Under the dynamic equilibrium among diffraction, dispersion, Kerr effect and multiple photons ionization, a self-guiding filament formed by femtosecond laser with long propagation distance can be constructed, which is accompanied by a narrow plasma channel. In order to control the propagation features of filamentation explicitly in air, a way to effectively regulate filamentation propagation modes and spatiotemporal distributions has become a research hotspot. On the basis of introducing the physical model of filamentation briefly, a general overview of controlling filamentation divided by two parts was presented in this review: temporal modulations and spatial modulations. In particular, the latter consists of modulations designed by phase, amplitude and special beams. Our findings suggest that unique filaments controlled by initial modulations can offer advantages and fundamentals for the realization of numerous potential applications.