broadcast is because broadcast television (including cable) doesn't go out at 24fps. It goes out at either 29.97fps or 25fps depending on the region. So a movie broadcast on television is still being broadcast at the higher frame rate even though it was shot at 24fps. The same is true for the majority of consumer releases of films. Once it goes to optical media or streaming the studio itself releases it at the regional frame rate. Rip one of your old DVDs and check the frame rate in premiere, it'll important at either 29.97 or 25. The only place you're seeing 24 is in the cinema itself and on a few specific releases where the director made an artistic choice to make the commercial release in 24fps. But more Hollywood directors shoot and do their theatrical release at 45fps or 60fps now than there are examples of consumer releases at 24fps. Professional cinema is undergoing a shift in frame rate standards right now. Pretending that people are getting frame rates wrong when they release at 30 is wrong. Similarly, your ideas on lighting are just plain wrong. Yes, if you have a hard, low CRI light source from above and no fill or key it's going to look different from a CRI95+ directional key. Pretending that directional key or three point lighting are the only way to light in order to be "cinematic" is false. Good luck achieving consistent Rembrandt lighting in a complex scene that moves the actors around in a space. Not that every scene even looks right with Rembrandt lighting or even with depth to it. Large arri sky panels mounted above the scene are all the rage in Hollywood right now. That's top down light, the thing you said at the beginning was bad, all the rage by professionals in cinema. Some scenes demand flat light. Some scenes demand various levels of shadow. Understanding light is important, but understanding it means you know there is no correct way to light a scene. It all depends on the mood & look you're going for. You wouldn't try to depict a happy, uplifting scene that's supposed to be outdoors in full sun with a moody, 45/45 key that imparts drama. Your ideas on lens are likewise just nonsense. Just total freaking nonsense. Yes, different focal lengths have different characteristics, as do different brands and series of lens. But their usages aren't limited in the way you're making out. Extreme wides, 16-24mm are good for creating distance in a compressed spaced, and for showing a large scene. They're also great for incorporating a close up with a background. There's lots of examples of movies shot almost exclusively on extreme wides, the Oscar winning (for best cinematography no less) The Revenant (2015) springs to mind as one such film. Wides, 24-35mm, are great for establishing shots, to pull the viewer back from the action or where you otherwise need to incorporate a large area into your shot. Shows like X-factor and Idol have a lot of wide shots at 24mm to show all the action on stage and the judges in one shot. Standards, 35-50mm are the natural focal length of the human eye. You use them when you want to give a natural look to the image, or to feel part of the action. These are the work horses, most films use standards. Telephoto, 70mm and above, are used to compress a space or to make the viewer feel as those they're spying from a distance. Many of Parker's shots have that voyeuristic quality to them. They do get used in film, but usually they involve high drama. Then there's macro lens and tilt shift lens. This idea that a lens is only good for a specific scene is totally wrong. Focal length brings characteristics to an image, there are no rules on how to use those characteristics to create a visual style. One should understand the qualities of their lenses and the characteristics of focal lengths. Then use them creatively, because THAT is cinema. Audio is actually closer to 80% of the viewing experience. People can forgive bad visuals, they can't forgive bad audio. Good audio equipment is more important than good lighting or lenses. Period. You should be recording a safety with each audio source you use. Your live track should be kept at -12dB and your safety at -6dB. Professional (not prosumer) audio recorders will automatically record a safety at -6dB. Audio should be adjusted (mixed) live by (a) dedicated person(s). If your audio is hitting -18dB you are clipping and your audio is going to sound bad. If you're hearing hiss or hum below -6dB, that's a good indication your equipment has poor electrical isolation/shielding, it isn't supposed to do that. Seriously. Quality gear is not cheap, but if you want to do this PROFESSIONALLY then you have to invest in PROFESSIONAL quality gear. Your points on story are correct, it's the first time you made a point without mistakes. If you get all of the above bits wrong though, you can't effectively tell a story. Intent is great, but if you don't really understand your tools then you can't ever tell story well. Instead you get type cast as the guy who does this kind of look. If you teach 15K other people to only do that look too, then you aren't going to even get that niche work anymore. And lastly, if you can afford to make shots where 95% aren't being used, then you aren't working professionally. An edit shouldn't be bloated, but that's just storytelling. If you're shooting for edit then you shouldn't be dropping 95% on the editing room floor. If you're dropping that much you're overshooting and wasting your time, which if you're actually doing it professionally, is money. Overall this video tells me that neither of you know enough about filmmaking that you should be attempting to teach it to others. You need to work on mastering your craft further first. People are going to learn a lot more from channels with working industry professionals like Studio Binder, This Guy Edits, The Colorist, Adarama, Arri, Apeture & Ponysmacker (David Sandberg). You will learn more in a 9 minute behind the scenes video from Ponysmacker than you will in the entirety of Park's paid course line-up. Literally. If you just want to emulate Parker's look and are happy shooting wedding/real estate videography, then I guess this is the place for you. But it's important to note, that isn't filmmaking, it's events videography. If you actually want to be a professional filmmaker in cinema, documentary or broadcast, check out those other channels I mentioned because Parker can't teach you that stuff because he doesn't understand it. He's a wedding & real estate videographer.

These videos exude professionalism by what they do and, equally significantly, what they don't do. What they DO is seamlessly and smoothly dive right into the topic, and then smoothly deliver excellent content that feels carefully scripted and edited. What they DON'T do is start with "Hey guys!". They don't begin with begging viewers to "Subscribe and click the bell so you don't miss our amazing content" as if we haven't been told this a gazillion times before.. They don't ramble all over the place. They don't say "uh" even once. Excellent, a joy to watch.

Very helpful, guys! Thanks for taking your time to make this one!

