I found that it was easier to communicate visually than verbally. I got the Super 8mm bug when I was in High School and it just progressed to higher formats as I grew older. Of course as a filmmaker, you should be well read, as well as have a distinct vision. For me, film imitates life, but in a comedic and surrealistic way. Always tell your story from your heart or something that you have experienced.
Nobody wants to see a recycled film that everyone else makes.
Then again maybe they do. There is a guy in California by the name of Rob Nillison. The film was totally written and improvised by the cast and the camera work has the same cinema verite attributes. Rob also used to be a cab driver and puts his actual life in his own work. It always good to have multitude points of view rather than just one view.