Storytelling Beats Gear Every Single Time

If you think having the latest and greatest camera is going to make your work great, well you're wrong. There's an idea that films cannot be art unless the tools are accessible to everyone. Just like artists are able to paint on a canvas and all they need is a brush and paint. Up until very recently, films needed to have very expensive equipment, very expensive crews, and, well, it's gate-kept for everyone who wants to be an artist.

So what do you do? You have a phone in your pocket right now that has better quality than some feature films were shot with 20 years ago. At the end of the day, story is what matters. Being able to connect with your audience on an emotional level, and you can do that with the gear you already have. I have worked with budgets of 6 figures and up, used the best camera and lenses that the industry has to offer, and so many crew members on one set, you couldn’t keep track of everyone. But does that make the project, good? We see it all the time, how can large Hollywood movies, be so bad at times? They had every resource that was available to them, but maybe there was not a clear vision. Maybe there were too many cooks in the kitchen, or maybe, the script just wasn't where it needed to be when the project was green lit.

Why is there such a cult following for indie films? A lot of times, those films don’t have the budget, or the equipment you need to make it industry standard- but they come from passion. And when you have passion, and you eat, sleep, eat storytelling- then the emotional narrative will ALWAYS connect with the audience.

So don't lie to yourself and say you can't do it because you don't have the right gear, or you don't have the right camera, or you need this lens, because right now, the only thing holding you back is yourself.

And I get it. I've even told myself that many times. Oh, if I only have this. If I only have that. Well, if you're creative enough, you don't need to have the latest and greatest gear to make incredible work.

• Dimitri Lazaris “That’s Showbiz, Baby!”