Hi,

I can totally relate to you. Because I feel the exact same way that you do. My story is pretty much the same as yours. Ever since I was a boy I knew I wanted to become a director. But fate brought me to Business School. People told me that I wasn't gonna make it, and if I did, it would be extremely hard.

I'm 19 years old, and as I wrote before, right now I'm doing a degree in business. But it is not the same. The "excitement" and the "passion" are gone.

Fortunatley, I found an incredible person. She opened my eyes, and made me realize that I wasn't happy 100%. I knew it was because of my "dead dream". Right now, I'm planning to drop college and follow my real dream. Go to film school and start a career in the business that I do love the most, and that is filmmaking.

My advice to you, is to do the same thing. I know how you feel right now. You think that if you don't make it in the film industry you're gonna starve to dead, and your parents are gonna be like "We told you to go to business school", right? But I've learnt one think, that filmmaking is not about the money, the fame, or anything else. It's about passion and commitment, about doing the one thing that you like the most, that's the real magic of the movies.

You will always find a new door, and if you don't...there's always a window. Full of new chances. So don't worry about the future, just follow your dream. Don't let it die.

I hope this helped you a little bit...have a nice week! ?:)?

Kind of helps. See with me, I love movies and I do have a passion for them, but at the same time I have a commitment to both myself, my family and my bride to be, and that is to be able to provide for them. I'm a great business man and can work wonders in that industry but my true passion lies in film production, my only worry is that if I dont make it in the industry, I'll have wasted time and money for something that gave me nothing in return.

I'm a writer. I feel compelled to write stories. I got a job as a technical writer as my day job because it pays well and its easy and it helps my typing speed and grammer. Problem is writing 8 hours a day on the day job sucks the will to write at night. It does not get easier as you get older.

My suggestion would be to go to business school and make movies on weekends and during the summer. Work as crew on a film students picture or two. Learn film on the set during weekends and summers. After working on a few student films either your questions will be answered one way or the other. By the time you graduate you'll have a business degree to pay your bills and the knowledge to jump in and perhaps make your own picture.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Plus, frankly, it's probably harder to learn the business side of the movie industry than the technical side. Understanding both will put you ahead of a lot of people, particularly if you want to go into producing.

But will just working with a few film students and making movies on the side for fun really get me any credentials in film making or will I be shunned by companies because I didnt go to film school?

Quinten Tarintino never went to film school and he is not shunned. Kevin Smith dropped out after half a semester and he is not shunned. If you have the talent all you need is get noticed. If you do not have the talent nothing will help.

Film school is not some secret golden ticket. It allows you to play with expensive equipment, network, and provides a way to show your short films. After you graduate you are on your own and nobody will really care where you went, they'll just care what your films look like.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Indeed: the only thing that really matters is that you can make movies which makes a profit... if you can do that, no-one will care about what courses you've taken. And if you can't do that, no-one will care about what courses you've taken :).

I would say to follow your dreams as a filmmaker. Do what makes you happy, and don't ever let the dream die.

I am definitely going to pursue a career in filmmaking. I don't care if it all fails and I end up squatting in some derelict house at least I will have taken the chance and the opportunity.

___________________________________
You can't keep 'em out, they're already in!

That's IT! Svelter! couldn't agree more! you're totally right!

"...this is the first day of my life"

Dont ever let ANYONE decide the fate of your dreams for you. Im 24 going on 25 and about to attend my senior year for film. The professors at my school continually hassle me and my other classmates (some of whom have already completed feature length films) about our work, constantly trying to bring us down. What has happened is that instead of relying on our teachers for help we've banded together as a class and have been helping each other out.

I sat on my butt for a couple of years doing NOTHING with my life. Absolutely no direction. I missed out on a lot but now Im getting things done and slowly but surely learning what i need to know to make films. There are so many ways to break into the filmmaking business. But TALENT is the key. If you have talent and determination you will get noticed, dont let any cynic tell you differently.

The only way you get talented at something is to keep working at it. You already have a good headstart because you've been making short films for a good while. I'm guessing now you probably just need someone to show you how to really put those raw skills you have to work. You say your going to business school, that might be a good thing to continue so you will be able to handle that aspect of the filmmaking process. One of my roommates from 04 had transferred from a business school into the animation department of my college as a sophomore.?;)?

I agree with Svelter. I farted about with films from 19 for a few years then became a marketing executive, it sucked the life out of me and at 26 I took voluntary redundancy and started my own production company, now I'm 30. You wouldn't believe how much debt I'm in but the company is just about functioning and I get to travel all over the world making films with great people, I just had to turn down 3 weeks in Italy because I'm already in NYC to shoot music videos, next year I might be going to Mongolia to film in the most unspoilt mountain range in the world. Live the dream or die trying to crack a cliche, otherwise you'll hate yourself when you turn 40 something and have nothing but 20 boring years behind a desk to show for it.

Steve Piper
Coffee Films
www.coffeefilms.com
www.myspace.com/coffeefilms

I am 16 years old and dreamed of being a filmmaker ever since the Lord of the Rings came out. Thank you guys for encouraging all young filmmakers.

Pain is tempoary, film is forever.