Starting a production company. From the ground up.

T

TI Irwin

I want to make movies, ultimately, but I want to do things my way. That means I am unwilling to just sell scripts. I want to direct, film, and edit my movies. If I can fit into a part, I'll act too.

Now I'm young, but I'm smart and full of ambition. And I want this bad enough that I'm going to spend the rest of my life in pursuit of filmmaking. If I never make movies, I will never be satisfied with my life. (Unless I magically find billions of dollars and convince Sofia Vergara to marry me. lol)

I initally was just hoping to make a few low budget (not low quality) films and try to build a reputation for myself that way, but to be honest, even "low budget" is expensive anymore.

<Getting to the point now>
If I'm going to spend the money on cameras, computers, insurance and misc equipment, I figure I might as well start a small production company with that, instead of just making an expensive pastime while I work somewhere else.
I.E, I'd like to make money off of my film equipment as a day job, and work on my independent and creative projects in my spare time.
I have some friends who share my interests and who would help/contribute to the company. (We were already making plans on getting an LLC set up.)

What I'm here to as is: What direction should I take this?

I have basic skills already and I know enough to at least be professional enough to make a quality product. Also, I'm very good with technology. I have used professional software and equipment before and am confident that if I can't do it now, I can learn anything I need to learn. (I became decent with Adobe Premier, and used Canon XL's in high school. From that I can dink around with the software and hardware enough to teach myself more advanced things.) I'll also have an associate's degree pretty soon but I don't think I can afford film school.

I was hoping someone else out there has started their company from the ground-up and could shed a little light on how to do this successfully.

Here's what I'll be starting with. I don't have these things yet, but I plan on buying them soon. I want to start small and cheap then as I do work and can make money from my equipment, I will invest into more and better things for the company. Figure I'll have around $3000 to start. If I need more, I'll GET more. Any other NEEDS for equipment or suggestions on specific products, please comment on.

1 Computer - I can edit/store media on.
1 Camera - Something decent, Probably an XL if I go SD, or if I can get the money, I'll have to look into HD cameras later. I really don't know much about shooting on 35mm or any other film, I'm a digital guy.
1 Steadycam - Probably something cheap that will work well. My brother has an arm mount that is a pain because of weight, but it was inexpensive and the footage from it is beautiful.
1 Light & Light stand - Again, cheap, but effective.
1 Tripod
1 Quality Mic - I want an all purpose


Here's some of the Ideas I had for making money:
Weddings
Commercials for local business
Music Videos for aspiring artists
Documentaries
Non-Pro Sports... I can't really think of anything after that.
 
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First off, if you're serious you'll need to make a business model. You want to establish a goal ($) and how you're gonna get to that goal. This model should include some sort of catch that you create for yourself that makes your production company idiosyncratic in some way. What makes your production company different from every other one? Are you particularly good with VFX or animation? If you want to attract investors (and you need investors..$3000 is simply not enough) you're gonna have to have some sort of selling point. A name is important. Choose something clever, simple, and reflective of your style.

How old are you? People who want to hire you are going to want to see what you have done. You'll need a reel..something to show for the work you've done. Why should someone choose to PAY for your production company over someone with better experience/been to film school/been in the business for longer?

The location you're in is also crucial. Are you in a big city or a more rural area? A city is better for getting work, but also more competitive. To make your production company financially sustainable you're gonna need to do mainly commercial work.

Assuming you're talented and know how to use equipment and are confident in your ability to make awesome videos this can be exciting, but just know what you're getting yourself into. Don't settle on shitty equipment. Get a good computer, editing software, a great camera with great lenses, great sound...I wouldn't start a production company if you don't have the resources (at least if you're really serious about it)
 
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A "company" implies more than just one person. Yeah, I can understand the idea of complete control, but there's no way you can do it all by yourself. Reason one - there's just not enough hours in the day. Second, unless you are an absolute genius there is no way you can master all of the skills required.

I've been involved with audio in one way or another for almost 40 years, and there's always something new to learn, whether it's new piece of software, the reactions of a specific microphone or a new technique. There is no "one" microphone that can "do it all"; you select specific tools to handle a specific job - you don't hammer nails with a wrench!

