Q&A: I’m a 17 year old amateur filmmaker. My mom wants me to do a CSPAN contest. Documentaries aren’t my thing.
Question by …: I’m a 17 year old amateur filmmaker. My mom wants me to do a CSPAN contest. Documentaries aren’t my thing.
The contest is about making a documentary about a current political issue. I’m interested in animal rights and environmental issues but documentaries are not my area. I wouldn’t to know where to begin. I made some movies with my friends where we remade scenes from our favorite movies. I narrated behind the scenes footage. My mom says that I was really good and that and that’s all I would need to do for the contest. She doesn’t understand that editing and many other aspects are involved to. I like to do creative M. Night Shymallan-type camera angles. I WANT TO BE BEHIND THE CAMREA, NOT IN FRONT OF IT. How do I explain this to my mom?
We are REALLY close but she doesn’t understand that there is a difference between documentaries and what I am good at. Both my grandma and mom saw the contest commercial and thought of me. I don’t want to disappoint them. If my mom really wants me to do this then I will but I just want her to understand.
Here’s the website www.studentcam.org/About.htm
Best answer:
Answer by mithril
Um, in the industry, you never turn down legitimate work. You may not be cut out for film making if you balk at this. It’s a good way to get a start, it looks great on a resume, and it’s a great way to get experience.
Many, many filmmakers started in documentaries. It’s a really competitive field. It’s a great opportunity, but just explain to your mom that you aren’t ready. She’ll just have to accept it.
I encourage you to reconsider, by the way, but if you really aren’t into it, then maybe you should just keep it a hobby. But hey, what have you got to lose, really? Even if you make a documentary as a hobby, it still could take you places. You’ll never know until you try.
Explore it further.
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