Hello everyone:
I?m a newbie to a film making and film industry.Is it necessary to have a degree in film? Can I just first be a production assistant and then climb up the ladder? Master?s degree won?t be necessary in this industry, will it? Will it be better to have a film education?
Thank you very much you all.I appreciate it.
Bless!!
T
I wouldn't say having an education is a NECESSITY. I'm sure there's plenty of people have gotten jobs without getting a degree in film. However I'm sure the education wouldn't hurt. You can never learn too much about the craft, and you may find it very useful.
hey man, when i first decided that i wanted to get into filmmaking i applied for a film course at university. i drove down there on the induction day to have a look around and we were shown some examples of the work that we would be doing. after seeing them, i left and decided to give uni a miss. as much as i would have liked to have done a film course, after doing it for three years you are still not guaranteed to get into the industry. personally, i would say the easiest way to do it is by going through the back door. buy yourself some filmmaking books (may i suggest 'rebel without a crew' by robert rodriguez, it's inspiring!) and then teach yourself. the thing with uni is that they teach you how to make a film, not your film. you will end up making films that look like everyone elses and not with your own style of storytelling. there are many directors out there that never went to film school like quentin tarantino, sam raimi, the farrellys....... the list goes on.
this is the direction i went and i seem to know more than a friend of mine that did the course! i would say use the money that you would spend on uni and use that to make a film or two. the best way to learn is by doing.
but the decision is yours and i wish you the best of luck mate!
One benefit of Film School: "It's all who you know" and in film school you'll get to know tons of people who will be working in the business. I do agree with the last post that you will be taught how to make 'a' film, not necessarily 'your' film. But if you want to work in the business, and by work I mean make a living, film school might be for you.
Note: I didn't go to film school. (But I also have yet to make a *feature* film.)
One benefits of working as an intern or PA on a professional set: ?It?s all who you know.? On a pro set - even a low budget direct-to-video show - you?ll get to know people who are actually making movies for a living and hiring for the next one.
My experience is very similar to danofthedead: I got accepted to USC film school, but dropped out in two weeks. Because I decided that actually getting a job on a set would be better for me. I?m not famous, no one would recognize my name, but most of you have seen a film I worked on and I make my sole living in film/TV/theater.
I believe it?s much better to have practical experience on a professional set.
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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)
Thank you so much certified instigator, johnnydark, danofthedead,
The Company. I appreciate it. They are very helpful to me.
Bless!!
T F
One thing worth remembering is that success probably depends a lot on which school you go to: in the UK, for example, the National Film and Television School seems to have a much higher chance of getting graduates into TV work than most other schools, because they have such strong links with the BBC and other TV stations (there's not really much of a movie industry here other than those funded by Hollywood or by people who have mates in the government funding bodies).
So going to a school with the right connections may well get you a job in the industry, but going to a school that teaches well but doesn't have connections probably won't... you may be better off spending the same amount of money making movies instead. Or get into commercials and music videos, a lot of movie directors seem to take that route these days, and a lot of people work on them when there's no movie work going.
But, in the end, few people will care whether you have a film degree, and some of those who care will hold it against you. What really matters is that you're good at whatever job you choose to do, and only experience will get you there.
quote:
Thank you so much certified instigator, johnnydark, danofthedead,
The Company. I appreciate it. They are very helpful to me
No problem. That's what the site's for.
