For some reason, when people leave film school, they believe that they know everything and that they don’t need to ask questions. Here’s the problem, if you don’t ask, no one will tell you. There is nothing wrong, on set, in film school, or anywhere else, if you go ahead and ask the question you desperately want to know the answer to. Now, I’m talking about work, not wanting to know what kind of shampoo the AD uses.
When you’re on set, if you see that the person you want to ask a question to isn’t running everywhere or red as hell, go ahead and ask your questions. I find that the best time to do so is during lunch. People are just more relax and ready to talk about anything. if there is one thing to know about most of the people in this industry it’s that they like to teach. People love to teach people who want to learn.
However, if you’re asking a question to get the answer you want, and aren’t ready to listen to the person, I suggest you keep quiet. Because then, you’ll be wasting their time and yours. What’s the point of asking a question if you don’t really care for the answer?
Also, on set there is always the protocol. You should go up to the director in the middle of a take and ask him why isn’t the actor doing something else. I’m not saying that you should keep away from the above the line crew/cast, but there are time and ways to ask questions and I’m sure you’ll know how and when to do so, with those people, once you’re there.
Just don’t be judgmental, be the guy who is interested to know why that person made that decision this way etc.. They may not want to answer you and that’s fine. I doubt that Stanley Kubrick would answers questions about directing from his crew members.If they don’t just thank them anyway and walk away. Not everyone will want to, but that’s fine! So use your own judgement!
I often talk about doing free shows and getting connections. Now, I’m not making this whole concept up, it’s really how it works. Some people, however, don’t seem to understand this, as you can read in this article from The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog
Hollywood is built on favors, but some people don’t seem to realize that.
I’m making a short film. Just about the only way to make a decent short, without going broke, is to borrow equipment and get your friends to work for free. In exchange, you offer them free food, their name in the credits, a copy of the movie, and the expectation that you will return the favor some day.
In quick succession, two of my friends violated this very simple barter system, much to my chagrin.
Tuesday, we needed a camera for about six hours at the beach. A DP friend of mine owned the right kind of camera, but refused to let us borrow it; he insisted on charging us $150. For six hours.
He said it was because he was afraid we’d get sand in it (we shot at the beach). Now, first of all, I used to be an AC. I ACed for this guy. He knows I take care of cameras. Plus, paying him money upfront doesn’t protect his camera. Insurance (which our production has) does.
Read the rest of this article.
picture by richdrogpa
I actually started an article about searching for a program but since I’ve found this article with all this information, I decided to post it here instead. This article is from Selfreliantfilm.com.
Part 1: Searching for a Program
It’s that time of year again, when current and former students start asking me about film schools — where they should apply, if I will write a letter of recommendation, and so on. Whether or not film school is right for an individual is a personal decision and I’m not going to reiterate the pros and cons of film school here. Instead, this two-part post aims to help those who have decided to apply.
This post will address some basic tips on looking for a graduate program in film production. The next post will provide some tips on the application process.
Where should I go to film school?
Well, that depends. What kinds of films do you want to make? Do you ultimately hope to work in or outside the industry? Where would you enjoy living? Until you can answer some basic questions about your personal goals, deciding on a film school is next to impossible.
Needless to say, it helps to have some idea about your goals before you apply. After that, begin researching the different programs that exist. The IMDB maintains a pretty good list of
film schools. I think it’s smart to make your first initial research into film programs no less than six months in advance of applying.
Here are things to consider as you look at programs:
Location. Do you want to pursue your filmmaking in a place where you’ll be free of distractions, or do you need the stimulation of a city? Does the town or city have a cultural community that will allow your work to thrive? Will you be placing yourself thousands of miles from the place where you want to film your work? If you ultimately want to work in Hollywood you might want to aim for a California school so you can go ahead and begin building that network. If you want to work “regionally” (code for “outside LA or NY”), you should consider studying close to the place where you want to ultimately live, work, and film. (One important exception: If you want to teach filmmaking, don’t go to a school where you might want to ultimately teach. Many schools have explicit policies against hiring “their own” as tenure-track faculty.) One way or another, a school’s location is an incredibly important factor to consider.
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picture by n55.dk
I haven’t posted any articles on going to Film School, and what you get out of it, in a long time. While browsing online, I’ve found this article that gives quite a lot of inside on the decision and what that person got out of it. If you think of going to film school, read this. This article is from Blogcritics.org.
Why Bother With Film School?
Deciding to get a film degree was almost a fluke. I had always enjoyed watching movies and found myself more fascinated by how things worked behind the camera than simply what I saw on screen. But I had never dreamed of seeing my name in the credits. I honestly started out as a Psychology and Political Science major at Pepperdine. Due to many things, I decided to not return for my sophomore year and took a semester off. I applied to The University of Texas for lack of an idea as to where I really wanted to finish school. The application asks what your major will be. Naturally, your major at UT determines which college you go to and if you get in or not. I decided a film major sounded interesting. And honestly, I figured homework would be a lot of movie-watching.
I was accepted and then deemed a Radio-Television-Film major. In the lower division classes there was quite a bit of movie-watching homework.
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Last Wednesday, I decided to go back to my old Film School to attend a late Film History class. I felt like I needed a bit of a break from the work I do and instead watch what has been done before me. It was a very good night, until I remembered something I always hated about Film School. The “Film School Attitude”.
The “Film School Attitude” is the way that students behave while they are in Film school. Even through they are still in Film School, they believe that they know more than anyone else. Now, not everyone is like that. I wasn’t, but so many are.
One of the biggest issue with Film School graduates is that once they get in the industry, even as a PA, they believe that they know more than those who have been there for much longer than them. I’m sure the “heck I went to film school, and he/she hasn’t! I must know more than they do” way of thinking is everywhere anyway, but a lot more present with those graduates in my opinion.
