<p>Film school?
Going to LA and making connections on our own?
Making our own films and putting them in fests?
Getting an entry-level job at a studio and working our way up?</p>
<p>What does everyone think?</p>
<p>I am interested to hear also…</p>
<p>How many 18 - 20 year olds could seriously go to LA and make connections on their own? Ditto for going out there and getting an entry level job. I am not trying to be cruel, just realistic. As I look for the ideal film program for my son, these questions have come up. Money is obviously a factor - you have to have money to go out there and find those connections and to live while you find and then work that entry level job. If you have lots of money, fine - go for it. We come from Small Town, USA - that would be impossible for my son.
My votes are for entering films in film festivals WHILE in college for film. Not everyone will make it in LA, but there are many other places you can do something with film and be very successful. As an example, I just spoke with my brother who lives in Atlanta, and he said you would not believe what is going on with film there - many studios being built, etc. A movie even scouted his back yard to use! Bummer they did not get chosen, I would have made sure my son was there while they were filming!
Whatever path YOU choose will not be the same path someone else chooses. You may both end up to be successful in the long run, but everyone’s definition of success is different!</p>
<p>There are many ways to get where you want to go. But where is that? Do you want to be an independent film maker? Then you might need a lot more training in the various aspects of film production. Do you want to be a camera operator? Maybe you can train only in that area. Want to direct? Hard to do without a lot of experience or good credentials (in the industry at least). It is possible to do it without formal school, but not without training on some level. Yes, you can work your way up- but how far? And I totally agree with dibarber- a lot of where you will end up will be based upon connections. Those who have talent will rise to the top. Those with connections will do it faster. If you have passion and talent- you can go either way-school or work. School just helps you get started, helps with connections, and provides a network of other students, teachers and others who will work on your films and hire you to work on theirs. And as someone at NYU said, if you are not educated well, you might not have much to say. If you want to make interesting creative movies, maybe a full college eduction will allow you to have a perspective that others will be interest in watching in a movie.</p>
<p>^— Agree also… Connections and talent/skills are the keys. How do you get the talent/skills? By learning and working at it - in film school making films or outside of film school making films. How do you get the connections? You start freshman year of film school - working with the upperclassmen (and women) one, two, and three years ahead of you to help them make their films. If you demonstrate talent to those guys, then when they go off into the industry you will then have connections who will want you to continue to work with them when YOU graduate.</p>
<p>The entry level jobs at film studios are probably going primarily to film school graduates. Connections? My S is a film school student has a class this semester with John Badham (director of Saturday Night Fever and WarGames along with many other films and tv projects). Last year he had a class with a former president of the Director’s Guild. These are small classes where the students and professors really get to know one another.</p>
<p>You don’t have to go to film school to learn film production. You can certainly do that on your own. All of the books used in film school classes are available for you to buy, too. Initially, rather than making your own independent films, you might want to work as a crew member on someone else’s film. You’ll gain free training and they’ll gain free labor. There are always people advertising on Craigslist for crew members. They rarely pay anything. Be careful, though. Ask a lot of questions, because some of these projects are not the kind of thing you might want to be involved with. Ask about story line, nudity, etc. and you’ll probably get an idea of what kind of film they are making.</p>
<p>In film schools, in addition to learning the mechanics of making films, you’ll learn about insurance, working with unions, obtaining permissions, and a host of other things that would be difficult to learn on your own. You’ll also have access to equipment and facilities.</p>
<p>I once asked my son if he’d have been able to learn the same stuff on his own that he’s learning in school. He said that it’s certainly possible, but that you wouldn’t know what it is you needed to be learning about without someone telling you.</p>
<p>(Hey, Digmedia! Long time no see. I hope things are still going great for your filmmaker son!)</p>
<p>timely… long time, no “see”… He is doing quite well: [nm2425607</a> - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2425607/]nm2425607”>Wesley Cronk - IMDb)</p>
<p>His first film out of college was Greg Araki’s Kaboom (he was THE Visual Effects Department - LOL), which went on to Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance festivals: [Kaboom</a> Trailer](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2583337753/]Kaboom”>Kaboom | IMDb)</p>
<p>He just finished a stint as a visual effects artist with Digital Domain working on the new Hugh Jackman film Real Steel: [Real</a> Steel Trailer](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1150720025/]Real”>Real Steel - Teaser Trailer | IMDb)</p>
<p>And also is finishing up the Curtis Jackson (“50-Cent”) film, Things Fall Apart: [50 Cent’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ Movie Trailer](<a href=“http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/09/50-cent-things-fall-apart-trailer/”>http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/09/50-cent-things-fall-apart-trailer/</a>)</p>
<p>And is now working on a new feature, A New York Heartbeat: [A</a> New York Heartbeat (2011)](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1692478/]A”>A New York Heartbeat (2013) - IMDb)</p>
<p>He has also done/is doing a variety of other projects (music videos, an HBO segment on Funny or Die, and others). We just visited him last weekend in LA. He was working 16-hour days. But loving it!</p>
<p>timely: is it hard for your son to get internships in the business through his film school? My son is still in the process of deciding where he will study film production this fall.</p>
<p>My son said that the school really didn’t provide internships in the industry - I would hope other schools do. But the kids seemed to get lots of internships. When I ask him how, he said that they came through connections in the industry. And how were those connections made, I asked. That’s when he told me about making sure - when you come in as a freshman, you help on upperclass film projects and show them your value. Then as these students who were one, two, and three years ahead of you graduate and move into the industry (via the connections THEY made in school), you’ve got YOUR connections. This is a great bootstrapping process and might even be something to look out for in a school.</p>
<p>digmedia:thank you so much for this great advice.It makes a lot of sense to help out with upperclass film projects, and show your skills. It would be great too, if they could each have a mentor with connections assigned to them while in film school. Congratulations by the way to your son’s achievements, it’s so great and you must be so proud of him.</p>
<p>CAcollegemom: just adding that daughter as a freshman has had many informal opportunities to work on both student and alumni films this year. It takes a big time commitment on weekends, so you have to have your act together and keep up with school during the week. She already has made some great contacts, the network you build and opportunities to polish your talent make these experiences the best part of film school.</p>
<p>jtmoney:networking in today’s world is one of the keys to success in a lot of fields, but definitely very important in the film industry. I am so glad to hear that even as a freshman there will be possibilities for S to work on student and alumni films. Visiting NYU I did however have the feeling that freshman wont get that many chances as at Chapman and LMU. My S has still not completely decided where he will go. I will be so happy when the decision is finally made.
Has your daughter been able to work on films that were submitted to festivals?</p>
<p>There is a time lag between working on them and submission, but I am pretty sure some of them will be, as some of the directors have already done so with previous films. I can only vouch for her LMU experience that it has more than fulfilled her expectations. I think all the big time film schools have the opportunity if you seek it out.</p>
<p>jtmoney:I agree with you. In life it is often about seeking and taking opportunities. Working with a group of talented filmmakers (which you should be able to find at any of these good film schools) and making films to submit to festivals is an opportunity any film student should take.You never know what happens, unless you try. I would just hope that you have teachers and mentors in the film schools that support the students in that. My son never thought his short film would be awarded prices and would be screened in San Francisco this weekend.</p>