I would also say another thing that is very important for separating you from the chumps is to learn about lighting techniques, then buy a decent light kit, and spend time practicing blocking. You can get a small pro light kit for about 750$, and everyone I talk to says it is of utmost importance to learn about light usage. I am in the middle of learning about lighting, myself.
As for the camera, grab a DV. As Pimp stated, try to get a manual focus ring, and make sure you have access to manual f-stop etc....
Talke a basic photography class.
Take a sketch class.
Practice storyboards, to get used to working with visual information.
Learn about editing suites, as you will need one of these immediately.
Am I a filmmaker? Nope, but I plan on shooting my short next summer, and I am well into the pre-pro stages.
Making a film is difficult.
I would also recommend shecking out the following gear to get some professional looking shots:
Steady Cam rig (Ranging from 14 - 1500 dollars to aquire)
Steady Stick
Filters - Go for the Tiffen Professional grade, and in particular, the soft F/X 3 filter, which magically makes DV stuff look a little less cut and harsh, for a warmer film look.
Check out this site, they carry all this stuff, tell you how to use it, and offer other excellent information on DV filmmaking.
www.dvcreators.com
Check this article out first, as it gives some great advice. The article is in the SHOOT section of the site.
http://dvcreators.com/shooting/