Here’s my advice to you: Don’t act like you know everything. You just don’t. Learn then speak.
Ego is everywhere, but please don’t bring it all on set, sure bring a bit of it but not the whole thing. We don’t need that and neither do you. So many graduates I’ve seen on set acting this way then earring the comments about their attitude.
People will teach you if you shut up and are ready to learn. I’m not saying that you should never speak, but just watch what you say and how you say it.
I don’t get impressed easily.
I think when it comes to be impressed, what I need to see happen is something that has never happened before – and this 137 page Online course has to be amazing.
Now, I would never have thought that I would say this about a book. Sincerely, who has the time to read a book and is ever amazed by it? Well, I guess I did have the time to read this book and did get amazed.
Peter has enough experience in the film and TV business to get ”the right” to publish this kind of content. Just follow up on his
Imdb credits and you’ll agree with me.I was so impressed with the content in this course, that I contacted Peter and he has given me permission to re-print three excerpts from his 137 page Online course.
1) Peter: Here’s one example of why you must be diligent in your prep work, spend the proper time on location scouts and Tech Surveys and discuss everything during the Production Meeting.
It’s called CYA! (Cover Your Ass!)
I was the First Assistant Director on a very big 3 week commercial shoot.
The director was a feature director. He was very creative but not that interested in the logistics and other non-creative details of making a film.
This made my job even harder.
We were going to shoot at a soccer field. We only needed to shoot in two directions so on our Tech Scout we confirmed with the Director and the DOP where the work trucks would park. I even reconfirmed this in the Production Meeting.
On the day of shooting, I arrived at the soccer field and all the work trucks were parked were we had decided. But when the Director arrived, he decided to change his mind and shoot 180 degrees in the other direction.
There were a few moments of silence among the Producers, DOP and
myself. We all knew we didn’t have time to move all these trucks. First of all, we didn’t have permits to park them anywhere else and secondly, we had a company move to another location after lunch.
So I held up my hands and framed the scene for him. I said (as tactfully and as calmly as I could) “So…you want to start on the Wardrobe truck and pan to the Grip truck?”
There was another moment of awkward silence. He finally understood. This was not a big feature. The trucks stayed (and we made our day.)
And here’s something that I know any film school graduate or anyone working in the industry will want to read about.
2) PETER: I’ve been working in the film and TV industry for over 35 years and during that time I’ve had many young filmmakers ask me these same five questions:
1. How do I get into the film and television business?
2. How do I get people to notice my “obvious talents”?
3. How do I become a 3AD, 2AD, 1AD, PM, Director?
4. What are the tricks to getting work and surviving in this business?
5. How do I become successful?
You’ll have to read the book to learn these 10 factors.
Oh and here’s a nice little excerpt of Peter on working as a 1st AD on “Happy Gilmore” that I thought you might enjoy.
3)PETER: “Happy Gilmore” for instance. I call this my “100% show” because every single member of the cast & crew showed up to do their jobs – and have fun..
The interesting thing about this movie, was that some days it was a little harder for me to do my job. Everybody was laughing and joking but someone (me of course) had to get everybody back to work. I like to have fun like everyone else, but alas, someone had to crack the whip!
Now here’s the best part.I also persuaded Peter to give my readers a
SPECIAL DISCOUNT on his 137 page Online course. So, for a limited time only, Peter has taken US$40.00 of the course and is willing to let my readers have it for US$27.00.
I definitely suggest you go to Peter’s webpage right now to learn more about content of the Ebook and then make the decision (like I did) to buy this 137 page Online course.
It’s not the most expensive book out there and for what you get out of it, it’s worth twice the price.
Here’s another follow up on the article “How to be a PA?“. While browsing the web, I found this NyTimes.com article.
Want to Be in Show Business? Here’s a Start
CHARLES MOSES, a 24-year-old Brooklyn resident, says he has always been interested in a career in the entertainment industry. Until this spring, his only work in the business was as a teenage extra in an episode of “Law & Order.” “I was just passing by, an angry person in a mob,” he says of the role.
Since May, however, he has had more frequent work in the industry. His on-screen time in this work has been even shorter than in his very brief “Law & Order” appearance — in fact, it has been nil — but his labors have been more rewarding, he said. They have also been more gratifying than his more substantial past jobs, which have included working as a clerical assistant in a library, a cashier at a Dunkin’ Donuts and a cargo worker at an airport, he added.
Mr. Moses is a production assistant in the filming of television programs and movies, an entry-level, nonunion job of miscellaneous chores that offers the possibility of moving into more skilled, better-paying and usually unionized production jobs, including camera operator, electrical or sound technician, scenic artist and wardrobe specialist.
Read the rest of this article.
picture by: The New York Times
I’ve talked about it before and will talk about it again. The reason being that it’s something that so many people will have to do to start in the industry and something that people really need to fully understand. While browsing only to find resources to help you out, I’ve found this article is from Tvtix.com. It contains so much information about PA, but also how to make it to a higher position, that I had no other choice than putting this on the website.
Table Of Contents: How To Be A PA
- Chapter 1: What is a P.A.?
Introduction
What exactly is a Production Assistant?
Who does the PA answer to and what PAs do?
Production Area Access as a PA. Networking
- Chapter 2: Technical Information
Qualifications
Tools of the Trade
Pay-Rates and Unions
- Chapter 3: Becoming a P.A.
Becoming a 2nd AD.
How to become a working PA.
Have a weekend job to pay the bills.
- Chapter 4: Different Types of P.A.
What type of PA should you be?
Film and Television PA
- Chapter 5: A Day in the Life
The Set PA
The Office PA
- Chapter 6: Resources & Links
Read the rest of this article.
