Tobias Gundorff Boesen: Most importantly, just do it and start making films. Even if you only have a crappy DV cam. Your equipment is not as important as you think. Learning and trying stuff out, getting to know actors, staging, storytelling, editing, compositing, etc. and doing it again and again… That’s what makes the difference.

A lot of people have warned me about the dangers and possible failures of starting to make films, like: “If you make one bad film, or if you slack off for half a year, you’re done for!” This is completely devastating and counterproductive, and makes filmmaking seem like such a hard task. Striving to improve is honourable, but fear of not producing something perfect halts your development and makes filmmaking painful, as you’re constantly afraid to make mistakes, not live up to your own expectations, or somehow equate yourself to the success of your product.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, fool around and make tons of crap. If you love what you do, you’ll learn from all of it, and improve quickly. A fearless, playful, genuinely interested approach to the arts is the best approach, and what will make you better in the long run.

For me, filmmaking is something personal – something I do because I love it. This might seem obvious, but it’s easy to lose sight of. We need to be passionate about it and have fun… Because otherwise, it’s too much work for too little money 🙂

I do think that good craftsmanship pays off, whether in studying acting, screenwriting, art, or photography. I use all of my knowledge of these things, and find that this shapes my films. So whether studying in college, or just in your spare time, I’d say that keeping an open mind and exploring different art forms is of the essence. Everything you learn will be a part of your films, either consciously or subconsciously.