Brilliant sources of inspiration for emerging filmmakers

It’s a common question for any creator: Where do you find inspiration? In the film industry, the answer can take many forms – from podcasts and articles, to curated shorts and IRL events. Here, we’ve collated a range of starting points to help inspire new creative ideas.

Sometimes inspiration finds you, and other times you’ll need to go out in search of it! Feeling inspired isn’t a passive activity – you might need to put yourself on the right path or get into the right frame of mind. There are all sorts of ways to encourage filmmaking inspiration to strike – and not all of them involve browsing Netflix... Every aspect of life can fuel a creative idea, so stay alert and curious!

❤️ Get personal
You might find inspiration for your first film projects in your personal experiences; drawing on your childhood, family history, travel experiences, relationships, hobbies or jobs. You don’t have to put yourself at the centre of your story, but you can always use your own experiences to inform your characters and their motivations.

🌍 Be aware of what’s happening in the wider world
You may be moved to create your art by the urgent social issues of today; making a statement about something you believe in, or bringing attention to an underrepresented story. Taking a stance begins with knowledge – so make time to regularly read and listen to what’s going on around the globe.

📚 Learn from your community
Encouragement and ideas can be found in the communities you’re part of – whether that’s a local group, your university, workplace or the wider film industry. Seeing how your peers apply their creative ambition to tight budgets can be both useful and inspiring. There’s also the film festival circuit to keep an eye on, taking note of the types of films that have won big and positively impacted their creators’ journeys.

Of course, there are also loads of useful online resources to explore – from in-depth interviews with emerging and established creatives, to film reviews, curated daily shorts, and epic cinematic archives. Below, we’ve put together a starter list of engaging platforms to get your inspiration flowing.