Film/TV Industry

[The Beast1]

The Beast lets say a guy doesn't want to necessarily be in the spot light but just involved in the film industry. I'm not even talking about major Hollywood crap but movies that he is proud of. How is it for more independent type of things??

It's great. If you set yourself up in the right circles work comes to you by word of mouth. The gent that I interned with was the chief engineer of a mixing house, however he had a small side business of mixing music for people. He unfortunately was very difficult to work with and he lost two incredibly well paying jobs because people quite frankly didn't like him. In all honesty the guy was an asshole and also one of the most influential people in my life. He has a set of golden ears and quite frankly I agree with him.

The trick is getting yourself into the right circles for networking by attending schools where real industry people congregate (UCLA and USC). Hilariously, attending Hollywood parties is an excellent way to network yourself into these groups. However getting in requires you spend 80-100$ for tickets.

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you and what type of stuff are you interested in? You sound exactly like the type of guy who would do well in the industry.

 

[The Beast1]

Last post I make in this thread, because someone who has made it in entertainment should take the reigns.

If you're starting out and looking for work, the LA craigslist has a lot of opportunities you can look at. Two other great websites for finding work are mandy.com and entertainmentcareers.net

 

[Katatonic]

If anyone has specific questions I can probably shed some light on the production/distribution aspect of the industry.

I was a producer of a film that is distributed by Warner Bros domestically, and at last count I believe we're in 27-30 foreign markets. The budget was just shy of $500,000 and it released during one of the most tumultuous times in the industry. We missed a turnaround by a few months and were stuck with the total cost of production. Then Hollywood Video ordered an initial 3,500 DVD's and promptly went out of business.

The saving grace was that we were one of the first features added to a new wave of VOD(video on demand) releases, so the financial hit was much less significant. The international market wasn't much better at the time, with most of our sales fetching only about a third of previous years hauls, but it was enough to keep the film from being a financial disaster.

I do not derive my primary or even secondary sources of income from the film industry, but I still get surprised every other quarter with a little something. That said, I do keep up with most of the business side of the industry, and I could easily write a book, or fill 50 pages of this thread with knowledge gleaned from my fuck ups and small victories.

I have theories and some solid insights on how to break in as an actor, writer, director and stuntman, mostly from friends who are those. But the bulk of my "expertise" is from before pre-production all the way to distribution. I know maybe 10% of what I should know as a producer, but that still puts me ahead of most. Ask away.

 

[The_CEO]

The Beast lets say a guy doesn't want to necessarily be in the spot light but just involved in the film industry. I'm not even talking about major Hollywood crap but movies that he is proud of. How is it for more independent type of things??

A good way to test the waters is to start working as a Production Assistant or even an Extra and get on set. You will meet a lot of people, see how a production works, get a better feel for what type of position might appeal to you in the long run so you can pursue that with more focus.

As far as "independent type of things", much of this is self-financed and low budget, which means no/low pay for crew.

Bear in mind that a lot of production as left LA - e.g. "The Walking Dead" is filmed in Georgia and a lot movies/shows are shot in New Mexico.

 

[The_CEO]

Renberg can you give us an update? It seems like there's schools that cater specifically to aspiring guys who want to work in the industry but I am cautious of those. Getting full of debt and a degree from a clown college comes to mind so maybe a regular university or community college is the way to go

There are a ton of "film" schools, boot camps, etc who will gladly take your money.
Many universities and community colleges have good course and programs in this area and will cost you much less.

Digital has changed everything and if you take a close look at some of these schools - USC, UCLA, most of their big success stories are from the 60's...

Take note that James Cameron and Spielberg, arguably the most successful filmmakers alive - both went to ordinary or below average colleges. There are many other examples like this.

I would suggest you try to define what you want to do and that will clarify where you should study. Unless you have a lot of $ or a scholarship, I'd caution you against "film school"...

 

[Hardy Daytona]

Charlie Brooker covered this subject succinctly a few years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIyg2a72uV4

 

[Mochihunter]

Anyone on the forum have any information on how to break in as a stuntman? Like what are the neccesary skills to have? I have martial arts and parkour experience. Im also getting into tactical shooting and stunt driving as well. Also Im curious on to how to network yourself as a stuntman.

 

[bali]

Can anyone tell me about the Vancouver film/tv industry jobs?
It just seems that so many shows and movies are filming there
that it can be much easier to get work as extras or as producation assistants.
I think it would be easier to break into the industry in vancouver than in LA or NYC.