Skip to content
Blog

Our Top Tips on Filmmaking!

30 March 2017

With the Childnet Film Competition now open, this is a great opportunity for your school or youth organisation to get young people thinking about online safety in a fun and creative way.

Filmmaking can be a great way to showcase young people’s talents and ideas but it can sometimes be a bit tricky to get started with the filming process. We have put together some Top Tips for Filmmaking and highlighted a few here:

Equipment

Making sure you have the right equipment before you even start filming is really important. Having the right camera, tripod, sound and lighting is essential and you should perform some test shoots so that you are comfortable with different settings on your equipment.

Shots

There are lots of different shots that can help you vary the way your film will look. The four key shots for you to think about are

  • Wide Shot
  • Medium Shot
  • Close Up
  • Extreme Close up

Read our filmmaking guide to find out more about them.

Framing

Framing your shot is key. Really think about what you want in your frame and what you don’t want! Using the rule of thirds (imagining that your shot is split into a 3 x 3 grid of 9 squares) is a good way to help you position your actors and props.

Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice! Getting that perfect film is all about comfortable you are behind the camera as well as how comfortable your performers are too! Get them in costume and rehearse what you will be shooting. It’s also a great way to test out your lighting and sound as well as the shots and frames you have chosen.

The Childnet Film Competition is open to all UK schools and youth organisations and invites young people 7-18 to take on the challenge of creating a short film about internet safety. Deadline for entries is on Monday 12th June. Register now for a full information pack.

Latest articles

New resources looking at AI misuse and nudification​ launched today 

Childnet have launched a brand new resource exploring generative AI and how it can be misused, with a specific focus on using generative AI to edit a photo of somebody to make them appear nude or naked, sometimes called ‘nudification’. 

3 July 2025

“It’s not your fault.” Children across the UK create award winning films showing how to support each other against online scams

Today, at the Disney Headquarters in Hammersmith, the winners of the 16th annual Childnet Film Competition have been announced.

1 July 2025

What do I need to know about Minecraft? A guide for parents and carers

In this blog we will give you the information you need to understand Minecraft, some of the possible risks that your child may encounter whilst playing it, and how you can support them.