Carving a career in the film world

[Dazza]

Hi Guys

I thought of a new thread that might help me and other people out. How do you think that you could start a career in the film industry as obviously everyone has to start somwhere?

So for example so far I have a made a few shorts, written a few small pieces, have projects in the pipeline, been refused funding, etc

How do you even find a job at the bottom of the pile to work your way up?

Any advice or ideas, websites, companies to talk too???

;D

[salvador]

Hey Dazz,

You have given me a reason to plug my new website. On the links page there are a load of websites that might help you. If anyone has links I can add, please tell me!!!

neilrolland.bravehost.com

Before people say, I know its basic, but it does the job and I'm just a learner at this website malarky - enjoy

Cheers

Salv

[PatrickCoyle]

www.shootingpeople.org and those kinds of sites (Shooting People you have to pay for, but there are some free ones) have all sorts of folks making all sorts of films all over the shop - though mostly in London. If you look around enough, Dazza, there will be at least one or two things going on in Wiltshire. Even if it's just other guys at the same level. It depends on what you want to do though, of course. I'm not sure there's necessarily an "upward progression" within the film industry, at least to the key creative jobs... But even as a runner, you get to see directors working.

My plan is to just have a good script - I've got a few in the works now, a couple I'm gonna submit to Writersroom and a couple of features. If I can sell one of the TV ones and get an agent (or if not an agent, a credit), I think it'll stand me in good stead for getting the film scripts to the right people. Then having some shorts to show as a showreel as well (which you're well on the way to) should help. I've also got that teacher who is on the Screen WestMidlands board so if I come up with anything impressive enough, I hope he'd be able to get it in the right hands.

I think the industry is a bit different now from when Shane broke in, for example - everyone and their dog are making videos on Youtube and whatnot now, so you really really have to stand out. If you can raise a grand or two and make a film that looks really professional with a couple of good actors in decent make-up that keeps the feel of what you've done before and are comfortable with... You can't go wrong.

What the SAW filmmakers did was shot a scene from it for a few grand and shopped the script around with that scene to show what they could/wanted to do. I think it was the scene with the jawtrap thing.

I don't know if this is of any use, but might be worth a look: www.swindon.gov.uk/print/arts-young_cre8

[Dazza]

Hi guys

Thanks for your info, Salv thats a pretty good site well done mate I hope to be able to work out how to make one soon.

Patrick funny you should mention Cre8 I sent them an email only yesterday lol. I'm going to have a look at shootingpeopleorg now. Thanks for the advice about how they got the funding for Saw and about getting a professional looking film together. That is going to be one of my aims in the next 6 months I hope. Keep going with the scripts that is a good way forward.

[herostar]

you do have to pay for shooting people, but they do send out all there newsletters to free subscribers, ,just 3 days later than paying ones.

Well for courses etc... then that should be fine. In my experience the offers of jobs on shooting people are all chancers wanting free stuff, so it doesn't matter about missing out on those.

Get yourself signed up Dazza.

[Companero]

Dazz, there’s always running, mate and there really is no shame starting at the bottom – just make sure you try and get work on a feature film or TV show, as opposed to those post-production facilities that tend to really take the piss out of hungry youngsters.

I dabbled, myself – I was a runner at the age of 19 – I only worked on one film, Danny Cannon’s Judge Dredd – the Stallone flick. It was a great experience in many ways (walking on the backlot at Shepperton, meeting some of the actors, etc) and there really isn’t anything quite like the buzz you get on a movie set. The downside is that as a runner (I was in SFX), you really must watch your back – those on your level will stab you in the back or grass you up at the drop of a hat, in an attempt to look good so that they can get onto whatever the next film the head of department will be working on.

Seriously though, do not let that put you off – loads of runners are promoted through the ranks quite quickly, and as you’re obviously interested in writing and directing, the natural place for you to start would be as a production runner – these guys are usually promoted to floor runner and then into the position of 3rd Assistant Director.

The best way to get an in, is to look on line (get a subscription to IMDB Pro – you’ll have access to various agencies and production companies’ email addresses and telephone numbers) or buy Screen International regularly. Get a nice letter together and bombard these people. Don’t take no for an answer (but never seem too pestering, neither and ALWAYS be polite and humble) and if you don’t hear back, keep on their case – just don’t give up if you keep getting negative or indifferent reactions because someone WILL take a chance on you if you persist!

[Dazza]

Comp thanks a lot thats a real encouraging and packed full of info post. Wow working on the set of Judge Dredd must have been well cool and at only 19. I'll get looking at IMDB Pro and have a look at Sceen International.

You just emphasised a Shane Meadows (Tank Bulluck) point quite nicely from Shane's world where he says about for every 1000 letters you send out you might only get one positive one back and not taking no for an answer.

Thanks again

[Companero]

No worries at all, mate. Good luck with it all.

[RichK]

I think that one of the best ways to get going is to log your details with your local regional screen agency. West Midlands is www.screenwm.co.uk

and south west is
www.swscreen.co.uk

Send them a covering letter, outlining what you're interested in and ask for your cv to be kept on file. Here's a few other things worth knowing:

There's tons more people out there who want a job in the biz than those who actually take practical steps to get one! Why is this? Psychological I reckon.. you think you have it in you to succeed but are afraid that, if in reality, your talent ain't so great, your bubble will burst and thus, your dreams of oscar nomination. Easier to keep languishing in your scuzzy bedroom surrounded by porn and pot noodles.. and dream of it all instead.. even if you do get half way to doing anything, you invent non-existent obstacles to make sure you never get the chance to succeed, and therefore never get the chance to fail miserably. That's why I have such great respect for people who do just go out and film stuff, from Shane right through to all you guys who've submitted stuff to the site. It takes bottle, truly. This subject is an entire other post of its own I reckon.

OK, next. The turnaround of people in the biz is really quite big. If the NHS lost nurses at the same rate there's be an outcry. Why? Because the harsh realities of the biz are often somewhat distant from your initial perception of it. It's flippin' hard work, not especially glamorous, and in terms of simple logistics, not especially practical either.
You rarely know where or when the next project will be, it's murder for planning holidays etc, especially if you have a partner with a normal job. It's a tightrope of knowing which jobs to accept and which, ultimately, to turn down. Eg, you take the camera operator job on a little local film being made on DV.. then about a day after you're totally committed to that project you get offered the camera assistants role on a much bigger 16mm project. A lower status job, but a bigger project. My advice at the beginning of your possible career, always always go for the project with the biggest clout, not the job with the biggest clout.

And don't just assume that the job market is flooded with dozens of hotshot wannabes. On Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, we struggled to find any good location runners.. there were hardly any cv's with EM-Media. Mad!

If you do get a runner's job, which is absolutely the number 1 way in if you ask me, you have got to be prepared to be very polite, very hard working, to listen very well, be very polite, and to muck in and help out whenever you possibly can. The amount of runners I've seen on set who are miserable as sin because they wish so much it was them sitting behind the monitor, or their eye in the eyepiece, man, its depressing. And I tell you what, they don't get asked back too often! In fact, good runners are actually really hard to find. I think the director of the BBC project I'm working on now started out as a runner, so there you go.

[Dazza]

Wow thanks Rich thats a real insight into the industry from someone working in it. I can completely understand about what you are saying you summed it all up really well. Thanks as well for the links I just took a look at the Southwest Screen and there are loads of projects that there is a chance of getting involved in.