Newbie - Seeking Advice, Guidance and Inspiration

LadyNatasha87

LadyNatasha87

Member
Hi Guys,

My name is Natasha and I am from the UK. I am currently at the stage in my life where I am wondering what it is I am destined to do. I find the jobs I apply for are mundane and soul destroying. My one main passion in life has been and will always continue to be film. It is such a shame that I figured this all out once I left college. Typical eh?!

The problem I have is knowing what part of the film industry I would like to work in. There are so many different sectors playing different roles towards the final product that I am unsure which area to delve into.

Someone once said if you 'think' you might want to work in this industry don't do but if you 'know' you want to do it, then go for it. Well I know I want to work in this industry. Please can you guys advise me..

Thanks x
 
Just how can I find out what part of the film industry is suited for me. I know that it is a massive question but I am hoping that some of you can shed some light for me. lol.

I love acting but I feel that maybe I lack the confidence to go into that at the moment and maybe behind the scenes is where I can shine.

Any information you could share with me would help me immensely.

Thanks
 
This is where it gets confusing lol.

Ready for it..

Ok:

I like acting, I love the buzz the excitement and I love the art and depth of it. I once acted in a TV programme in the Uk and loved it. I lost a lot of confidence shortly after though and haven't been able to get the courage to go back into it.

I love the creativity of writing yet I feel I lack the disicipline to create a master piece.

I like photography yet have little understanding of its envolvement within film.. I feel I would never be able to be creative enough to make something explode onto the screen like the DP's do.

I love the whole sector but its just i feel unable to pin point what is the right choice for me is and where to go from there.

It's something that scares me as I feel I am at an age where I should have already chosen my calling and got involved already.

I hope this makes things clear although some how I feel you might have regretted asking me the question 'What do you find interesting?' lol.

x
 
Hi Natasha,

I'm guessing you're 21 or 22 - unless '87' bears some other significance for you! - so try not to think it's too late! It's NEVER too late - a cliche, because it's so TRUE. I should re-phrase that: it is only too late when you're dead, but that's kind of obvious... :) I've definitely known several people who've changed direction totally, by getting into something completely different after a course, or chance job opportunity (or mental breakdown!). Anyway, as to your question, I would recommend the following advice:

1. Take a (short) course in filmmaking. You will probably meet like-minded souls, and you will gain some much-needed confidence in how a film is put together.
2. Get a few friends together and start messing around with a video camera if you have one. If not, borrow one. You mention you like writing, acting, photography... Well, what are you waiting for?! :)

Enjoy!
 
totallylikecosmic said:
I'm guessing you're 21 or 22 - unless '87' bears some other significance for you!
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Yeah 21 :crybaby:

Thanks for the great advice, I was just looking at a home course in scriptwriting too. Looks quite good and would give me a small taste of what it is all about.

I will certainly look for short course in film studies and well take all of your advice.

Thanks
 
LadyNatasha87 said:
This is where it gets confusing lol.

Ready for it..

Ok:

I like acting, I love the buzz the excitement and I love the art and depth of it. I once acted in a TV programme in the Uk and loved it. I lost a lot of confidence shortly after though and haven't been able to get the courage to go back into it.

I love the creativity of writing yet I feel I lack the disicipline to create a master piece.

I like photography yet have little understanding of its envolvement within film.. I feel I would never be able to be creative enough to make something explode onto the screen like the DP's do.

I love the whole sector but its just i feel unable to pin point what is the right choice for me is and where to go from there.

It's something that scares me as I feel I am at an age where I should have already chosen my calling and got involved already.

I hope this makes things clear although some how I feel you might have regretted asking me the question 'What do you find interesting?' lol.

x
Click to expand...

Well . . .

I will say that if you want to make a career of it, two things you'll definitely need are courage and discipline. :beer:
 
Follow your heart (and gut)...you'll find your way! Try anything & everything and get involved. Write a short monologue, set-up a camera and shoot yourself doing it, edit it, add music...but most of all have fun, try any crazy idea you come up with. Believe me, you have your whole life in front of you...enjoy. I promise you'll find your nitch.

Welcome to the group...this was a great first step!
Cheers.:beer:
 
Welcome to DVXUSER (although it seems most of us don't use a DVX anymore since this whole world is going HD).

The others have all given good advice. Don't let your age become a hinderance or an excuse. I think that should be applied to all endeavors, no matter how mundane or ambitious.

As for finding your way in the film industry, I'd say take the next year and just try everything. Do some more acting, take a photography course, shoot a cheap or low budget short film, write a couple short scripts, find others in your immediate area with an interest in film.

There is a scriptfest here every once in a while, usually about 3 months apart. You could always enter a script in that. The good thing is that you get feedback, see what others have done, and can just have an altogether good time talking to the others about writing. The last scriptfest was a blast and there are a lot of really great writers that enter. I've learned a lot from them.

