Career help

[Bravo]

So I'm not really sure what to do here. I was hoping I could get some help from you guys.
I know what I want to do for a career, and that's filmmaking. I just want to make indie/low budget  films. Some examples of movies like I have in mind are Moonrise Kingdom, Submarine, Youth in Revolt (not indie)

But I'm not sure how I'm going to achieve this. I've read that going to film school is a waste of money and time, and I see no other reason to go to college, so I haven't really been trying in school. Should I be?

I'm really confused on what to do. Start my film career now or work for something else?

[Ad Bot]

[fawkes..]

Well getting some film making practice in now would be good. In England if you went to a cinema the adverts before the film often had a little 2 minute short film in them that someone had made, do someting like that.

And of course you should be trying at school

[Böltster]

how old are you?

[Bravo]

how old are you?

17 next month

[Böltster]

well you should be trying in school for starters because statistics say film making wont be what you end up doing, so you're basically just shooting yourself in the foot before the race starts

do you have anything in mind you might like to do besides film making?

[lcyGamma]

I think if you want to follow a dream job like that, which will no doubt start off with creating films that don't reap any financial reward, you need to have some kind of stable income.

You'd have to dedicate yourself to this path 100%. If you are really passionate about it, you need to be able to take risks and completely commit to it even if it forgets your life over.

If not, don't bother.

[Bravo]

Yeah, i'm definitely committed to it. I've been making movies since the 3rd grade, and it's really fun to me.

do you have anything in mind you might like to do besides film making?

Coast Guard, or INTERPOL. Yeah, they're a lot different, but it's the only thing i'd rather do.

[Bravo]

Bump.

[Clone v.117]

If you have media classes obviously partake in those but only if you are really, really sure that this is what you definitely want.
Most media classes (though they don't often inform the students about it) try to avoid having people join their classes unless they are very sure that their career will revolve around it, as for the most part a media/film making job isn't very often a come-by and the vast majority of media students never end up in a related career.
My media classes the year before last were more outgoing than last years, they told us about conventions and interviews/open shows about film making and the like that were open for highschoolers in near by universities, if you try and look you may be able to find a uni near you that is planning on doing a crash course like that.

There are more than you think, it's just that they are rarely spoken about.

[Bravo]

Yeah, i'm taking advanced video film next semester, but it's not really what i wanted. My school doesn't offer very many programs like that. Just video film and advanced.

A lot of my friends support me with this though, they say they'll act or write if i decide to make a movie. I've already got a good idea. If i made something like this, i could probably see if the local theater near me would play it. It's small and family run, so there could be a good chance.

[Mysteroo]

Try in school, otherwise you won't even get the choice to go to a good college easily. Besides, I think you should go to college, maybe not film school, but a college. I'm thinking of going into film-making too, but I know I'm not going to be able to graduate High school and jump right into film-making. Chances are, I'm going to need another job for a while, and the best way to do that is to get good grades and go to college. Besides, I may end up changing my mind about film-making.

[Bravo]

Well, i'm either going one way or another. I'm pretty sure i have to commit all the way if i want to do this.

[Bravo]

I wouldn't really want to go to college just to have a backup, because then you are pretty much just wasting time if it's not what you want to do.

[RedGajin]

you should really get yourself settled in with an actual job before going into a hobby like filmmaking for a living. i  mean obv you can make some cash off of it, but you wont be able to really support yourself at all. for the first few years out of highschool you will be working a normal job, probably taking film making as a hobby.

you dont have to go to college but you def aren't going to be able to get out of highschool and make a living off of movie making. its and expensive profession, and  you should really get settled before you consider it.

[Bravo]

Yeah i have a job right now, life guarding pays $16 an hour which isn't bad, and i'm at the beach. I have most of the things i need right now to make an alright film if i had the right script. A decent camera, vegas 9, a car, and friends.