The more Roberto has learnt, the more time he has dedicated to each film project. "At the beginning I was very fast at making a documentary and I thought when I was experienced, I would be faster," he recalls. "Exactly the opposite happened. At the beginning I had to control only a few variables, but now I know much more, everything is much more complicated." © Roberto Palozzi
What do the pros wish they could go back and do differently? Everyone has to start somewhere and, when stepping into the world of filmmaking, there is a lot to learn – from technical insights through to finding your place as a cog in the machine that is a large-scale production.
Making mistakes along the way is part of the learning process, but so is learning from others. Italian documentary filmmaker and TV presenter Roberto Palozzi, who runs video production company Erebus Productions and shoots science and nature films for Italian TV, says he has learnt his craft through trial and error.
Roberto got his break filming wildlife in Antarctica – and he says the stunning scenery made up for his practical shortcomings. "Even though I wasn't experienced at all, I was in the middle of the frozen ocean with seals and emperor penguins, so it was quite easy to come back with good footage; not because I was a good filmmaker, but because everything around me was so fantastic."
Director of photography and cinematographer Juan Luis Cabellos AEC is based in Madrid, where he has garnered credits on a huge range of Spanish series. His years of experience shooting for TV and film have taught him the importance of having a good attitude towards work and colleagues.
"As a professional in this industry, you have to be reliable," says Juan. "A movie team works like a team that changes the wheels in a car race. If one fails, the car won't be ready on time. It is preferable that you are not the clumsy mechanic that slows down the operation."
Here, Juan and Roberto share what they have learnt from their years in the field, and reveal their top seven mistakes to avoid when starting out in the film industry.