How many of us, after watching a truly engaging film, haven't wondered if it wasn't possible to pick up a video camera of our own and strike out into the magical world of film production; to become a Hitchcock, a Scorcese or a Spielberg? It's a delicious thought...to step out from the audience and find our way behind the screen and behind the scenes, making films that matter to us and reaping the rewards, hopefully, (or the raspberries) for our efforts.

As mysterious as the filmmaking process may be, recent technological advances have made it possible for more and more persons, everyday persons, to experience the art and craft of cinema through the use of digital cameras and desktop computer editing software. While it's the rare low-budget digital film that eventually finds its way to national distribution (none have been nominated for an Academy Award...yet), digital filmmaking has fast become a very viable way to tell one's story. And now with global distribution at our fingertips through the web (via YOUTUBE), there's a greater chance than ever that your masterpiece, your pet project, your personal testimony, will find a wide audience.

Of course, the advent of these tools has meant that everyone can make and show their film. And with the popularity of YOUTUBE (look for new sites to compete with this internet giant soon) it seems everyone HAS made a film. Unfortunately, when there's no bar to climb over, quality is the first to go. And as entertaining as YOUTUBE'ING is, it takes a while to find a true gem amongst the (fill in the blank). You can avoid having your film overlooked by employing some forethought, planning, and basic filmmaking principles, the same principles used in making a major motion picture.

In the next several months, I will contribute a series of Filmmaking How-To's, covering topics such as Choices in Affordable Equipment to Developing Subject Matter to Incorporating Sophisticated Cinematic Techniques in your own backyard production. I'll even talk about film history, career possibilities, and opportunities for further education. I hope these postings inspire you to pursue filmmaking yourself as we move along, and to consider your inner creative genius. Most of all, I hope they encourage you to think deeply about "Stories Worth Telling" and the value of our collective experiences and individual life lessons. We draw our cinematic subject matter from our experiences, and filter these through unique perspectives and points of view. By making films we reach out to others, to explore the really big (or not so big) questions and, when the credits roll and the lights go up, discover, perhaps, that we are all very unique and similar at the same time. Movies can do just that.