<p>Recently, I've really gotten into watching documentaries and wondered to myself if I could ever produce such videos myself (to get an idea of what I'm talking about, search South Africa's Pandemic on vimeo by Unearthed). I'm talking 5 minute-short, DSLRs, Adobe, and such...nothing extremely professional...and certainly nothing that would require me to attend a design school - I'm set on another major and a specific school already. I'm not thinking to invest a college education to this but I want to develop a hobby and since movies and documentaries are something I really enjoy, I want to know how realistic it is for me to be able to teach myself to make short, effective, inspirational documentary-like movies like the South African one. I go on mission trips and travel a lot so it would be a nice skill to have but like I said, don't intend on making a living or making into the film industry. I'm currently on a gap year so I have some time to do my research, studying, and playing around with softwares. Seeing that some people in my high school were able to make videos of that quality, I'm thinking it won't be too hard.</p>
<p>As a rule, I don’t dig kids’ old post but I think I know you. If you are the kid I think you are, you are ridiculously smart and good writer and reader, great learner of anything.
take one or two courses technically at somewhere cheap, either voc school or CCs, art foundation of sort in your area.
I met few “film crew” at my job recently, youngums just like my kid. So I asked how they become that-take videos of merchandize with model, music videos and short documentaries to post on internet to promote their clients.
he said he went to school for basic tech, bought half good video camera, just do it. important thing is to network with people that give you opportunities, to meet people, he need to be out and partying. which i don’t necessary agree but time is a-changing. what do I know?
You say you don’t have to make money, so it is not an issue.
If you go back to school and there are good film dept, maybe some deal you can rent out cameras even you are not majoring if you do take class or two?
many art schools we toured did not require to own expensive equipment yourself at first.
See “waste Land” by Lucy Walker, if you can. It is long real movie but worth it.</p>