Movie Career Interest

Well, I'm working on my second feature. My first was a muder mystery comedy, in the vein of Clue and Murder By Death. I had actually asked mofos for some movies to watch to get my grasp of the genre, and Holden recommended me a great deal of films to watch, one being Murder By Death..

My second screenplay is based off a short a fellow student wrote. Well, former student I guess since we all graduated. He wrote the short and contacted me asking if I can turn it into a feature. I'm only 6 or so pages in. It's a horror film.

For what it's worth, in my opinion, it IS who you know.

__________________
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

I don't know if it is all who you know. That would mean that all people in the business somehow knew someone or each other in someway connecting them to the business and that is obviously not true. Talent is also a huge part of it and being persistent.

Sorry to bust that bubble, Juno, but IMO talent is the least valuable commodity. Who you know, how you look, luck are all much more important. Then, of couse, there's what you're prepared to do.

I agree that the others are important, but being prepared for auditions and having what the director and producer want for their film is equally important. I know looks are very important, but look at Nicky Blonsky who got the role in hairspray because she auditioned and was great and it was what the director wanted. Blonsky is very overweight, but she used her talent to get that part and is now in the business. I also agree luck is important, but being persistent and not going away when you feel your luck has hit rock bottom makes you an even stronger actor in my opinion.

Except the weight issue is what the role called for.


It's who you know to get you through the door, it's what you do with your talents afterwards the decide where you go from there.

I agree that being professional (or not being a pain and costing money) is important, at least until you're the reason everyone's there, then you can pretty much do what you want. Trust me, if the money men believed that Lindsay Lohan would guarentee a $40+m opening weekend, you wouldn't be seeing any of the stories you do now, because she'd be much better protected.

And, as TUS said, her look was exactly what was required. John Travolta got the part he did because he was the big star. Had the Hairspray remake have been an original big budget production, rather than a remake of a modern 'classic', do you think Divine and Ricki Lake would've got the leads? No way.

Everyone has to start somewhere I highly doubt everyone starting out in the business knew the directors or producers.

Absolutely right, Juno. But there's no doubt that, in the majority of cases, knowing someone will do you more good than not. Even if it's only getting you the job that gets you noticed by someone you didn't know. Network. That'd be my advise to anyone who really wants a specific career. Not just acting or in the arts, anything at all.

While this doesn't exactly regard the Production process, or really the study of making film. I happen to be writing my first screenplay ever. It's different than what I usually do; writing short stories, or novels.

My ideas don't end up in the trash half as much. Other than the starving artist part, Im definitely having fun. I was partially inspired, when coming across an interview about Franklin Leonard. He and his friends, put together a list of the most "likable" scripts, annually. Here's 09. Oh and at one time, Juno was on this list.

blcklst.com - let me know what you guys think about this.

When it comes to film studies though, Epic Fail for me. I had problems with making distinctions between reviews, and writing about film in general. I guess, there's always room, for improvement during, Graduate School.

I have to disagree. I think yourself and Honey kid are mistaking "who you know" for "who you need to get in contact with" at some stage. You need to be persistent and get in people faces to show them your interested in working in the industry, you don't need to "know" these people.

The first perfect stranger I ever e-mailed looking for work experience was Brendan Foley who was working on a £1,000,000 project called "Bog Bodies" starring Vinnie Jones at the time. Before I knew it, I was having a coffee with the guy in Belfast discussing films etc. Obviously I'm an editor first and for-most and I couldn't edit such a picture with limited experience at the time, but I got to spend time with the american editor in post and made a few contacts which landed me some work a year later, overall a valuable experience.

That picture ended up coming out last year titled "Legend of the Bog" despite starting production in late 05 and the film was bloody terrible IMO lol.

Its not as cold and ruthless as people think at the entry level, people will throw you a bone if your prepared to offer them help for free, this is your start and then before you know it your building your own contacts.

In a respect then, I actually completely agree that it is who you know, but as I stated in a previous post, I think not knowing people becomes and excuse for failure when my advise to people like Juno is "get out there and start getting in people faces, build up your contacts and resources and let people know your there to work and that its to their advantage to have someone like you on board".

Contacts for Juno would be useful among other things, including an awesome portfolio.

If your crew and such like me, when your sitting in an interview for a job at the BBC your portfolio is what you leen on, not who you know, same with Juno.

Seeing how I don't have first hand knowledge of the 'biz', I'm not going suggest to anyone that they should do a, b or c. I'm just going on what I've read and doco's about the 'biz'.

