How to Become More Confident As a New Filmmaker

Being a successful filmmaker takes a combination of skill, knowledge, and confidence. You might have a reasonable amount of skill and expertise as a film school graduate, but that doesn’t mean you’ll immediately have the confidence to reach your full potential and enjoy new opportunities. Fortunately, confidence is a learned skill, and by taking on board these tips below, you might be well on your way to having the winning combination. 

Fix the Flaws That Make You Lack Confidence

While everyone has the right to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin, there might be a few things about yourself you don’t like, leading to an overall lack of confidence. For example, you might be experiencing hair loss, and you can click here to learn more about possible treatment options. 

Some people also feel self-conscious about skin blemishes, acne, or even their ability to make eye contact with other people. If you identify a problem that makes you feel less than, consider finding a solution so that there’s one less thing standing in the way of you and a successful filmmaking career

Ask Questions

When you’re fresh out of film school, you won’t know everything about filmmaking. Knowledge comes with experience and time, but it can also be gained through asking questions. Never be afraid to request information from people with years more experience in the industry than yourself. Even if you worry that your question will be mocked, you can’t hope to learn valuable filmmaking techniques and information without asking questions. 

Further Your Education

Your filmmaking education doesn’t have to stop once you graduate from film school and land a job in the filmmaking industry. New technology and best practices are evolving all the time, and what you originally learned won’t always be relevant. 

Become confident in your craft by taking classes and courses in filmmaking and making research a regular part of your work schedule. Not only can you grow and become more experienced and confident, but you can also use your newfound skills to earn respect from others in the industry. 

Learn From Your Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, and you’ll likely make at least one or two when you embark on your new filmmaking career. Rather than hide away from those mistakes, make excuses, or refuse to admit you made them, choose to learn from them. 

When you own your mistakes, identify what caused you to make them, and face them head-on, you might be better positioned to avoid making them again and improve your confidence in the process. 

Surround Yourself With Confident People

You might not be entirely confident in your own abilities just yet, and that’s okay. Studies have shown that surrounding yourself with self-assured people can reassure you of your own actions. You might have more confidence in yourself and your abilities when choosing a circle of industry professionals or friends who believe in themselves. 

Written by Rob Nelson

Rob is an ecologist from the University of Hawaii. He is the co-creator and director of Untamed Science. His goal is to create videos and content that are entertaining, accurate, and educational. When he's not making science content, he races whitewater kayaks and works on Stone Age Man.

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