All I do is audio post, and whenever I have the budget I get a second - or even third - pair of hands and ears, and even sub-contract out some of the work if the budget is large enough. Between in-house & freelance work, maintaining & upgrading my studio, running the actual business (accounts payable/receivable, taxes, etc.), and marketing I put in solid 50 hour weeks, and often a lot more.

I admire - and encourage - your ambition, but you have to put things into complete perspective. You'll be competing with companies that have 100 times the investment in hardware plus the facilities and experienced personnel. If you spend $3k on gear, what's left for your marketing budget? What about insurance? What is your business plan? What does your resume look like that will compel clients to hire you? How are your organizational, management and communications skills? And don't forget that you have to pay your personal bills while doing all of this. The world is full of people who talk the talk, but do you have the knowledge, wisdom and experience to back it all up?

Don't take this as a personal attack, it's just some realistic perspective from grumpy, grouchy ol' Uncle Bob. Think it all the way through.

Good Luck!
 
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Firstly, instead of buying the entire range of equipment, perhaps purchase the equipment for the field you're most comfortable or skilled in.

Example, if you decide you're a half decent camera-op, then maybe early on you can do without a DP (But that isn't going to last very long so love it like it's Christmas), then perhaps you purchase yourself a nice little Canon 5D/7D. Find willing collaborators, those who specify in audio, lighting, there's thousands of grad students with kit looking to cram their CV. This will save you blowing everything on equipment, which I'm sorry in advance, that you're not going to do as a good a job with as those who know exactly what they're doing. I'm sure @Audio will back me up on this.

Now, you have some money left over, you have the skeleton crew that all small-time beginners have, so now what?

I'll assume you already have material to shoot, and taking you're quite ambitious I'll say you'll have picked a few public locations.

Are you insured? Public liability insurance? You better not going stumping that old ladies toe, because she can sue you to the moon. Insure your company, it'll save your ass, not to mention if you're planning on renting out equipment, without insurance, you can't.

Now, you're insured, you're thinking of making an income, you've purchased your 5D that has a warranty and may or may not be covered by the insurance scheme you've just taken out. Rent it out, the 5D/7D, look up rates, and put it as cheap as you can without selling yourself too short. Be sure to research the proper procedure e.g it's pay up-front and you keep hold of their damn passport. This will generate something while it is you're scouting for collaborators, website designers etc.

(You can also go along with your camera if you're scared of getting hijacked)

The website designer, again you can get for peanuts, but unless you're gonna go by paper-ads and word of mouth, you want your site to be well presented, especially if you're planning on renting out your equipment.

So what now? You have a little money left over, maybe you keep it, because your collaborators might want expenses, you may have to travel between locations with equipment. It's always nice to keep a savers account, trust me, you'll need it.

You set up all your networking pages for your company, with the obvious Tweet tweet and FB.

Now what to do, jeez, how long is it until I'm giving the best damn Oscar speech you've ever heard?

Start filming, make a historic catalog of errors on what was the greatest learning experience of your life, and let us rip it to shreds so you come back and make a better one.

Welcome to the pond little fish!
 
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Dude, you're awesome. Alcove pointed out (probably rightfully so) that you are fashioning yourself into David. Neither he, nor I, is suggesting that you don't try to take down Goliath. But you should be aware you are standing against a giant.

Plan for the best. Prepare for the worst.

I'm sorry that I'm not offering any answer to your actual question. I just wanted to offer my support. Now, go kill Goliath.
 
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Ahonestly I wouldn't even start the company until you have a good ammount of shorts or so. I don't know much about business but this seems like a large load for a 19 year old. I'd just try to get your grounding first. Assemble a crew and make aa few shorts or features. Afterwards you and your crew could discuss starting the production company together.
 
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Standing against giants is the American way. That’s what so many
have done.

TI, Alcove’s post is worth reading a couple of times. You have the
right idea, you have a poor approach to that idea. You have to put
just as much time, effort and money into building a business to
shoot wedding videos, commercials for local businesses and non-pro
sports as you would making movies. there will be no “spare time”
if you are hoping to make a living doing those things. And
shooting music videos for aspiring artists and making
documentaries will not earn you any money.

My advice is if you want to make movies, put all your time,
effort, talents and money into making movies. Your initial idea is
the right one - in my opinion. You want to earn a little money on
the side? Get hired as a freelancer by five or more wedding
companies or what ever company is currently shooting non-pro
sports in your area. That way YOU don’t have to do all business
end of those jobs.

