You really touched on a couple of important production points. I get a lot of ideas from watch others video. I will see a technique and say "that was cool, how did they do that?" . I have watched 1000's of hours of B&W movies, dissecting the camera angles, depth of field and transitions. Doing your homework is correct. Then there is editing. Spending 30 minutes to get the perfect transition. The right effects. I have a long way to go, but I have made a lot of progress.