⏳ How “Aiming Too High” Can Waste Your Time

Whenever I run creative workshops, I meet people who say, “I want to try making something.” That’s great—but the first questions they ask are often:

• “What gear should I use?”
• “What kind of camera do I need?”

And my answer is always the same:
“Anything is fine to start.”

You don’t need a DSLR with video capabilities. A dusty camcorder from your closet will do. Even your smartphone is perfectly fine.

The important thing is to start. Once you’ve tried filming and run into limitations—like “I want to shoot this kind of scene, but my phone can’t handle it”—then we can talk about upgrades. But many people ask questions before they’ve even begun.

Why? Because they’re afraid of failure.

They want to take the shortest route to success, asking everything upfront to avoid mistakes. But here’s the truth:
You can’t learn without falling down.

It’s like trying to ski without ever falling. In sports and creative work, failure is often the fastest teacher.

You can give all the advice in the world—“Don’t do this,” “Try that”—but unless someone has failed, it won’t sink in. So don’t avoid failure. Embrace it.

🎯 Why High Expectations Can Backfire

This fear of failure often comes with unrealistic expectations. Of course, everyone wants to make something great—but when you’re just starting out, aiming too high can be counterproductive.

People who study hard tend to read books, do research, and gather knowledge. That’s admirable. But it can create the illusion that you’re ready—when in reality, you’re not. You only truly learn by doing—and failing.

🧠 Storytelling Requires Two Separate Skills

Story-based creative work is especially tricky because it requires two distinct skill sets:

1. The ability to develop a story
2. The ability to execute it (e.g., filming and editing)

Unlike painting, where you can start practicing by drawing an orange on the table, storytelling demands prep work before you can even begin practicing the technical side.

Most people are excited about the filming and editing—but bogged down by the effort required to create a story first.

🎭 The Solution: Make a Parody of a Formulaic Drama

That’s why I recommend starting with a parody of a “formulaic drama.”

These are exaggerated versions of familiar genres—like crime shows or suspense thrillers—that you often see in comedy sketches or variety shows.

Write a script that parodies common tropes. Use over-the-top plot twists, silly alibi reveals, and cliché dialogue. It doesn’t need to make perfect sense. It doesn’t need to be deep.

Then, design your shots and complete the film. The story may be trivial, but it’s a perfect training ground for technical skills.

😌 Why Parody Works So Well

One major benefit of parody is emotional detachment. You’re not invested in the story, so you can shoot freely and fail freely.

That freedom allows you to accumulate the experiences you need. In that sense, parody is a powerful tool for learning.

⚠️ A Note on Copyright

One thing to watch out for is copyright.

Parody can sometimes infringe on intellectual property rights—especially if it closely mimics existing works. But here’s the key point:

Making a parody film for personal practice is not illegal.

If you keep it private—just for you and your team—it’s fine. The moment you upload it to social media or share it publicly, that’s when legal issues arise.

For example, you can draw a Disney character and hang it in your room. No problem. But if you publish or sell that artwork, you’re violating copyright law.

So depending on your parody’s content, it’s safest to keep the finished film on your phone or private cloud—not on YouTube or Instagram.