Another thing you can do is to look back at past jobs and creative projects you've either done alone or been involved with. Ask yourself personal questions.... are you a technology and gadget fanatic, or do you like to keep things simple? Are you someone that likes to get their hands dirty changing the oil for your car, or are you more inclined to just go to the park and paint a picture? These will help you figure out if you're more inclined for a technical position like cinematography, editing, or special effects versus being a director, writer, or actor. Of course, all the various disciplines of filmmaking require a mixture of both raw creativity, logic, and technical ability.

Good luck and don't forget to hang out here from time to time.
 
Wow thanks for all your advice you have all got me really inspired to just go for it. I think I will start off with Script writing. This is not something I have ever looked into before but I like the creativity of it and I think that it would be a good way to start getting into the film industry.

I would love to get back into acting as it is my REAL passion but with my confidence so knocked do you think that this would be a course I should try or leave?

Thank you all for your advice it is invaluable.

Cheers
 
Screenwriting is a good place to start because let's face it, pretty much any good film starts with a great script. Learning the value of a good story will be beneficial even if you decide to go and pursue acting, cinematography, or another specialization in the film industry.

Plus, it doesn't cost much at all.

A good program to get started with is the screenwriting software Celtx. You can download it for Mac OS or Windows for free.

http://celtx.com/

Some recommended books on screenwriting to start with are:

-- Save the Cat, by: Blake Snyder
-- Screenplay, by: Syd Field
-- Story, by: Robert McKee (although this one is recommended to be read after the ones listed above it)

Also, don't forget to check out the screenwriting forum here, as well as the next scriptfest which should be starting soon.

LadyNatasha87 said:
I would love to get back into acting as it is my REAL passion but with my confidence so knocked do you think that this would be a course I should try or leave?
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This is just my own 2 cents, but if you really love acting and want to pursue it, like Nike says "just do it". The more you do and learn about acting will most likely increase your confidence in your abilities.
 
I'm a little surprised there's been no mention of getting a PA gig to actually see what it's like on a working, professional set. The things you learn on set are invaluable, and no book can teach them.

You say you're not sure what area to pursue, well, working as a PA on a real set will introduce you to MANY different areas of filmmaking... even one's you didn't realize existed. Maybe not writing or other pre-production areas, but script supervising (Script Supervisor) would be a great tool for any writer, in my opinion. Along with many others...

I'd say that'd be a good start. Even if you hate PA'ing, do it for a couple of days just to get the experience. I'm not sure how you'd go about landing a gig in the UK, though. Here in the states there's websites specifically for film production jobs.

cheers

p.s. Yes, there are plenty of PA opportunities that require no experience. Let them know up front your intentions, and that you don't have any actual experience on set, but are willing to learn. Just be careful not to get swindled into working for free with an amateur crew that doesn't know what they're doing.
 
ryan brown said:
Just be careful not to get swindled into working for free with an amateur crew that doesn't know what they're doing.
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True, but even with this kind of situation, from my own experience working with others who don't know how to really treat the crew properly for example, you learn what not to do which can be very beneficial.

But I agree Ryan. Working on a set can be a valuable experience. The good thing is you may get the chance to see what each department does, which will help you get a better idea of what area focus on pursuing later on.
 
i notice a few things:

I feel I lack the disicipline
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but I feel that maybe I lack the confidence to go into that
Click to expand...
I feel I would never be able to be creative enough to make something explode
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it would seem to me that you need to do some work on your self esteem and work-ethic before you do ANYTHING else. but maybe its not knowing what you want to do thats causing the self-image issue... dont take this the wrong way, but the way you present yourself so far, i wouldnt even hire you to clean my office.

there are a ton of areas to go into. id say if you have no idea whats best for you, that writing would be a good place to start - mainly because you dont need access to $5, $10, $20k worth of gear to do it. but then again, any cheapo consumer dv camera and $500 to $1000 worth of editing software would get you on your way to doing creative indi stuff...

a curious thing that got a record producer buddy mine into the big time was that he just walked into a studio and said "i just want to be involved - i'll make coffee, i'll get your dry cleaning, i'll carry cables, whatever. and i'll do it for free for 6 weeks. if you dont find me a value after that you can fire me." a couple years later hes second engineer on major act recordings...

and i dont know if its strictly "film" as in movies that you mean, but there is also a ton of work in industrial video. but it can be soulless and draining as anything else. and while we are on that subject, you need to get over that whole attitude. even great motion pictures can be tedious and monotonous behind the scenes. its not all art and ponies. this shi* is WORK.

sounds to me that you need to do a little maturing as well... as ANY job even related to film/video - even acting, requires a good deal of discipline to be truly successful. at least before you get rich and famous - after that, THEN you can become an irresponsible layabout who just meanders through life waiting to be inspired ; )
 
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Thank you for all your comments. They are all very constructive and helpful.
I have a camcorder and am starting to get a few script ideas down and looking at attending film making courses in my area.

Also, does anyone know any good film editting software that would be good for me?

Thank you for all your kind comments :D
 
id say go with final cut pro. if youre not keen to spend time managing your machine you cant go wrong with a mac!
 
and dont let anyone try to tell you that you need a $5000 camera at this point. sounds like youre trying to create art not cutting edge media.

id rather watch a good story shot on VHS than some poorly contrived schlock on a red.
 
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