Directing/cinematography.. best way in?
Discussion
https://lfs.org.uk/
A mate of mine studied there. Genuine school. He later worked in various production houses and news organisations. He used to edit porn at weekends in Soho.
A mate of mine studied there. Genuine school. He later worked in various production houses and news organisations. He used to edit porn at weekends in Soho.
paul.deitch said:
https://lfs.org.uk/
A mate of mine studied there. Genuine school. He later worked in various production houses and news organisations. He used to edit porn at weekends in Soho.
70k for two years?? Person I’m asking for definitely does not have that sort of ice A mate of mine studied there. Genuine school. He later worked in various production houses and news organisations. He used to edit porn at weekends in Soho.
Blimey - two posts in one morning that are my thing!
I make films. Mainly public information stuff for public sector institutions but have also dabbled around the more creative side of filmmaking and currently in pre-production for what we hope will be a Netflix type documentary series.
First off, Directing and Cinematography are two different disciplines. Directing is about forming the story. Cinematography is about what it looks like. So the Director will guide the Cinematographer as to what his vision is and leave it to him to deliver that.
They first need to decide which one they want to be.
For a Director, the primary skill is the ability of story-telling. A Director is the creative nucleus of any production. They don't even need to know how to operate a camera
Cinematographers are also creative but much more technical. They need to understand how to frame something and also how best to shoot it to deliver the Director's vision. So they do most certainly need to know how to operate a camera, understand light, motion, etc.
So, the first question is how creative are they? Are they avid readers. Are they capable of deep and critical thought? If so, that would suggest Director. If they're less creative but know what makes a good shot, then Cinematographer is the way to go. Or Editing.
As to the route in.....
How old is this person?
I'm a T-Level trainer in TV and Film production at Waltham Forest College and also do a bit at South Essex College. Both their film faculties are superb and have routes into Apple, Netflix and several of the students are doing intern programmes with them on major productions.
Have a look at the offerings from local colleges but check what connections they may have to the big studios.
Other than that... he should make some films.
Just write something, film it, edit it, publish it on Vimeo. Enter it for any of the numerous awards and build visibility. This could be a documentary, a full on 90 minute epic or a 10 minute short. Whatever it is, just get out there and make something.
This can cost money but it can also cost nothing other than time.
You might be familiar with Peter Jackson (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings). His first film was called Bad Taste. He bought a second hand 16mm film camera and editing unit for peanuts, wrote a script, gathered some mates to play the parts, got his mum to make some alien costumes and went out and made the film. It's a brilliantly crap film - something you'd watch after the pub on a Friday night and find it hilarious. He sent the film to a distributor in New Zealand - they put in it a few cinemas, was quite well received so they sent it to some US distributors....... and the rest is, as they say, history.
Offer to make videos for local businesses. That's how Christopher Nolan started, shooting corporate vids for little or no money but he's said that the processes was vital for his career and understanding how to produce films regardless of the subject.
But my overarching advice to any seeking this type of career is to start with photography.
Film is simply a series of a great many photographs so understanding the basics of light, composition, creative expression - and the ability to tell a story in a single photograph is the most robust grounding you can obtain.
HTH
I make films. Mainly public information stuff for public sector institutions but have also dabbled around the more creative side of filmmaking and currently in pre-production for what we hope will be a Netflix type documentary series.
First off, Directing and Cinematography are two different disciplines. Directing is about forming the story. Cinematography is about what it looks like. So the Director will guide the Cinematographer as to what his vision is and leave it to him to deliver that.
They first need to decide which one they want to be.
For a Director, the primary skill is the ability of story-telling. A Director is the creative nucleus of any production. They don't even need to know how to operate a camera
Cinematographers are also creative but much more technical. They need to understand how to frame something and also how best to shoot it to deliver the Director's vision. So they do most certainly need to know how to operate a camera, understand light, motion, etc.
So, the first question is how creative are they? Are they avid readers. Are they capable of deep and critical thought? If so, that would suggest Director. If they're less creative but know what makes a good shot, then Cinematographer is the way to go. Or Editing.
