Film for a career

If you want to share some events in your life or thoughts about life in general with other MSCL fans or if you just want post a rant to let some steam off - this is the place.
Forum Newbies: Please introduce yourself here!
Post Reply
TooCool4Skool
Liberty High Student
Posts: 114
Joined: Oct 31st 2004, 5:58 pm
Location: IL

Film for a career

Post by TooCool4Skool » Jan 29th 2005, 8:20 pm

Hey,

I've been poking around in these forums a lot. I'm about to go into "the big world out there" in a little while, and through my "poking", I can make the assumption that many of you have, or are going into jobs/careers that deal with film. I, myself, am interested in photography and the "behind the scenes" of film, and was wondering if any of you have any good insight about it. Any information would help (both good and bad).

THANKS

(Also, any suggestions of films to see... I really like artsy, independent films. Focus Features also have made some great ones 8))

P.S. Any photographers please share too! :P
Moltar- Well hey, Thom asked me if he could see my knife, and Thom's doing a song about knife, and he wanted to see what one looked like. Isn't that right Thom? (Pulls out knife again)
Space Goast- (Turns to Thom Yorke) Is that right?
Thom- ...No.
Space Goast- Cuz it sounds like a good idea... so do it.

-Space Goast With Thom Yorke

User avatar
emmie
Liberty High Graduate
Posts: 606
Joined: May 27th 1999, 10:34 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Post by emmie » Jan 29th 2005, 11:51 pm

I'm currently working on getting my masters in filmmaking right now. many of my professors have worked in hollywood and they all say the same thing: it's damn hard to get in the business. so unless you are very lucky or know people, you have to work your way up from the bottom. do you have any experience? I'm not great with still photography, but I've always thoguht that being a set photographer would be a great job. you're still on the set, but you have way less stress.

User avatar
fnordboy
Ed Zwick Wannabe
Posts: 1954
Joined: Sep 25th 2002, 10:29 am
Location: Exit 16E, NJ
Contact:

Post by fnordboy » Jan 30th 2005, 3:01 am

Film is definitely one of my biggest hobbies (watching) and I would one day love to make a film of some sort (I made a 16mm short or two in college). Alas, I am a web design/developer career-wise. Never went to school for it, but it was a hobby that I figured I could make a decent paycheck in and so far it's been working out for me.

I went to school to get my BFA in Sculpture, but after a year I changed to a BFA in Photography. Unfortunately once out of school I have rarely picked up a camera. I am constantly thinking of shots in my mind and I plan to pick it back up one day soon. I just am in a place right now with no access to the things I need to make it happen. I prefer fine art studio work, and really the only reason I didn't go into photography as a career was that I just can't stand doing commercial work/art. I would rather be able to do the pictures I want to do and enjoy them by myself. I also tended to hate most of my peers in the photo program :twisted:

User avatar
SanDeE*
So-Called Addict
Posts: 989
Joined: Sep 24th 2002, 4:40 am

Post by SanDeE* » Jan 30th 2005, 2:17 pm

emmie wrote: ... it's damn hard to get in the business. so unless you are very lucky or know people, you have to work your way up from the bottom.
Same goes for music & film.
fnordboy wrote:I would rather be able to do the pictures I want to do and enjoy them by myself.
I know what you mean, fnordboy - that's how I feel about my drawings. I do kind of plain pencil drawings on white paper, but people really seem to love them because they are very detailed and realistic - I've been told they look like a black & white photograph cut out and put on a an all-white background. Anyway, a lot of my friends tell me I should sell them, but I never have the time to draw and when I do I just want to make them just for me. I have done drawings for family members, however. But those were gifts.
Um, in my room, one seam is a little off and I stare at it constantly. It's, like, destroying me.

~~Kristin~~

TooCool4Skool
Liberty High Student
Posts: 114
Joined: Oct 31st 2004, 5:58 pm
Location: IL

Post by TooCool4Skool » Jan 30th 2005, 11:41 pm

Thanks to all for the info.

Some questions- (Focused towards Emmie, or anyone that can answer them)

When did you know that film/photography/art/music was going to be your career?
How much experience did you have during your high school years?
Do you ever feel like you made the wrong decision, or that it's too hard?

(You don't have to answer... I know :shock: , but these questions have been daunting me.)
emmie wrote:do you have any experience?
I have little experience, but at my age (16-17) I don't know exactly how much experience I can really get-- I am gradually gaining some though. I have done (taken seriously) more photography than films. I have done a lot of little short films, but nothing seriously thought out-- mostly films that I can look back at and laugh at. God, some of those were sssssssssoooooo lame! :P My photography is really close to me, and I take a lot of pride in it.
fnordboy wrote:I prefer fine art studio work, and really the only reason I didn't go into photography as a career was that I just can't stand doing commercial work/art. I would rather be able to do the pictures I want to do and enjoy them by myself.
I agree with you completely! Everybody that I have told about my future plans, have always tried to point me towards "commercial art"... because it is way more stable path... but I'm like, "That practically deceives the whole point!" I want to go into film and photo because I want to bring something new to it, not the "Cheese!" pictures, or the happily ever after story. That has been used over and over. How are you going to stand out as a director/photographer if you're doing something that has already been done? Sorry, it just gets to me!

Also, I was kind of curious... I do want to go into something "artsy" for my career-- but I find that I suck at anything using my hands (Painting, sculpting, etc.) -- okay, so I don't suck, I'm just not outstanding. Do you think that is okay? Not necessarily okay, but normal? I want to get into this AP art class next year, and I can, but they want a "well-rounded" portfolio. I just want to focus on photography because my other stuff is so mediocre.

