Telling Your Story: Filmmakers Can Now Afford Cameras and Distribution

[Kim Welch]

In the past we could not afford to buy the cameras we needed to make motion pictures for mass viewing or afford to distribute them. Today we can!

Update, November 2026
That's still true and even more so today. A phone or affordable mirrorless camera can shoot a feature, and YouTube, Vimeo and streaming platforms can reach a worldwide audience. The tools are in everyone's hands, so the story is what sets your work apart.

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[Ryan Pickett]

Good point, Kim. I've even heard of decent feature films being shot on cell phones.

 

[Kim Welch]

These days with production and post production being so affordable and available to everyone with a smart phone or laptop, I think passing a motion picture production class should be a requirement to get a high school diploma.

 

[Theresa Pickett]

I agree... As a teacher, I feel there's so many ways to use filmmaking in the classroom... I integrate storyboarding in classrooms as young as 2nd grade to teach the beginning, middle, and end of a plot. In middle school, students can videotape each other with cell phones to recreate scenes in history. When I teach Reader's Theatre, I love to assign students the role of director, casting director, props, etc... Filmmaking is also a great technical skill for students to have when they go into the workforce.