My business partner spent five years doing weddings. 90% of his
time, effort and money was spent drumming up new clients and
talking with brides. The shooting, editing and post production was
only 10% of his business. Is that really what you want to do? He
didn’t. He quit and focused on making movies. He still shoot the
occasional wedding - but he spends one day, takes the money and is
back to his true passion.

Your starting list is fine for making your short films. You cannot
compete in the market place with that list. Not weddings and
definitely not making commercials for local businesses and
shooting non-pro sports.

It’s a great place to start, but to compete in the wedding and
commercial market place you are going to need more. And as Alcove
already mentioned, when you are doing business you will need to
cover all the business expenses, too. Even working all alone. And
there month to month expenses that doesn’t stop even if you don’t
earn much that month. One guy with one camera shooting a wedding
is going to find it difficult to compete with an experienced
photography studio who hires two or three camera people and
offers a full package. Where are you going to meet with clients?
Your apartment? Your parents living room?

Just something to think about. Your equipment list is the LAST
thing you need to spend money on when starting your own production
company.

Stand against those giants. But have solid footing and a good
weapon.
 
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First, thank you all for being honest and realistic with me.

I’m VERY serious about this. But my problem is that I have NO reputation whatsoever.
I’m 19 years old, which going to be my first obstacle in appearing to be professional with my prospective business. I am a realist and I know that this is NOT going to be easy, but I believe that it is possible. I’m starting from nothing so I’ll tell you what I do have, and what I can bring to the table professionally. Sure, there are several giants out there, but this is why I'm getting started now at such a young age. There's no way to build a company overnight without being a millionaire already, so I want to start putting together anything I can right now.

Don’t take this as arrogance, but in order to be realistic, it is important to know what I can and can’t do. I honestly can’t prove anything yet, but I’m doing this as a means to prove my worth. So I’ll take what I can get and do the best I can with it. I’m willing to sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears to do so.

I currently live in a rural part of Missouri, but I am planning on moving to Kansas City or another urban area to conduct business. I also intend to travel statewide to find work once the business is off the ground.

What I have now:

I’m extremely smart. I’m very articulate and I have very good reading and writing skills. I may be very young, but my intellect greatly exceeds my peers. My ACT/ACT Compass scores prove that in paper and every instructor I’ve ever come into contact with has told me this.

I have drive and dedication. This isn’t a hobby or a game to me; this is what I want to do with my life. So I take filmmaking extremely seriously.

I know what I’m doing. I don’t have any way of proving this without equipment, but this is the primary reason I want to get equipment and start developing a portfolio as soon as possible. I’m by no means the best of the best, but I know for a fact that I can shoot and edit footage to make it competitively professional. I have an understanding of all of the following concepts: Lighting/ Focus/ Framing/ Audio/ Editing/ Camera Operation/ Voice Over/

I’m proficient with technology. Like most of the people in my generation, I grew up using computers and tech from the pinnacle of modern engineering. But again, I’m a little more intelligent than most of my peers. ANY hardware or software, I can learn how to operate, and I can do it fast. Basic computer skills are second nature to me at this point. (Internet/Word Processing/ Etc.) In short, I can do anything with video editing or 3D CAD if given enough time. Even if I’m new to the software.
This is one of the bigger benefits to doing this is that I CAN do a lot of things myself. One of you mentioned a website. For me, it would be easy to create a professional and "clean" webpage for my business. I've done web design before.

I’m dedicated enough to this to not settle for crap. I’m not some you tube kid who thinks he’s an awesome filmmaker. I know my limitations and I know my strengths. Anything I will do with this, I will do well.

I’m extremely creative. If I can’t solve an issue with one method, I’ll keep coming up with different methods until I find a solution.

Networking. I know a lot of people and I have a lot of friends. From a purely business perspective, that means I can get a helping hand with my work for cheap. That’s how I plan on building a small reputation initially with my business. I can film things for friends free of charge and use that as demo reel material. I also know several people who have similar interests.

