Blake Ridder, who made 52 films in three years, shares his journey in his new book and says, “Budding filmmakers shouldn’t pursue perfection; it’s more important to get stuck in.” An award-winning filmmaker who says he is ”addicted to making films’ and launched his successful film career on YouTube has published a book documenting his journey – to help aspiring filmmakers.

Blake Ridder (Help, The English Teacher) a British Director & Writer, born in Shanghai, China, grew up learning the English language from his favourite movies and quit a successful job in Marketing to follow his dream. He says he grabbed a Canon 50D, a gimbal, and a drone and embarked on a ‘wild ride’ creating 50 shorts and two features over a three-year period, learning as he went.

He says: “I hadn’t planned on making so many films, but I just wanted to tell more stories; I guess I’m addicted to making films! I was making a film a month and at one point, two films a month”

The former Marketing Manager found YouTube to be both the perfect training ground for his career and the launchpad to progress it: “YouTube allowed me to showcase my work, and that naturally progressed from attracting fans to eventually attracting investors – they saw the evolution of my work – and trusted in the quality. I found mentorship & support from people, including my business partner & friend Louis James, and connected with Lucas A. Ferrara -who believes in my vision & allows me to explore creatively”

Blake, whose films are available on Prime, Apple TV, and YouTube and have won 24 awards, was inspired to share his experiences with other indie filmmakers. He understands that it’s so easy for new filmmakers to become paralysed by the fear of making a mistake that they don’t make anything. Instead, he says viewing each project as a training ground to upskill for the next is beneficial.

“In ‘How I Made 52 Films in 3 Years’, I share the challenges of the experience, what works and what doesn’t and useful tips I have picked up. It can be a lonely, competitive, noisy industry – I want to inspire people not to hold back and to embrace their mistakes. Filmmaking is a craft; it takes time and practice to develop your skills. I want to encourage people to follow their passion and get stuck in it“

Blake Ridder is currently in post-production on his 72nd film, a feature titled Manor of Darkness, a horror film with a time loop theme, due for release in Autumn.

You can order  How I Made 52 Films in 3 Years HERE https://mybook.to/Filmmaking

You can find Blake’s YouTube Channel HERE https://www.youtube.com/@BlakeRidder

If you like what I do here at frompage2screen.com, perhaps you can buy me a ‘coffee’ at
https://ko-fi.com/frompage2screen
All money goes toward the running of the site as well as expanding its content. Any donations are very much appreciated.