Thanks again.
Moltar- Well hey, Thom asked me if he could see my knife, and Thom's doing a song about knife, and he wanted to see what one looked like. Isn't that right Thom? (Pulls out knife again)
Space Goast- (Turns to Thom Yorke) Is that right?
Thom- ...No.
Space Goast- Cuz it sounds like a good idea... so do it.

-Space Goast With Thom Yorke

User avatar
fnordboy
Ed Zwick Wannabe
Posts: 1954
Joined: Sep 25th 2002, 10:29 am
Location: Exit 16E, NJ
Contact:

Post by fnordboy » Jan 31st 2005, 12:48 am

TooCool4Skool wrote:I agree with you completely! Everybody that I have told about my future plans, have always tried to point me towards "commercial art"... because it is way more stable path... but I'm like, "That practically deceives the whole point!" I want to go into film and photo because I want to bring something new to it, not the "Cheese!" pictures, or the happily ever after story. That has been used over and over. How are you going to stand out as a director/photographer if you're doing something that has already been done? Sorry, it just gets to me!

Also, I was kind of curious... I do want to go into something "artsy" for my career-- but I find that I suck at anything using my hands (Painting, sculpting, etc.) -- okay, so I don't suck, I'm just not outstanding. Do you think that is okay? Not necessarily okay, but normal? I want to get into this AP art class next year, and I can, but they want a "well-rounded" portfolio. I just want to focus on photography because my other stuff is so mediocre.

Thanks again.
For anything school related your portfolio should showcase what you think is your important skill, photography, but you also need to show something from other fields...especially if the "judge" is not a photographer. I have found that some other fine artists feel that photography is simple (and in a way it is), you have to make it interesting. Just do your best at getting some other types of art in there. Once you are out of school and looking in your field it is more important to showcase your discipline, but shools always want, like you said, something "well-rounded" (atleast in my experience). Be creative with it, your talent will show through.

My girlfriend is a painter, but she can't take a picture to save her life. :lol: And I am an even worse painter than she is a photographer.

User avatar
wicked
Catalano
Posts: 263
Joined: Sep 12th 2004, 11:37 pm
Location: Ontario
Contact:

Post by wicked » Jan 31st 2005, 12:29 pm

My hubbys a director.
If your still young enough to be living at home, work on spec as much as you possibly can. do anything to get your foot in the door...ie get coffee :lol: I know that sounds trite, but seriously. find out what film companies are working in your area and offer to work for free. also when you say behind the scenes what are you looking for? Camera work, special effects, production , make-up? If you can't find film try finding a theater to volenteer for, like in the props shop.
the more your around, the more you learn the better your chances are at picking up some real work.:)
"So this is hell. I'd never have believed it. You remember all we were told about the torture-chambers, the fire and brimstone, the "burning marl." Old wive's tales! There's no need for red-hot pokers. HELL IS - OTHER PEOPLE!"

User avatar
emmie
Liberty High Graduate
Posts: 606
Joined: May 27th 1999, 10:34 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Post by emmie » Feb 1st 2005, 1:01 pm

I completely agree with Wicked about trying to be around film shoots as much as possible. it's incredible how much you learn by sheer osmosis! I was an intern during my undergrad years and I even though I didn't get much hands-on experience with equipment, I was around it all the time and saw the protocol and learned from the pros.

you posed a lot of questions, and I'll try to answer them. I was around your age when I really knew that filmmaking was what I wanted to do. I had been making home videos and silly short films since I was about 8. for my undergraduate degree I studied broadcasting (tv and the media) because I couldn't afford to go to film school at the time. so basically I just got with some friends and began to shoot short films in our free time. and there's nothing better than learning from your mistakes! I did have a little mental breakdown right before I came to film school. "is this really what I want to do with my life? make movies?" I began to doubt if that was really a worthwhile profession. wasn't there something more important I could be doing with my life? but then I remembered how I felt when I saw a truly great movie, and I realized that movies have their purpose.

also, I did a workshop for 6 weeks in filmmaking with the New York Film Academy. it's a filmmaking boot camp for beginners. you eat, breath, sleep, and live film 24/7. and if you can make it through that still loving it, then you know it's for you. the best place to learn about films is through watching as many as possible, good and bad, old and new. and I think that your background and experience in still photography would help you immensely in filmmaking.

hope that helps.

User avatar
dTheater
Liberty High Graduate
Posts: 500
Joined: Dec 27th 1999, 12:48 am
Location: Philadelphia PA
Contact:

Post by dTheater » Feb 6th 2005, 5:07 am

wicked wrote:If your still young enough to be living at home, work on spec as much as you possibly can. do anything to get your foot in the door...ie get coffee :lol: I know that sounds trite, but seriously. find out what film companies are working in your area and offer to work for free.
Case in point: one of my best friends Vince went to LA for a summer internship at Dreamworks and most of what he was doing was literally getting coffee and other demeaning things like that, but in that short summer, he met many bigwigs including the likes of Steven Spielberg, learned more than he ever could have in any film class, and made friends. So at the end of his internship, they asked him to stay, he was hired, and he's been there ever since. And he was only 21.

When we were in film class together befoe that, I directed him in a student film I had to do, so I've put that tape in a sealable plastic bag in case he ever does make it big. Expect to see that tape on eBay first thing.
- Jim

Kaytee Bodle: Girl With Guitar
http://girlwithguitar.0catch.com (audio, video, tabs, lyrics, etc.)

User avatar
emmie
Liberty High Graduate
Posts: 606
Joined: May 27th 1999, 10:34 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Post by emmie » Jul 11th 2005, 4:05 pm

I've finally joined in the 21st and somehow managed to put a quicktime of some of my work up on the net. it's not a complete film, but rather a compilation of some stuff I've done recently in a really short format. I'm just so impressed with myself that I was able to do something computer savy, I want to share with everyone!

http://studentpages.scad.edu/~sstamp20/demo.mov

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests