Graduating from college in 6 months, now what?

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DavidT

Member
So, as I browse the threads on this site and plan ways to spend my money 10 times over on all the cool tools of the trade that I want, I suddenly realized something.

I'm going to be graduating from college in about 6 months, and I will move back to L.A. and get an apartment. But that won't last long without a steady job. I know I want to intern for a lighting house (Mole Richardson) to get experience, and make contacts. But I definitely don't want to be working a day job that has nothing to do with film making, like my job at a call center here in Santa Barbara.

Just wondering, from those with much more experience than I, what kind of day jobs in the industry are good to get into, until I make my first big film. I was thinking sound or editing, which I do enjoy both, but I really want to be involved with the camera.

Thanks in advance!

David Tarango :)
 
I have been thinking about that, I actually just applied to UCLA, and I am looking at other schools, but Im so ready to start working in the industry, not sure if I can handle 4 more years of school for an MFA in Cinematography, and about a hundred thousand more in debt. I at least need a year off to unwind. Well we'll se if I even get in...
 
Hey David, about a year ago, I was in a similar situation. I had just recieved my BFA and was looking at grad schools, but I also wanted to start working in the meantime. I would say, since you still have 6 months left of school, make sure your portfolio is up to par. Now is the time to shoot commercials, films, corporate anything you can get your hands on, even if you have to do them for free to make your reel ready for the professional and educational world.
Right now I have not ruled out my MFA, I am working full time as a freelance cinematographer. Basically I am giving myself a 2 year break, and if I am not where I want to be at the end of the 2 year break, I'm off to get my MFA.
 
davidt, I was in the same situation as well.... 6 months ago I graduated and thought..... yeeehaw I'm done with school, now what?

I did some traveling/road trippin across the USA for the whole summer, then settled down in Austin where I been doing freelance work. I havent ruled out grad school but its not my main focus right now. Right now I'm just focusing on making some green and doing preparations and writing for my next project. I'd say if you are serious about becoming a successful filmmaker/director/DP then you got to be open minded about all aspects of the craft. Study and read a lot of books and just spend a lot of time writing/shooting/editing. Since you have 6 months left, i'd really try to get my reel/portfolio sick as f**k, so when you do grad you have something nice to show potential clients/investors/producers/etc.... I really do believe in the old school approach of practice makes perfect, this was something I learned as a kid playing baseball..... just keep doing it and you'll get better. Also, try to learn and pull influences and inspiration from sources OUTSIDE the cinema. This has helped me a lot in gaining perspective on my writing and shooting. Just be like a huge sponge tha soakes up info/stimuli from everything.

LA has so many opportunities for sure but so do a lot of other places IMO. You can be a successful filmmaker now from ANYWHERE. (if your writing/directing is good enough). I think the cool thing about LA though is that it allocates ALL the resources you would need to make a film into a one stop shop.

I will say this though.... if you dont have your own camera and editing station, get them! Because thats the fundamental things you need to "practice" ... and if your gonna go ahead and throw down for some gear, get some stuff that will make you competitive (at least on an indie/small scale). You can get an HVX200 and an 8gig P2 card for about 5 grand and you can get a macbook pro with FCP for about 3 grand, I would make that investment for sure. Now you dont need an HVX/FCP just to practice (of course not) but if you learn FCP in and out, you can get a job as an editor and if you have an HVX and your a good operator, you can get work as a cam op..... cant do that with a handy cam and windows movie maker.

good luck bro
 
Live home for a year, work hard save money, AND do an intership, Then Grad school. I am currently struggling pretty hard trying to make it as a Freelancer. Im only afloat because i work at my Family bussiness. Without that id be up **** creek. I did it the wrong way, and didnt do internsips, now i have no "experince" on paper. I cant even get a job at a production company, because my resume is so thin. i have a reel yes, but thats only part of the equasion.

dude do it the right way.. Interships, Save money where you can. let the career wait until your on your feet. dont just jump in without looking.
 
Start working on shoots as a PA. If you are going to work, might as well get paid something, and be working in the industry.

No better way to make contacts either.

Then work your way up from there, depending on your area of interest.

My God, living in Los Angeles should keep you busy all year round and if you are good, reliable and talented, you'll make your way up the ladder.

I didn't go to college but went into the Army as a video production specialist.

When I got out and went home, I found a job immediately with a local production house. I was 22 at the time. I just kept volunteering for projects, even if it meant being a gopher (PA). Soon I was put on camera (had to prove myself first) and it just went from there.

