You and your friends burst out laughing at the last joke someone said. Hilarious scenarios blossom in your mind and you utter words of excitement through a restrained laugh, “We should totally make a video of that!” As soon as you suggest it, you think that there is no way you could pull it off, or you wouldn’t even know where to start.

Creating your own video content can be tricky and daunting, but there are plenty of resources that can help make your ideas into reality. Video creation can be a fun process that will let you make friends, express your creativity and fulfill your aspirations.

Peers who make movies are a great resource for help on your own project. KU Filmworks is an organization made up mostly of students student that meets at 7 p.m. on Sunday nights in Oldfather Studios. Becoming a member by attending meetings and paying $20 dues allows you to use their equipment. KU Filmworks has access to high-quality cameras, lighting equipment, grip equipment and other helpful tools.

Being a member of KU Filmworks will also introduce you to a community of people passionate about filmmaking.

“Filmmaking is a collaborative effort. You cannot do it alone,” Emilie Newell, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore, says. Newell holds the media relations position for KU Filmworks and she specializes in art direction for Filmworks productions. Art direction focuses on the presentation of what is being filmed, such as scenery, makeup and lighting. “The most common mistake I see in student films is no lighting and no art direction,” Newell says. But she says it is okay if you aren’t that savvy in filmmaking knowledge. “Don’t wait until you know everything about it, just do it and learn from your experience.”

Good editing is crucial for quality videos. KU Filmworks has a computer available in the Kansas Union for members that is equipped with editing software such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects.

“It has everything you need from pre-production to post-production. It has industry-standard software that you can get familiarized with,” Nate Selee, Garden City junior, says. Selee is the media relations officer for KUTV. KUTV is the sister organization of KU Filmworks that works on shorter, sometimes sequential projects. KUTV meets at 4 p.m. on Fridays in Alcove G in the Kansas Union.

Editing video consumes time and the programs take awhile to learn. Performing even basic editing on Final Cut Pro can be intimidating once a plethora of options arises in the menus. “If you want to know how to edit and learn programs, we will teach you,” Selee says.

Selee recommends starting small and working on simpler ideas to get the basics down. “If you start with something that is two to three minutes long, you have the ability to build your skill set and still be ambitious,” he says.

Creating solid video content requires plenty of planning. Once you know what resources are available to you, it would be wise to do some research.

“Watch a lot of projects and try to come up with ideas that would be uniquely yours, but examine similar projects so that you can use them as a template,” says Matt Jacobson, associate professor in the Department of Film and Media Studies.

Jacobson also recommends performing research after the project has been made. He suggests getting many people who you do and don’t know to view your video and give you feedback. You can then change your content to match the criticism and improve it. Jacobson reminds that it’s normal for drafts to be revised and that it’s okay to add something that might be missing or even reshoot shots that didn’t turn out the way you planned.

Making your own videos can let you explore your creative side and give you perspective. Once you set to the task of envisioning your ideas it can be a difficult process. Start small and don’t be afraid to use the resources KU has to offer. Once you complete even a short, well thought-out project, you will have the satisfaction of fulfilling an aspiration and showing the world something you are proud of.