On the first day of school, I remember what someone told my classmates and me; “You’ll get out with as much as you put in.” That person was David Hauka, at the time Head of Department of the film program at VFS. Little did I know that this simple, but so brilliant, line would change my life the way it did.

One year ago, I was a young man living in Eastern Canada, wanting to make film, but without any experience, deep knowledge or even any opportunities. I still wanted to make movies, but without any of this I didn’t know how I would ever be able to do so. After looking around and looking at what many other filmmakers did, I decided to look for a film school to teach me what I needed.

Many people don’t know what to do once they are done with film school. Even through you get all those success stories about recent graduates finding work in big companies, the truth is that they probably have an uncle working in that company. But the rest of us have to find another way to get in the industry. So how do you do it?

Here’s a clip of a TV show that aired on Fox a while back, called “Life After Film School”. The show was about some Film school students interview filmmakers to learn about the reality of Hollywood. If you are living in the United States, you can watch the show online on Hulu.com. If not, you’ll have to do like the rest of us and wait for Hulu to become international.

picture by Hulu.com

f you are someone who wants to become a filmmaker, Film School should be a place of joy for you. Because it not only equips you with the basic film making skills, but it also serves to shape your passion.

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.

There’s a reality that people don’t often get while they are in film school. There’s also the fact that while you’re in film school, you can accomplish a lot of things that will help you out later in your career. Here’s a great article. Even if it’s dated from 1998, it’s very much relevant now.

Article from Authorsden.com
What Do I Do After Film School?
I get this question a lot and have a serious opinion about it: The most important thing is to always keep your shingle hanging out, saying “I am a freelance director.” Never say, “Ah I gave that up.” Even if you have other jobs, never tear up your business card.
Keep contact with all active filmmakers from college. Work on their films. It’s a business of showing up. Show up to shoots, in any capacity. Show up enough and do a good job, …