So a student accidentally deleted my 10 Things post, so here goes my 10 pieces of advice for TCF students:
10. If you are early, you are on time. If you are on time, you're late. If you're late, you're fired.
This is the best advice I have for you for class, for working on a set, for your internship site, and when you land a position on a professional shoot... there are MANY people ready to take your spot at all levels. Don't let that happen.
9. Read the trades.
Indiewire
Variety
Hollywood Reporter
8. Read blogs on gear and your favorite aspects of filmmaking.
no film school
The Black and Blue
Vincent Laforet's blog
Philip Bloom's blog
Hurlburt Visual's blog
Khalid Mohaseb's blog
7. Don't buy gear the day it comes out.
If you are going to buy your own gear, research it. Watch the videos of experts testing it. And check prices at bhphoto.com and other professional gear houses. Consumer outlets mark-up the gear that you should be buying.
6. Collaborate and work with your peers as much as possible.
The biggest resource you have is each other. These are the folks who will be funded or running companies and will hire you. Work hard now, find who you work well with, and it will pay off for you later --- I promise!
5. Research EVERYTHING.
Who wrote what. Who directed what. How much did this film make. What production company made what and where they are located. What the newest piece of gear.... and on and on.
4. You should be writing scripts.
Whether you consider yourself a screenwriter or not, write a short script. Did you hear about the TCF script competition for $5000? A 30 page script can win you a lot of $$$. Write a whole stack of scripts and submit next year. You can submit as many scripts as you would like, and all that $ could fund alot.
3. FILM! all. the. time.
You should be checking out cameras and lights and filming all semester long. It will help you build your reel (which is what you'll use to help get you internships, grant funding, and build up your visual style).
You should be doing something for CMF, The Black Warrior Film Festival and for Sidewalk!
(Assignments filmed in 312 showed at last year's Black Warrior Film Fest!)
2. This should be the best time of your life.
You have a crew (all of your friends and classmates). You can film without a permit (if you move to a major market aka a big city like LA, you can't film without paying for a permit and paying location fees). You have actors that you don't have to pay. You have access to LOTS of equipment (at least while you are in 312 ---- take advantage of it).
1. You better love this, or you may want to reconsider.
Some of your classes may be simpler than the intro classes of other majors, but our job market is much more competitive, so this is not for the lazy, weak or uninspired. If you are in this major because you think it is easy, you are in the wrong major.
10. If you are early, you are on time. If you are on time, you're late. If you're late, you're fired.
This is the best advice I have for you for class, for working on a set, for your internship site, and when you land a position on a professional shoot... there are MANY people ready to take your spot at all levels. Don't let that happen.
9. Read the trades.
Indiewire
Variety
Hollywood Reporter
8. Read blogs on gear and your favorite aspects of filmmaking.
no film school
The Black and Blue
Vincent Laforet's blog
Philip Bloom's blog
Hurlburt Visual's blog
Khalid Mohaseb's blog
7. Don't buy gear the day it comes out.
If you are going to buy your own gear, research it. Watch the videos of experts testing it. And check prices at bhphoto.com and other professional gear houses. Consumer outlets mark-up the gear that you should be buying.
6. Collaborate and work with your peers as much as possible.
The biggest resource you have is each other. These are the folks who will be funded or running companies and will hire you. Work hard now, find who you work well with, and it will pay off for you later --- I promise!
5. Research EVERYTHING.
Who wrote what. Who directed what. How much did this film make. What production company made what and where they are located. What the newest piece of gear.... and on and on.
4. You should be writing scripts.
Whether you consider yourself a screenwriter or not, write a short script. Did you hear about the TCF script competition for $5000? A 30 page script can win you a lot of $$$. Write a whole stack of scripts and submit next year. You can submit as many scripts as you would like, and all that $ could fund alot.
3. FILM! all. the. time.
You should be checking out cameras and lights and filming all semester long. It will help you build your reel (which is what you'll use to help get you internships, grant funding, and build up your visual style).
You should be doing something for CMF, The Black Warrior Film Festival and for Sidewalk!
(Assignments filmed in 312 showed at last year's Black Warrior Film Fest!)
2. This should be the best time of your life.
You have a crew (all of your friends and classmates). You can film without a permit (if you move to a major market aka a big city like LA, you can't film without paying for a permit and paying location fees). You have actors that you don't have to pay. You have access to LOTS of equipment (at least while you are in 312 ---- take advantage of it).
1. You better love this, or you may want to reconsider.
Some of your classes may be simpler than the intro classes of other majors, but our job market is much more competitive, so this is not for the lazy, weak or uninspired. If you are in this major because you think it is easy, you are in the wrong major.
Hi Doc!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the valuable advice!! I hate I didn't get the time to truly devour your first ten things post... however, there was one small tidbit that I did remember glancing over! You're a fan of PLL?!? Glad to know I've got someone else to share my guilty pleasure/secret obsession with!