6 Common Documentary Filmmaking Mistakes to Avoid

Six mistakes that I've made while filming documentaries.

Host and Creator - Simon Cade

[documentaryfilmacademy]

Thanks Simon. Really enjoyed filming this with you and sharing some of the mistakes we've made as documentary filmmakers. 📹

[TheBlackFuton]

So happy to see you back at it. I've followed you since 2016 and no lie your techniques helped me with my very first feature film. Never went to film school. Just watched you and a few others. These days I'm pitching to actual Hollywood studios and stuff. So thanks man! Happy Thanksgiving!

[brandonvancour]

Finding people who can help you on projects is a big one. Can’t do everything on your own. Well you can but the quality will suffer.

Editing is a tough one for me to delegate cause it’s so important.

Great vid mate!

[muhammadadil]

You were the first-ever filmmaking channel that I started watching and it got me excited and motivated me to become a filmmaker at the age of 15. Six years later now in a film school and working on my first short film. You have been a major part of why I persuaded Film making and just wanted to let you know that. I was thinking about your channel a few days ago and now this popped up. YOU ARE FREAKING AMAZING AND I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH

[dathofilms]

Your voice is so therapeutic. It just puts me in state of listening immediately!

[DarioKesegiGCA]

This such a good video, thank you man

[brokenstudiotv]

Great to see you back, love the video!

[FaithHope]

Back in 2014, when I started my filmmaking journey in film school, I would watch all of your videos and they taught me so much...honestly more than my school taught me. Lol After school I was a freelancer for a couple of years and now I am a producer for PBS making documentaries about the artists, culture, and history of New Mexico(my home). And I love it! Thanks for all the help and advice over the years! :)

[fapeti]

So good to see you coming up with new episodes again! Thanks for sharing your stories.

[daytrip_films]

Oof. I'm extremely guilty of hinging my self worth on whatever last thing I've created. I'm working on it, but it's nice to know other people struggle with this too. It can be really important (and difficult sometimes) to take a look at something you're making and ask yourself the question, am I doing this because I feel strongly about it? Or more just because I want the recognition/social validation? All very interesting and necessary questions to be thinking about, thanks for making this. Cheers

[DenysLukoshkin]

Thank you for this. I haven't finished editing my already shot documentary project because of several of these mistakes

[wagnerteixeiradeaguiar]

Thank you for this invaluable sharing. Nice to see you back! Keep up the good work 💪

[jf_blanco]

3 First mistakes are related to scriptwriting. Really important part of any story and maybe the most underestimated part of filmmaking.

[Mtw]

Thanks for sharing – we all make mistakes and it's great that you share yours. I do the same in my teaching, it is often through mistakes that we have learned something. If we only look for the infallible, I don't think we will learn very much and we certainly won't come home with anything interesting if we don't dare to look outside our comfort zone where mistakes can happen.

[SHKBKN]

Best documentary filming tips so far ! Simon. Thanks to make video on this topic.

[marcopej]

Thank you! I love the way you (both) talk about our job, our profession... calm and deep... your POV...! Always inspiring me. Thank you!

[aymaanra]

Love your videos bro! Been watching you since 2017. You and Peter Mckinnon were the first to inspire me into filmmaking/videography!

[rjeption]

Made my first documentary on my channel!! All of these I absolutely understand and feel. It’s hard work and you really have to get out of your comfort zone. Cheers!

[Raystopmotions]

I'd have to disagree on the 1st and 2nd points. I believe a good documentary film doesn't need a big stake or conflict. It's about how we, as the filmmaker, address the subject's life in context of the film. There are many documentary films that has no 'conflict' or big enough stakes. Check out Guillame Brac's documentary film, "Treasure Island". A minimalistic documentary on the director's childhood waterpark. One of my favorite documentaries of all time.

[nsnoesuarez]

Great to see Simon again, hope that there will be more posts coming in the future.