breaking into the business

R

rjmix

New member
I will be starting my senior year at a liberal arts university and am currently majoring in video production. I currently operate my own wedding videography business and have produced many short movies and demos (all on a $0 budget). Some of my videos have won awards and others have been sold and shipped all over the country to churches, schools, NBA teams, and the 2004 Olypmic committee. I've got a pretty good grasp on directing and am considered to be one of the best in my class at my particular college and I look to be doing even bigger and better things this coming year. I am not writing to tell you about myself, but to ask you how I would apply my experience to the real world. I've heard that it is difficult to "break into the business" and I was just wondering the best way to do that.

I am currently working on a music video for a band which I think will turn out really well. This kind of stuff is awesome to me. I love everything about it, from sitting down with the band and coming up with ideas, to finishing it up in post. I would like to do something like this, whether it be movies, commercials, or music videos.

I've been visiting a lot of posts on this site and can see that there are a lot of professionals and I was just wondering how you got to where you are. There are so many names on movie credits and I wouldn't mind being any one of them. Just how do I get there? thanks.
 
well this reply carries no weight since i certainly have not made it. But depending on what u want to do, really you just gotta work! If you find work and promote yourself (and are anygood of coarse) you'll find more work, better work.

Music videos are a great start, make more, find bigger bands and show then what you can offer. Then maybe move on to commercial or something.

If you wanna do features, work on some shorts and get them in festivals. Its all about getting bigger and better. Good luck! I GOTTA GO!
 
There is no "standard" way to break in. My case was very far from what most folks do. In the summer of 1988 I got together with my partner at the time and a musician who made electronic music and we made five highly stylistic music videos. At the time all we had was a consumer VHS camcorder and two top of the line consumer VHS decks (with audio dub). We shot the music videos on VHS, came back home and re-shot the video off of a TV and used the VCR in slo-mo for motion effects and used the tv's hue, color and contrast controls for color effects. The editing was cuts only with the pause/record buttons on the VCRS. When we were done, we started showing this videos around and got accolades for them. Using these videos, we got a contract to do a series of fashion commercials for a local specialty boutique and was able to talk the owner into shooting film. Each time we made something new, we showed them to as many people as we could and did more commercials and then music videos and on and on.

My advice to you is to get your best stuff together as a short reel and keep showing it around. Music videos are very cool to do, in that you can experiment and play with style. Try to get some "regular" (read, boring) corporate communications type stuff to show also. Keep updating your reel and keep showing it around. Don't be afraid to make variations to your reel. Have a cool, highly stylish version for younger, hipper clients (music videos and such) and a more conservative version that won't scare older business types. (I ran across some people with misgivings early on when all I had to show was high stylistic and somewhat risque stuff).

If you are entering your senior year, shoot everything you can. I would shoot every major event on campus and cut together the stuff as commercials and short documentaries. I would especially suggest hooking up with the theatre department for resources and stuff to shoot.

Keep compiling your reel and hand out them out as much as you can (making DVDs is cheap). Let everybody you know, and your family knows that you are a "Video Guy". Then keep at it

Also, stay informed. Get your free subscription to Videography magazine at:

http://www.uemedia.com/CPC/videography/

From this site they also offer other mags

Get Millimeter (free subscription)

http://www.millimeter.com/

and get DV magazine, also free

http://www.dv.com/

There are others. Keep up with current technology and production techniques. One of the best places to do this is on this website.

Good luck.
 
although I'm still young, I've learned one thing from watching new director's breaking in...
they all take their own initiative and write (co-write) their own script and make it. If it's a unique, well-made film, then studios will notice and sign you on.

So ya, just keep plugging out movies... that's what I'm going to do
 
What is it you want to do, exactly? Direct feature films? Music Videos? Documentaries?
They are all different worlds, so it would help if we knew what direction you want to go in.

dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
 
Well, I consider myself to be pretty creative and I really enjoy coming up with ideas and putting them into action. I don't really think I'd be interested in documentaries, but I really wouldn't mind movies, music videos, commercials, etc. Basically, I'm just trying to get some ideas on where to go after my senior year. Since I don't have any restictions and I'm willing to travel pretty much anywhere, I'm just trying to figure out the best path to take so I'm not living in my parent's basement after I graduate.

I understand about the writing your own script thing. I just submitted a feature length script to a competition, just to see how I will do. those things are a bear to write. anyway, you mentioned that studios will take notice. How would I go about getting it in front of the right eyes? Is it just blind calling around or is there a strategy to it?

also, I'm not looking to break out into a big hollywood direct right out of school. it would be nice, but I'd be lost. since I live very far away from hollywood, I don't know much about getting even a simple job on a movie set? how does that work?
 
It's best to have a focus on a specific area. When I was editing, I hired assistants that wanted to become editors, not directors. It's pretty much the same with all department heads. Even if you're hired as a P.A. it's good to have some sort of idea into which department you'd like to go, because there are art department P.A.s, set P.A.s, Production office P.A.s, etc. Most Production Managers I've worked with over the years really want a PA that's hungry to move up the food chain and do a good job. If you want to learn more about the creative side, go into post production as an apprentice editor. If you want to learn the nuts and bolts of production, become a set or office P.A. and try to work your way up through the string of assistant directors. The idea is to get to know people. Not just those that can green light a project--because it ain't gonna happen--but those that you work with that know somebody that knows somebody. But before you do any of that: write a script and direct a short based on that script. That way at least if the opportunity presents itself, you'll have a calling card. It's a hard row to hoe, and best to be prepared. To get started, get a Tuesday edition of the Hollywood Reporter. They list all productions going on. Start with films in Pre-production and write, e-mail, or fax the production manager with a kick ass cover letter and resume. Be specific about what you want to do. And keep at it. The best would be if there is a feature being shot on location near where you are now. They aren't going to pay per diem to a P.A., and will want to hire local on those positions. So then you aren't going up against million others for the same job.

Having said all that: If I were you, I'd stay where you are, grab your dv camera and shoot a feature. It's a new world, and nobody needs Hollywood any more! Pick up Rick Schmidt's "Extreme DV. Feature filmmaking at used car prices" and get started! The quickest way to the top is to start there. Seriously. If you want to make movies, make them. That's the easiest way to get noticed.

Good luck!

Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
 
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