As to the route in.....
How old is this person?
I'm a T-Level trainer in TV and Film production at Waltham Forest College and also do a bit at South Essex College. Both their film faculties are superb and have routes into Apple, Netflix and several of the students are doing intern programmes with them on major productions.
Have a look at the offerings from local colleges but check what connections they may have to the big studios.
Other than that... he should make some films.
Just write something, film it, edit it, publish it on Vimeo. Enter it for any of the numerous awards and build visibility. This could be a documentary, a full on 90 minute epic or a 10 minute short. Whatever it is, just get out there and make something.
This can cost money but it can also cost nothing other than time.
You might be familiar with Peter Jackson (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings). His first film was called Bad Taste. He bought a second hand 16mm film camera and editing unit for peanuts, wrote a script, gathered some mates to play the parts, got his mum to make some alien costumes and went out and made the film. It's a brilliantly crap film - something you'd watch after the pub on a Friday night and find it hilarious. He sent the film to a distributor in New Zealand - they put in it a few cinemas, was quite well received so they sent it to some US distributors....... and the rest is, as they say, history.
Offer to make videos for local businesses. That's how Christopher Nolan started, shooting corporate vids for little or no money but he's said that the processes was vital for his career and understanding how to produce films regardless of the subject.
But my overarching advice to any seeking this type of career is to start with photography.
Film is simply a series of a great many photographs so understanding the basics of light, composition, creative expression - and the ability to tell a story in a single photograph is the most robust grounding you can obtain.
HTH
StevieBee said:
Blimey - two posts in one morning that are my thing!
I make films. Mainly public information stuff for public sector institutions but have also dabbled around the more creative side of filmmaking and currently in pre-production for what we hope will be a Netflix type documentary series.
First off, Directing and Cinematography are two different disciplines. Directing is about forming the story. Cinematography is about what it looks like. So the Director will guide the Cinematographer as to what his vision is and leave it to him to deliver that.
They first need to decide which one they want to be.
For a Director, the primary skill is the ability of story-telling. A Director is the creative nucleus of any production. They don't even need to know how to operate a camera
Cinematographers are also creative but much more technical. They need to understand how to frame something and also how best to shoot it to deliver the Director's vision. So they do most certainly need to know how to operate a camera, understand light, motion, etc.
So, the first question is how creative are they? Are they avid readers. Are they capable of deep and critical thought? If so, that would suggest Director. If they're less creative but know what makes a good shot, then Cinematographer is the way to go. Or Editing.
As to the route in.....
How old is this person?
I'm a T-Level trainer in TV and Film production at Waltham Forest College and also do a bit at South Essex College. Both their film faculties are superb and have routes into Apple, Netflix and several of the students are doing intern programmes with them on major productions.
Have a look at the offerings from local colleges but check what connections they may have to the big studios.
Other than that... he should make some films.
Just write something, film it, edit it, publish it on Vimeo. Enter it for any of the numerous awards and build visibility. This could be a documentary, a full on 90 minute epic or a 10 minute short. Whatever it is, just get out there and make something.
This can cost money but it can also cost nothing other than time.
You might be familiar with Peter Jackson (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings). His first film was called Bad Taste. He bought a second hand 16mm film camera and editing unit for peanuts, wrote a script, gathered some mates to play the parts, got his mum to make some alien costumes and went out and made the film. It's a brilliantly crap film - something you'd watch after the pub on a Friday night and find it hilarious. He sent the film to a distributor in New Zealand - they put in it a few cinemas, was quite well received so they sent it to some US distributors....... and the rest is, as they say, history.
Offer to make videos for local businesses. That's how Christopher Nolan started, shooting corporate vids for little or no money but he's said that the processes was vital for his career and understanding how to produce films regardless of the subject.
But my overarching advice to any seeking this type of career is to start with photography.
Film is simply a series of a great many photographs so understanding the basics of light, composition, creative expression - and the ability to tell a story in a single photograph is the most robust grounding you can obtain.