Be persisitant and don't settle for anything less than what you want to do. Remember, in this industry, who you know is only half of it. Detirmination is the other half.
 
Lots of sound advice here---

Either way though, MFA's arent another 4 years in school--

That being said, I say move to LA, get PA jobs and crawl to the top. With free time work on the area of the business you want to work, i.e. if you want to direct, direct anything and everything you can, hopefully someone will see it, like it and go from there.
 
oh, forget one thing. I assume your going to grad school for contacts?
If you gotta take loans to pay for it, I strongly suggest just moving to LA, get jobs on films as anything (PA) intern etc, and take a loan to live off of....not to pay for school.

I feel you get further working with people, rather than being a student at such and such. They want to work with you, not talk to you about the facilities or things you got along with your MFA.

My feeling is, an MFA is just an expensive way to work on your reel for people that arent motivated enough---

Everyone learns at different methods, paces etc...
BUT-
When Im looking for crew to help out, work, etc.
I look at their experience first, and the school second. Im much more likely to hire the guy that didnt go to college but has been on set for the last 5 years as a pa and is now a grip, then a kid just getting out of any college..

But then again, thats just my personal preference...
 
Yep, get in there and make calls and send resumes and romance contacts and work, and work, and work. A few months before I graduated I arranged around a dozen blind interviews, flew out to Los Angeles and showed my portfolio to everyone and anyone who'd look at it; some of my arranged interviews gave me contacts of theirs, to move on to, next. I had my first job within ten days of moving here.

I agree with S4manturbo, too. I've only had one boss in sixteen years who was interested in my formal education, and he turned out to be a putz who wasn't even particularly good at his own job. Competent people will be interested in what you can *do.*
 
Thanks for all the responses, I will take it all into consideration.

In response, I have been wokring on productions in Los Angeles when I get time. Sometimes I get paid, most of the time, people want me to work for free or very low pay, but it's ok, because Im still getting alot out of it.

I do plan to do internships and work at the same time once I move to L.A.

The way it is looking, I will be moving back to L.A. from Santa Barbara and start working. I am originally from L.A. and I moved to Santa Barbara for school. I will be applying to Grad schools at the same time, but the whole process is so long, have to apply almost a year in advance to most, so I will have to keep busy in the meantime.

I am a hardworker, and very sharp and know my stuff, so I have received calls back several times from Ad's and Producers that want me to work on their other proojects. The thing that sux is that during the week I am busy with school, and on weekends, im usually working my coporate job just to pay the bills, so I have had to decline offers to work for free on a movie or commercial, because I need to work at my day job for pay, and If I miss a weekend my boss will flip!

Either way, I can't wait to e done with school s I can start working in the industry fulltime.

Hoof: I have a MAC PRO, and a DVX100A. Just got them both recently so, im working on my own projects right now for sure. But in the past I shot on 16mm or cheapo video cameras for my lil school projects.

Thanks for the advice guys!

David
 
I graduate in 6 months as well, and I just got an internship for my last 6 months (at concrete pictures in phili), and hopefully turn into a full time job (like they said it would).. post production branding agency, one of biggest in east coast..

internships are a great way for a place to test you out for a little while than if theyre happy theyll want to hire you full time. make some money for a couple years, work on your own projects on the side, and when your ready make your break! bam!
 
Update on this post, about 4 months later,,,

Thanks to all who gave me their input on what to do after graduating. So I was so ready to graduate and start working, but that may be delayed slightly. I graduate in June, and the only grad school I applied to was UCLA last November . You apply a year in advance, so I applied for this up coming Fall quarter. Anywayz, I got a letter, and I am a finalist and they want to interview me. I always told myself, that Im ready to finish school for a while and just start working, but I also said, that if UCLA accepts me, then it is an opportunity I can't pass up as well. Anywayz, I only applied to UCLA, because it was the only school I wanted to goto, and If I don't get in, Im happy to start working from the ground up. I have an interview on April 7th. If anyone has any grad school interview tips, or just interview advice in general, it would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance for all your advice, wish me luck!
 
Congrats David! I'm kinda in the same boat. Thinking about applying to grad school, thinking about moving down to LA and find work. I'll still probably apply, but the next app deadline will be this fall for the following academic year. So I've got some time to kill. I'll likely move down to LA in August... time to work on the reel and whip out the contact book!
 
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