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My 10 Favourite YouTube Channels for Filmmakers


Image result for filmmakingThanks to the internet, we now have an entire world of information literally at our fingertips. And for us filmmakers, YouTube is an absolute goldmine of education from people who really understand the craft. I never went to film school so pretty everything I've learnt has come from films, books and the internet, and YouTube was a massive chunk of that. So here's a list of 10 of my favourite channels on YouTube for filmmakers.

Vice

Vice's YouTube channel is great for filmmakers, especially their "Vice Talks Film" series. My personal favourite is this video with Roger Deakins and Matthew Heineman discussing their films Sicario and Cartel Land.What I really love about this video is the way it draws comparisons but it also the differences between documentary film and narrative film. An outstanding and honest conversation between two masters of their craft. This video came into my life at exactly the right time where I started work as a documentary filmmaker. Before then I had pretty much entirely spent my time focusing on learning about narrative film, and not so much on documentary film. So I was finding it really difficult to wire my brain to work in a different medium and this video really helped me solve that problem.

Patrick H. Willems

Spielberg is undoubtedly the master of blockbuster tension. An this video perfectly explains the elements that go into building great suspense set pieces, really driving home the importance of perspective in a story. This video completely changed the way I approach not only filmmaking, but writing too. It's all well and good having a thrilling sequence, but unless the characters are given a perspective to follow, then they're not going to be invested. 

Rocket Jump Film School

It's such a shame Rocket Jump Film School don't make video anymore, but there's still a tonne of content on that channel you can learn from. I could have put any of their videos on this list and you'd learn so much from any of them. What I really like about this video specifically is that it completely made me realise the significance of editing. Before watching this video I saw editing as a sub par part of making a film, just the part of post production where you put things together and that's it. This made me realise it's much more than that, it's where the film comes together, it's where to story is told, it's where the pacing is set, it's where performances are refined, it's where a film makes or breaks.

Hollywood Reporter

So much can be learnt just from hearing masters talk to each other, and Hollywood Reporters "Roundtable" series is an incredibly rich source of information for filmmakers. My personal favourite is the 2016 Oscars Roundtable, having Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, Alejandro G. Inarritu, Danny Boyle, David O. Russel and Tom Hooper all sat around the same table and talking is mind blowing, it really doesn't get much better.

Criswell


Video essays are a great way for uneducated filmmakers to begin to understand the technical theory that goes into filmmaking. There's a tonne of great video essay channels out there but one of my favourite channels is Criswell, covering a lot of work from great directors including Kubrick, Spielberg, Welles, Haneke and Villeneuve.

Film Riot

Film Riot were one of the first filmmaking channels on YouTube and they're still crushing the game with a mixture of hilarious comedy and a tonne of useful information, there's a reason they're at the top of the YouTube filmmaking game.

Cinematography Database

Matt Workman's Cinematography Database is one of my favourite channels ever put online, even though he's stopped making these types of videos there's still a tonne to look back on. Matt is really generous with his knowledge, giving those inexperienced filmmakers a deeper understanding of on set life. 

Filmmaker IQ


This channel really taught me a tonne in terms of the technical side of filmmaking, for someone who didn't go to film school, words like blocking and composition used to intimate me, until I came across Filmmaker IQ. The channel covers everything from the technical aspects of filmmaking, film history, sound and cinematography. A must watch channel for every aspiring filmmaker.

Media Division

Media Division is a relatively new channel, only really starting midway through last year. But their past few videos have absolutely blown me away, their quality of content and generosity when it comes to sharing information is seriously incredible.

 Aputure


Aputure are world renowned for making great lights for filmmakers and incredibly low prices. But what is lesser known is the fantastic content they're putting out on their YouTube channel. A serious goldmine of information for any aspiring cinematographer.

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