One thing that has always struck me, when reading or watching stories about actresses, is the pressure that is to bare when looks and beauty are involved. They say talent overrides all, I will admit, if your background is comedy/stand up, that's usually a non-issue. Though, you look at actresses, female t.v presenters, major sit-coms to a certain extent, the pressure is unbelievable for the woman to stay thin.

Even well established actresses go on these fad diets, even though they look bloody gorgeous. Also, actress/actors better get a thick skin, or they'll be crushed pretty quick. I'd recommend for any young actress, look at an holistic approach for oneself, so you're able to handle the knock backs.

Many articles that I read are on the Aussie actors in Hollywood, and the struggles they're going through, or had.

Networking is the biggest aspect of it yes. I think they go hand in hand. My cousins good friend works at Dreamworks, if I had been earlier than his other buddy, I could have gotten an internship there. He was talking to him 2 weeks earlier and got one. In that case it didn't follow through, but it was who I knew that put me in contact with people that I need to network with.

Juno - When I say, know people, I don't mean directors. Hell, it could be a PA who is working on a set. Just because the phrase "it's who you know" sounds like the person should be important, it's not.

you really have to know somebody to have a good chance. Once you know someone you can prove yourself from that point on.

I don't really ever want to be INDA BZNS, but I've been shooting a film all summer and it's half an hour done. I might post it on here for comments and criticism.

In terms of film making out-rite. I dont entirely understand you guys on this matter.

Simplify the problem, The goal is to create a 90 minute long feature that is interesting enough to captivate an audience (as a result of the actions that take place in front of the camera). Why the hell do you need to know someone? I don't know where this garbage comes from.

As I said before, the only thing the industry is starved of rite now is a good story. Thats what I cant seem to get my hands on.

[quote=. Why the hell do you need to know someone? I don't know where this garbage comes from..[/QUOTE]

I will always use people I know - sub-contractors. I rarely just look in the yellow pages and pick someone to do work for me or a client. Then again, people believe there's no glass ceiling for women in the workforce.

I think that "know someone" in the context of this thread means having to advantage of knowing someone who works within the industry.

One of my parents has worked in the industry for 30+ years, and this is all completely true. Yeah, it helps to grow up next door to Spielberg, but you never know who is going to get you a job. Just have to meet everyone, show up with a smile on your face, stick the crap jobs out, and hope someone will tell you about an opportunity. Showing up and not pissing anyone off is half the battle.

It's the same in any career though, really. I used to interview people for a minimum wage college job; people were more likely to get interviews (and get hired) if a current employee vouched for them. I am where I am now because on of my college professors was relatively famous, and I managed to work in that lab and get a good recommendation (I'm in research science). Not that hard work isn't involved, but you can't underestimate networking.

I'm all for education in any form. If you want to go to film school, I think that's great! But I don't think you should expect to get a related job after graduating. That's true of any college degree, really. Getting a job sucks. I have friends with engineering degrees and accounting degrees that can't get a job in their field right now. That's just the way it goes. Education is about introspection and bettering yourself, it's not a job guarantee.

I didn't end up going, the thread was continued nearly two years later. Im an editor for a small company now and I'm building my CV that way, through hard experience. The projects are getting bigger and bigger, hopefully this continues.

My education is part time as the ultimate goal for me is Directing, but unless you have the cash to fund your own indie, its generally something you get a crack at later. Its extremely common for directors to come from other areas of film making.

-------------

I didnt need to know anyone, I just approached the rite people for work and didn't get disheartened when I got 1 job out of every 50 attempts.

------------

These topics are about as useful as one director telling you how to make it in the industry.

Tarantino says - go make a kick ass movie with your friends, others say different.

Ultimately you find your own path, determination and perseverance are the most important things because when one angle dosent work your going to need to find another.
-----

You know for most actors that is the way it is. You go to a lot of auditions and you are lucky to get one of the jobs. I certainly am not expecting to go out there and get a supporting or even Feature role in any film. If I get a job as the secretary in an office or the girl in high school who is friends with the friends of the main lead and has like one or two lines. That is how you get exposure. If you look at most actors there starts came from either being in commercials, Soap Operas and if they were lucky enough on a regular T.V. show. If an actor went right to Big Screen it is extremely rare that they come out with a major or even supporting role. Even Dakota Fanning who most would think got a huge break starring next to Sean Penn and Michelle Phfiffer was in a film as the girl in the playground in Tomcats. Everyone starts starts somewhere and like most jobs actors start at the bottom and work themselves up. That is the way I am approaching it.