Should I sack it all in and get a 'real' job?

[Gillvane]

The Film Industry can be a very financially rewarding career if you want to be a sound tech, camera operator, Gaffer, Best Boy, etc. and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn those skills and become well respected in your craft. But, those jobs really aren't that different from being an HVAC (air conditioner) repair person or a plumber IMO. Its' a technical skill you can learn and if you're persistent and not an asshole you can get good paying gigs.

Many people though want to be a director. I think this is like being a musician. Talented or not, there are very few that make it into a successful career.

I agree with the post above that producing corporate videos does pretty much nothing to help you become a good film maker. You're going to learn some technical skills, skills a good director doesn't need because you do not need to be a good camera operator, gaffer, sound tech to be a good director and in fact most good directors do not have the skills to do those jobs, although there are a few rare directors that camera operate.

 

[pulpfiction007]

I suppose it boils down to what you REALLY want. Do you want to "make it" in the industry or in the business of film/video or do you want to make films or art. 2 totally different things with different approaches.
If you are an artist you will never stop even if you wanted to (as John Lennon said once) You say "I'm going to quit!" and there you are a week later doing it again.

 

[mail4joeg]

Judging by your initial post, and nothing else--

Walk into every production company you can find and try and get hired there. That's what your resume points at. No?

 

[filmguy123]

It's not easy to be sustainable in video production full time, especially solo freelance. It's do-able, but not easy. You have to be GOOD. I mean, better than the vast majority of people. Even then, it's not easy. You have to be dedicated to the business end as well, and be good at sales, etc. And finally, you have to LOVE it. Because even with both of the above, you're going to put in more hours, make less, and have to be self motivated.

Why not get some sort of part-time job, or on-call type of a position? Something flexible with steady income that will still allow you to pursue this.

On the other hand, if what I said above doesn't totally float your boat (and don't take that likely), consider working a "normal" job and doing video as freelance "bonus" money. It can be a great source of extra income and in that case, doesn't create the stress of having to be totally sustainable.

You may be young but you're also old enough where you should be treating your living conditions and your status as single as an advantage, not a crutch. What I mean is, you should be able to be sustainable and saving $$ if you were on your own. If not, living with your parents is a crutch (as in you couldn't survive otherwise) not a competitive advantage (where you save extra to invest in your business).

 

[DMcG]

Go with the dream of making your own films. You'll never be happy scraping by, busting a gut, working as a video producer for clients if your heart isn't really in it and you find the work boring. You already achieved a hell of a lot as a 23 year old, don't feel bad about still living at home. It's not like you've just been sat on your arse doing nothing since leaving uni. I'd advise you to apply for jobs in the tv/film industry as a runner, driver, kit room assistant and work your way up to cameraman or dop. Try hire companies and production companies. You'll soon be able to support yourself and gain some valuable experience working alongside professionals. Don't sell the equipment you've built up for your business, you can use it when you find the time and energy to work on your own low budget film projects, applying the skills and knowledge you've picked up in your day job. Maybe get shown at some festivals, maybe win a few more awards to add to your success with the 48hr project. When you've saved up enough cash and you've perfected that screenplay you've been working on at the weekends you can start applying for funding to direct your first feature. Where you go from there is anyone's guess. Good luck whatever you choose to do.