Finding Your Voice & Building Your Circle: A Beginner Filmmaker’s Guide

Ask any director and they’ll tell you; filmmaking is personal, but it’s never solo. To grow as a creator, you need two things: a voice of your own and a circle of people who believe in it.

Discover Your Voice

Martin Scorsese often talks about filmmaking as a journey of self-discovery: “The most personal is the most creative.” As a new filmmaker, your goal isn’t to imitate your favourite movies, it’s to understand why you love them. Try this:

• Make a list of 5 films you can’t forget. What connects them emotionally?

• Note the styles that pull you in: handheld chaos or clean framing? Fast cuts or slow tension?

• Collect these discoveries in a visual diary. Directors like Guillermo del Toro keep their own “idea notebooks” filled with sketches, scraps, and moodboards.

  
  

The more you make and reflect, the more your patterns appear. Your voice comes from repetition, curiosity, and honesty.

Building Your Filmmaking Community (Without the Awkward Bit)

No matter how unique your vision is, you’ll need others to bring it to life. The early stages of networking can feel intimidating, but here’s a simple way to look at it: start building your crew the same way you’d build friendships, slowly, genuinely, and with intention.

Practical tips used by working directors:

• Be specific about what you’re looking for. Instead of “Hey, want to collaborate?” try “I’m making a 3-minute short and looking for a sound designer who likes experimental textures.”

• Give before you ask. Offer feedback on others’ work. Volunteer to help on a set. Your reputation as a team player is your real business card.

• Use tools made for this. Platforms like Aksiyoncuk.com exist so you can introduce yourself, post your project ideas, create groups, find crew, and connect with like-minded people, without having to awkwardly DM strangers on Instagram.

• Show up consistently. Attend meet-ups, join online group chats, comment when others post. People work with people they recognise.

  
  

Final Takeaway

Finding your voice is a private process, sharing it is a collaborative act. The more you connect with others, the stronger your filmmaking identity becomes.

Keep creating, keep learning, and keep talking to people who speak your language.

Your future collaborators might already be on Aksiyoncuk.com. So start posting, introduce yourself, and remember: we make films and friends.