Aspiring film student

[d40winker]

Hello,

I'm looking to get a feel for job availability in the film industry. I want to pursue either film or television production in college but before I decide I would just like some feedback. I was reading some posts on how hard it is for people to find jobs. Although it's what I enjoy most, I don't think film making justifies the fact of not working. I'm not really sure what to ask, so just ramble and if I have further question I'll ask. Thank you for your time.

 

[Bob Kessler]

Instead of saying "I want to work in film" or "I want to work in television" you should be thinking "I want to work in visual media".

I'm a former touring and studio musician who, after arthritis curtailed my career as a performer, switched over to audio engineering and then into audio post. As a freelancer I've worked on indie features and shorts, TV and some web projects. I still do freelance work as a recording engineer and occassionaly do location sound as well. I'm not saying that it has been easy. Paying gigs are sometimes few and far between.

I also make a little money as an audio consultant; I know music (I can't write it well but I know quality songwriting and scoring when I hear it, I can do arranging, engineering, mixing, etc.) music editing, live music recording, location sound, audio post and other sound and music related jobs. From the "real" world I have done project management and operations management as well as a myriad of other stupid jobs like pumping gas, waiting tables, answering phones, retail sales - you get the idea - which has given me other experiences from which to draw upon. So I can read a script, give someone an idea of the sonic requirements of a project and then organize and manage the entire audio process of a project.

So don't pigeon-hole yourself. You haven't mentioned what you do, but do as many different jobs as you can within your profession to gain experience with all media formats. Don't wait around for that perfect job, find a job or internship where you can gain experience. Giving your employer/client quality work will net you more jobs. Once you have gained experience and established yourself as a talent to be reckoned with then you can start to pick and choose.

I hope that this has been helpful.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

The film industry is very competitive and it gets even harder if you're not in one of the major production locations. What I'm trying to say is that it is not a career to "dabble" in -- there are easier ways to make money. You really need to be passionate about it, and work very hard at your particular field, merely to be competitive with your peers. So I think you should only go into the business if your heart is in it, because you'll need that passion to get thru the dry spells and the uphill climbing to establish yourself.