A FEW THOUGHTS FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS

It is incredibly hard to make it in the film business.

In the UK it is a very small business with few big players, so there are few training opportunities; much of it is ‘on the job’.

A film studies degree does not guarantee you a job in film – there are now thousands of film graduates swamping the market with no obviously practical skills.

Film is made up of many different skills – do not tell me (or anyone else) you “want to be in the film business”. Tell me you want to be a writer, director, producer, production designer, editor, make-up artist, stunt coordinator, cameraman, location manager or even an actor.

Learn about the different skills, understand how film is made, be voracious in collecting knowledge about the industry, watch lots of films, read loads of scripts, make short films, pull in all useful contacts to get on set, meet people, make a nuisance of yourself.

Go to film festivals, go on courses, meet other wannabe filmmakers, create a team, enter film festivals, make virals, use social media, find out what is going on in your area/university.

If you want to be a writer – perhaps major in English.

If you want to be a producer consider accountancy, law, business studies, psychology.

If you want to be a director consider any of the visual arts – perhaps major in English, photography, philosophy and yes maybe film studies (but beware, you might end up like all the other wannabe directors who ‘study’ film).

Whatever you ultimately want to do, buy some editing software (like Final Cut Pro) and learn how to be an editor – it’s an invaluable skill and teaches you much about the craft of filmmaking (and it is a recognisable skill that you can monetise).

Remember that where you went to school or university is unlikely to cut much ice on any CV going to film companies – they want to see the shorts you’ve done, the film courses you’ve been on, the shoots you’ve worked on, the virals you’ve uploaded, the projects you’ve developed, the people you’ve collaborated with, the websites you’ve made, all the weird, the wild, the wrong and the wonderful stuff you’ve done.

You will never have a better opportunity to get your hands on so much free kit, so much free software, free editing equipment, free extras, wannabe collaborators and free screening opportunities as you will at uni. What’s more, you will never have so much free TIME.

USE IT WISELY!