I've just bought a camera, filming table and chairs in my garden, and the cat. RU-vid here we come, until I watched this, suppose I should do some editing now.

"Covernig lighting more in DEPTH" - Unintentional Pun

OMG!!! This adds so much value! Thank you very much!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This is incredibly concise and informative even for intermediate filmmakers or photographers. Awesome work!

Nobody cares who’s first: but Parker changes lives. I was an ok/struggling filmmaker before. My career is taking off and I’m 10 times more confident and proficient now in business and in my craft. Thank you Parker: you’re a legend

5:52

Amazing tips! Some of these come with just practice. Now a days, I can just "feel" if my cinematic is getting too long, or if I'm losing my audience with whets happening on screen at that moment...Also, adding moments of increased music intensity when something exciting is happening, especially in a vlog style/cinematic type of video really adds a huge feeling of emotion!

This was so useful thank you very much!

“dont just go to the park or your backyard and shoot random stuff and put music in the background” wow you didn’t have to come after my neck like that 😂😭 * scraps a whole day of just shooting random footage to mess around with *

So much motivated by the tips that i want to start all over again and check out all training, You guys are just Great ! please continue and keep it up

Great info! Thank you very much guys!

I couldn’t find the link to the free sound effects

"just by changing the lighting" *shows a clip with a changed background, guy wears a different shirt and the angle of the camera changed*

Thanks Parker for being an inspiration to me. I now work on Hollywood feature films and my life has changed for the better by watching your videos over the years 🙏🏽

Insanely concise and informative, thanks

4:57 Damn she goes from mega-nose troll at 16mm to IG model at 100mm

🔥 Fortunately, there are experienced people who teach the art of cinematography. As a beginner I much appreciate this tips, everyday i learn something new, thanks guys! ❤️

We totally agree with the lighting! Your video is spot on!

So much value just from this one video! Thank you so much, glad I found your channel. :)

Changing only the lighting, but changes the background and motion of the person in the frame 😭

All Mistakes on Timeline:💻 0:45 - Wrong frame Rate 2:07 - Poor Lightning 4:32 - Bad Lens Choice 6:25 - Bad Audio 8:30 - Storytelling 11:05 - Bloated Edits

This is very informative and helpful. Thanks, guys!

You have such great advice - no BS, matter of fact knowledge from a lot of hard-earned experience. Really appreciate your videos.

I don't make mistakes, I make progress (lots and lots of progress...) -A Small RU-vidr

Yes, they do that

So helpful.. Very informative. THANK YOU!

Thank you for your tips Parker! Great tips that I'll definitely be implementing into my workflow!

Last time I came this early my wife divorced me!

Largest beginner mistake ever made, lighting. -another small RU-vidr

Great video with great tips. Really worth watching!

One of the best tips video on RU-vid. Many thanks guys. Great channel.

Parker you have the best photo video related channel. Hands down glad I found it

This video is very informative. Such a great job guys.🤙🏼

Really in-depth. Great video! 👍🏽

Meant to say 200mm, but we know :) Your channel was helpful while I was in school and since then I have always found myself using your videos when I am unsure about something! Much appreciated! Keep at it because you are giving a whole new generation of possible Cohens an outlet to get into the industry You are always minimally promotional, clear, concise and of great value to someone with passion to enter the industry. Thanks for doing what u do!

Great video!!! Valuable information here! You won a suscriber and a customer. Thank you for sharing.

Brilliant, informative video, guys. Thanks

Thanks, Parker! Very informative!

Guys, your videos are really helpful, I always enjoy watching it! Can't wait my new set up to come so I can join the course.

These are honestly the best advices I've ever heard. Thank you! :)

Really great tips! I had a few of these in the bag through practice but some mistakes I was still making. Its fun to make mistakes in the start as you are still in awe of what your equipment can do, no matter how basic, but what you will notice is that as you grow and learn you will realise that basic doesnt cut. You need to invest in proper lighting, audio and lenses. Thanks guys, awesome job.

You made me learn a lot about filmmaking in my life Parker! Thank you so much.

Wow Parker, thank you very much for all these tutorials! Amazing knowledge and perspective, I'm learning a ton from your videos. #respect

Excellent video. Thank you!

Yo dead ass this is one of the best filmmaking tutorials I’ve ever watched

So much free information, thanks so much.

Thank you for sharing such important details. You guys are amazing.😊

I am shocked by the quality of this content 👏👏👏❤ Thank you very much! Obrigado 🇧🇷

Amazing breakdown!! Thx!

Loved it. Superb advice as usual✨

Amazing tips! Thank you so much. :)

Amazing informative content, just what i was looking for!

Thanks for the tips, guys. This is a useful beginner's tips video.

Thank you for this inspirational video!

Very useful especially regarding fps & lighting

Super useful information!! added this video in my favourite list, Thank You

Credit where it’s due guys. Fantastic work. This is the only video I’ve seen from you but I’m instantly subscribed and checking out this course. I’d been wondering about how to make my videos a little less ‘amateurish’ since I’m just starting my channel right now. I have little to no knowledge of filmmaking, so I desperately need videos like this. Weirdly when I was looking for that information though, you guys didn’t appear, it was only after I was looking through some unrelated topics I discovered your channel 🤷🏻‍♂️

Great video! Enjoyed it very much!

Thank you guys❤️ . Learnt quite a few new things ...

That was so informative. Thank you so much!

THANK YOU ❤️❤️you guys are the best!!

thanks for this, i have a knowledge now about storytelling, in the past few month I've been struggling how to make a storyline in my video but here it is, you answered all my questions. Thanks you and keep safe everyone!

this was so so helpful!!!

Great tips. Thank you!