I need advice and general knowledge? Maybe a Mentor type person?

[bcrane]

Hi! I'm Bailey, and I have just started to be interested in film making and the industry in general. The problem is I know next to nothing about it. All I know that I love to tell stories, and this seems to be the best way to go? I have tried researching on my own about jobs and processes in the film industry (or media in general) and I can't seem to find good information on it. Where I live is not a place where people with this kind of knowledge typically live and prosper so I'm not sure who to ask about things. I would just love some general knowledge on how things work. If anyone has personal experiences or sources that they would like to share I would love to hear them!

 

[petcone]

Hey Bailey,

It depends on what you're interested in. First of all, you should move out to a city (LA, NYC, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago) if you are really serious about it. If you want to be a writer, you can get entry level jobs in development as a script reader. You will learn a lot about the studio system that way. If you are looking to get into camera work, then I would say buy a camera and figure out how to use it. Repetition and familiarity is the best way to understand equipment. Make some short films yourself, even if you have no money. Use the resources you have. Then you can at least have samples of your work before applying to jobs.

There is no right or one way to break into the industry. It takes constant work and a lot of luck. You will never make it if you can't take criticism or rejection. Just know that no one actually knows what they're talking about but some people are better at faking it than others!

Hope this was helpful.