Newbie - Seeking Advice, Guidance and Inspiration

Hi Natasha

Don't beat yourself up over only just discovering what you want to do. I'm of a similar age to you (22 on Tuesday). I've just finished my law degree and was planning to be a solicitor, but now i'm looking to get involved in video/cinematography. I know of many other graduates who don't know what they want to do, or are doing things comPletely unrelated to their degrees so you're in plenty of company.

You could try getting a job or work experience from the BBC -
https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=info1
There is plenty of work experience placements available in possibly every area imaginable. Or you could try getting a job. There was a recent BBC 'runner pool' scheme which was aimed at people who have little or no experience with productions unfortunately the application deadline was saturday. Have a look at http://www.skillset.org/ for more advice on training and employment in the industry.

As for deciding what area you want to be involved in, i say why choose. Do it all. Takeshi Kitano http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001429/ literally does everything. He writes, directs, acts, edits, he even had his own t.v game show and talk show.

Good Luck
Andy
 
I was in the TV broadcast business for 10 years (mostly TV news) before I decided to get into the film industry. I joined a feature film crew by standing around an on-location shoot all day, for days. They do notice you and you can talk to the crew when they have downtime. They're pretty cool people. When someone called in sick, they asked me if I could fill in for a few days - without pay - and that's how I broke into the industry. Through the people I met, I had a paying film job shortly thereafter.
Perseverence. Make sacrifices. Ask questions. Show your desire. Did I mention make sacrifices?
The best bet for a newbie is to be a Production assistant - basically a glorified go-fer.
I'm not being a jerk, but if you're a young, attractive lady it doesn't hurt your chances to be noticed. Sorry, but there it is. It's still a male-dominated industry.

Also, for the acting part, keep on the lookout for casting calls for small parts or stand-ins. I also did that, and had a walk-on part in a film. Hey, it was fun and they paid and fed me for the day. You'll meet many like-minded people, with possible contacts.

Join a community theater, as an actress or stagehand. You'll learn a lot about acting, plus understand feedback from an audience. Also, look for no-budget film productions. You won't get paid (this is the sacrifices part), but you'll learn about the industry, and once again, make important contacts. Many people already established in the TV/film industry make no-budget films on the side (I do), so you can make very good contacts.

I can tell you that the TV/film industry is a very rewarding, sometimes stressful, career choice. I've been doing it for over 20 years, and I wouldn't want to do anything else.
Good luck - or, break a leg!
 
Triple threat.

Triple threat.

Write a script for yourself to play the lead. Produce and direct it. Get people to help you who believe in your vision. Get an editor. Don't be afraid to ask for stuff. Become a triple threat. Produce, direct and star. I can't think of anything more satisfying than that.
 
I can honestly say I have learned as much about the art of filmmaking, writing, editing, lighting, etc. etc. on this site as I have anywhere.
There is some amazing talent congregated right here, take advantage of it.
A.
 
And don't worry about $pending lot$ of money on expen$ive equipment. Just use what you have or can get for cheap/free. I started off with some scriptwriting software that came free with a budget filmmaking book I bought. It wasn't the greatest - I now use Final Draft, which is fantastic - but it was a lot better than trying to format scripts myself... Saying that, the most important thing is the story, and if the actors can read it clearly, what more do you need to start out?

I'm sure you get the idea. Anyhoo, good luck!
 
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