Hey Guys
I'm a recent University graduate, having studied Cinema I'm hoping to spend the next year or two developing my portfolio for a Directors course at one of the country's top film school.
While of course I'll be continuing to develop and make my own shorts and other projects, I'd also love to start to get experience in assistant roles on larger feature film sets.
My question is that as an aspiring Director what entry-level role should I target. Personally I love Camera Assisting, having 2nd AC'd/ Camera Trainee'd on two independent projects, this was when I was more interested in Cinematography, but to me being able to learn skills and work with tools while assisting feels far more beneficial than running around as a Production Assistant ( a role which I'd always, maybe unjustly, considered as a role that people without any technical skills applied for)
Is Production Assistant the logical role that people expect from aspiring Directors when looking at their on-set experience and film school applications. And would Camera Assistant roles weaken my Directing CV (it could be easy for people to dismiss me as not being commited to the role)
Sorry for this rambling post, but I guess to put it simply, what is the standard entry level industry job for aspiring Directors
Many Thanks
When producers are looking for a director they do not look at any non-directing
experience. Working as a camera assistant or a PA or in the art department or in
a production office will not hurt you personally but it will not help you demonstrate
your abilities as a director. There are no entry level jobs for an aspiring director.
A director gets jobs based on their work as a director.
Direct music videos, commercials, theater, short films and a no budget feature. That
is what producers are looking for in the background of a director.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Thanks for your response. I have been directing music videos, shorts and commercial projects, and plan to continue to do so. I guess to reiterate my question, when applying for entry-level jobs on a larger film set, to gain experience of how a professional set runs, would a more general assistant role such as Production Assistant look better on my CV than a more specific and somewhat misleading role such as Camera Trainee? This CV would be more for film school applications, so the main worry is being dismissed as not being committed to Directing as a career if I have repeated experience in other departments.
Thanks
quote:
Originally posted by MWJH
I guess to reiterate my question, when applying for entry-level jobs on a larger film set, to gain experience of how a professional set runs, ....
Very different than your previous question When applying for
jobs on larger films to gain experience it's good to have previous
experience in assistant jobs. The more overall experience one has
the better when applying for entry-level jobs on a larger film set.
quote:
Originally posted by MWJHThis CV would be more for film school applications, so the main worry is being dismissed as not being committed to Directing as a career if I have repeated experience in other departments.
I don't know. I never when to film school so I don't know their
application process. It seems to me that if you had a couple of
music videos, a few commercials and a short film or two finished
in addition to having some on set experience as a PA or camera
assistant (or any assistant) no school would see that as someone
who is not committed to a directing career. But maybe they do.
Maybe film schools are only interested in directors who have
done nothing but direct. But then, it seems to me a director who
has directed a couple of music videos, a few commercials and
a short film or two doesn't need film school at all. That director
should be looking for more paid work.
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