HTH
Son of a friend that I don’t know personally but far as I understand more into cinematography than directing. I make films. Mainly public information stuff for public sector institutions but have also dabbled around the more creative side of filmmaking and currently in pre-production for what we hope will be a Netflix type documentary series.
First off, Directing and Cinematography are two different disciplines. Directing is about forming the story. Cinematography is about what it looks like. So the Director will guide the Cinematographer as to what his vision is and leave it to him to deliver that.
They first need to decide which one they want to be.
For a Director, the primary skill is the ability of story-telling. A Director is the creative nucleus of any production. They don't even need to know how to operate a camera
Cinematographers are also creative but much more technical. They need to understand how to frame something and also how best to shoot it to deliver the Director's vision. So they do most certainly need to know how to operate a camera, understand light, motion, etc.
So, the first question is how creative are they? Are they avid readers. Are they capable of deep and critical thought? If so, that would suggest Director. If they're less creative but know what makes a good shot, then Cinematographer is the way to go. Or Editing.
As to the route in.....
How old is this person?
I'm a T-Level trainer in TV and Film production at Waltham Forest College and also do a bit at South Essex College. Both their film faculties are superb and have routes into Apple, Netflix and several of the students are doing intern programmes with them on major productions.
Have a look at the offerings from local colleges but check what connections they may have to the big studios.
Other than that... he should make some films.
Just write something, film it, edit it, publish it on Vimeo. Enter it for any of the numerous awards and build visibility. This could be a documentary, a full on 90 minute epic or a 10 minute short. Whatever it is, just get out there and make something.
This can cost money but it can also cost nothing other than time.
You might be familiar with Peter Jackson (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings). His first film was called Bad Taste. He bought a second hand 16mm film camera and editing unit for peanuts, wrote a script, gathered some mates to play the parts, got his mum to make some alien costumes and went out and made the film. It's a brilliantly crap film - something you'd watch after the pub on a Friday night and find it hilarious. He sent the film to a distributor in New Zealand - they put in it a few cinemas, was quite well received so they sent it to some US distributors....... and the rest is, as they say, history.
Offer to make videos for local businesses. That's how Christopher Nolan started, shooting corporate vids for little or no money but he's said that the processes was vital for his career and understanding how to produce films regardless of the subject.
But my overarching advice to any seeking this type of career is to start with photography.
Film is simply a series of a great many photographs so understanding the basics of light, composition, creative expression - and the ability to tell a story in a single photograph is the most robust grounding you can obtain.
HTH
These days my feel would be with such cheap camera equipment, even your phone, get on and make something absolutely. No idea what the appeal of this Birmingham course is. I could be missing something but he really doesn’t need huge student loans and then be struggling to be the tea boy on set. Needs a cost effective way into the industry
milesgiles said:
Son of a friend that I don’t know personally but far as I understand more into cinematography than directing.
These days my feel would be with such cheap camera equipment, even your phone, get on and make something absolutely. No idea what the appeal of this Birmingham course is. I could be missing something but he really doesn’t need huge student loans and then be struggling to be the tea boy on set. Needs a cost effective way into the industry
In which case he should be honing his photographic skills first - or alongside film.These days my feel would be with such cheap camera equipment, even your phone, get on and make something absolutely. No idea what the appeal of this Birmingham course is. I could be missing something but he really doesn’t need huge student loans and then be struggling to be the tea boy on set. Needs a cost effective way into the industry
Further eduction / Film School is more than just learning how to make films. It's an early networking opportunity that can bear fruit later on and also easier to spring-board into production roles rather than hustle your way in. Most colleges have connections with production companies and some receive funding from them so he'd be accessing an existing pathway... assuming he's good enough.
He'll also be studying with a bunch of other kids all looking to do different things in the industry and is common for them to form 'crews' and go out and make something together for the fun of it which is much better than trying to do something entirely alone.
Doesn't have to be uni - most regional; colleges offer decent courses.
Some investment in learning is required and whether or not he's prepared to accept that will come down to how much he wants to work in the industry.
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