dalethompson
Well-known member
Don't quit your day job at all but do make filming your 2nd job.
Study film, watch it, critique it. Watch a whole movie but each time you watch a different one, study the angles of each scene shot. Study the lighting, study the locations, sounds, visuals, camera techniques. Watch the positioning of the actors, figure out what the director was trying to do with each scene and if he/she achieved it or could've done something differently to improve it. Watch for mistakes too, there's more than enough in most films to catch if you really study them.
This can be done for basically no money at all, that's the beauty of it.
I tried to get into film school at Ryerson in Toronto, only to find out there was a 4% acceptance rate (and I was a journalism grad on top of that!). Best advice I got: Save the $40,000 (or more) you would've spent on school and spend that on your first project, you'll learn more by making mistakes than sitting in a classroom.
Look at the list of directors who never went to film school... figure that all of them got their start somewhere but also remember they are all students of film in that they studied it on their own time and then went out and filmed things. Even the smallest of projects counts, don't underestimate experience on your own.
Film is an extremely hard field to get into but it's not unlike any other profession really. If it's a passion (and not just a hobby), you have to be willing to work harder than the next person and never, ever turn down a gig for pride, money (or lack thereof) or experience. In the end, it'll be your passion to work hard but also your knowledge, dedication and attitude that gets you into film fulltime (and, well, talent too, that's important).
Study film, watch it, critique it. Watch a whole movie but each time you watch a different one, study the angles of each scene shot. Study the lighting, study the locations, sounds, visuals, camera techniques. Watch the positioning of the actors, figure out what the director was trying to do with each scene and if he/she achieved it or could've done something differently to improve it. Watch for mistakes too, there's more than enough in most films to catch if you really study them.
This can be done for basically no money at all, that's the beauty of it.
I tried to get into film school at Ryerson in Toronto, only to find out there was a 4% acceptance rate (and I was a journalism grad on top of that!). Best advice I got: Save the $40,000 (or more) you would've spent on school and spend that on your first project, you'll learn more by making mistakes than sitting in a classroom.
Look at the list of directors who never went to film school... figure that all of them got their start somewhere but also remember they are all students of film in that they studied it on their own time and then went out and filmed things. Even the smallest of projects counts, don't underestimate experience on your own.
Film is an extremely hard field to get into but it's not unlike any other profession really. If it's a passion (and not just a hobby), you have to be willing to work harder than the next person and never, ever turn down a gig for pride, money (or lack thereof) or experience. In the end, it'll be your passion to work hard but also your knowledge, dedication and attitude that gets you into film fulltime (and, well, talent too, that's important).