Edgar Wright Provides 10 Tips for Getting Your Movie Made

Edgar Wright, the director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, among many others, is one of my favorite directors working in Hollywood. He’s got such a unique and exciting visual style, and his stories always pack a lot of heart.

It’s also clear that he loves movies and loves the process. So, when I saw him giving advice in a YouTube video, I knew it would be perfect here.

The video below is packed with 10 tips from Edgar Wright. He will cover everything from overcoming imposter syndrome to making your first feature film on a budget.

Let’s dive in.

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10 Filmmaking Tips From Edgar Wright

Tip 1: Use imposter syndrome as your motivation

• Imposter syndrome is common among filmmakers, but it can be a motivating factor. The key is to be prepared and confident. Try to shed this feeling and use it to motivate yourself to get better. You want to belong, so strive to prove you should be there.

Tip 2: Don’t set unreasonable goals

• Don’t set unreasonable goals for yourself. No one is winning an Oscar right out of the gate. Making movies takes time and practice. Learn from the films you love and watch older films to see how the masters did it. Follow their careers and see what kind of inspiration we can take from their paths.

Tip 3: Watch older films

• So many filmmakers have no basis for where film came from, so how can we assume they know where film is going? Watch older films, they have amazing plots and they can give you a foundation for storytelling that you may not already understand.

Tip 4: Your own style can come from others

• It’s okay to be inspired by other filmmakers, but don’t just copy their style. Find your own voice. It’s so easy to imitate when starting out, but to truly invent yourself, you need to make your own choices and figure out what parts of you can make it to the screen.

Tip 5: Don’t rush your first feature

• Take your time and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Your mistakes will help you learn and grow as a filmmaker. No one makes something perfect right away. You have to fail and fail again, until you have a solid foundation. It’s okay to grow.

Tip 6: Make procrastination productive

• Everyone loves to procrastinate. but you can make it productive by doing things that are inspiring. Go to a museum or out into the world, try to make your off time be inspiring-adjacent.

Tip 7: Keep your screenplay about the dialogue

• Writing is a skill that you can hone on your own time. You don’t need a big budget to start writing screenplays, you just need an idea. Focus on the story, dialogue, characters, and visuals. Avoid including too many camera directions. Let the story flow.

Tip 8: Learn through making short films

• Short films are a great way to learn about filmmaking. They are relatively inexpensive to make and allow you to experiment with different styles. They also teach you how to get in and out of scenes faster, and can hone the other writing skills you’ve picked up along the way.

Tip 9: You don’t need a Hollywood budget

• Start by making movies with the money you have access to. Shoot on your phone, use free resources, grow your budget with your skill level over time. You can tell a great story for very little, you just need to work within the confines—make those budget restrictions inspire you.

Tip 10: Be smart about film festival submissions

• Film festivals can be a great way to get your film seen by a wider audience, but be realistic with your expectations. There are many film festivals out there, so do your research and submit your films to festivals that are a good fit for your work.

So there you have it! 10 tips from Edgar Wright to help you on your filmmaking journey. Hopefully, you were able to take away a lot of info here and are set for whatever your next filmmaking endeavor brings.

Let me know what you think in the comments.