What I’ve worked with or gained experience with in the past:
Through experience, I am confident of my ability to operate ALL of the following software: Adobe Premier Pro/ Adobe Photoshop/ Adobe Dreamweaver/ Autodesk Inventor/ Autodesk AutoCAD/ Autodesk Revit Architecture/ SolidWorks 3D/ Google SketchUp/ Reaper Audio Mixing

My education in film is primarily based in high school. Liberty High School, where I learned about film, has a very well funded broadcast journalism program. I would say one of the best in the country. I worked as part of a small news studio that did regular broadcasts for the city and school district. I learned quite a bit of technical knowledge, but there wasn’t much room for creativity. My 3D knowledge comes from combined high school and college level instruction as well as extracurricular work. Not the most impressive-looking sources, but I did learn enough that I can confidently aspire to do what I want with the industry.

What I lack:
Funding. I’m still in college and I’m quite poor at the moment. I’m going to GET as much money as I possibly can in any way I can and use it for this. Not much else I can say as far as funding.

Experience. I’ve never been to a film school and I’ve never worked for a production company before. I’ve never been paid to do any industry related work. But hey, I’m 19. If the opportunity to get a industry related day job pops up, I’ll jump on it. On film school, well that’s great and all, but $60,000 more of student loan debt is not very appealing, and the fundamental problem with most education is that it teaches you how to work for someone else. I’m out to make my own way; to control my own life and work to make myself rich, not a company or another individual.

Reputation. I’m nobody. And I fully realize I’m nobody. But I have a long life ahead of me to become a somebody, and I want to start NOW. I’m not out for glory or fame, but I’m out to make a name for myself as a filmmaker so that I can produce a career for the rest of my life. The language of capitalism is currency, and I’m fluent in understanding that language even if I cannot yet speak it. I look at this as a business first and foremost.

Patience. I’m not going to just sit back and say “someday I want to make movies…” No, I want to do anything and everything I can to work towards my goal of being a filmmaker NOW. That doesn’t mean I want to just jump into this without the necessary means, but I won’t do anything that won’t contribute to my long-term goals. What that means is that if I start working at some retail store, the money I earn is going to be saved the best I can spare to go to building this business, and eventually my career.

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

Now that's where I stand. Now I'd like to figure out HOW to get to where I want to be. How to come up with a realistic plan to accomplish my long term goals.

Alcove, you make very good points. But again, I'm not trying to jump into it with nothing, I'm trying to figure out HOW to build the framework now and get to work on setting it up. This is me scratching the surface. This is step ONE.

As far as the equipment I want, this is just the BASIC start-up kit. The bare minimum from what I'll be able to get my hands on right now. I will purchase things based on versatility. I realize there is no "do it all" equipment for anything, but I'll buy what can do the most. I want the best flexibility I can get out of my equipment. EVENTUALLY, once the initial equipment is purchased, I'd love to get more. I could certainly used a 3 or 4 camera setup, and multiples of other equipment as well, but I can't afford that at the moment.
My plan is to start small, and use what I have to build bigger things.

Somebody mentioned freelance work for bigger companies as a start. I think that is a wonderful idea. How does that work if I have no reputation or experience? Would decent equipment (if limited) make me enough of an asset that a bigger company would use me as a freelance worker?

THANKS EVERYONE! You guys are being extremely helpful and insightful and I really appreciate it!
 
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First, thank you all for being honest and realistic with me.

I’m VERY serious about this. But my problem is that I have NO reputation whatsoever.
I’m 19 years old, which going to be my first obstacle in appearing to be professional with my prospective business. I am a realist and I know that this is NOT going to be easy, but I believe that it is possible. I’m starting from nothing so I’ll tell you what I do have, and what I can bring to the table professionally. Sure, there are several giants out there, but this is why I'm getting started now at such a young age. There's no way to build a company overnight without being a millionaire already, so I want to start putting together anything I can right now.

Don’t take this as arrogance, but in order to be realistic, it is important to know what I can and can’t do. I honestly can’t prove anything yet, but I’m doing this as a means to prove my worth. So I’ll take what I can get and do the best I can with it. I’m willing to sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears to do so.

I currently live in a rural part of Missouri, but I am planning on moving to Kansas City or another urban area to conduct business. I also intend to travel statewide to find work once the business is off the ground.

What I have now:

I’m extremely smart. I’m very articulate and I have very good reading and writing skills. I may be very young, but my intellect greatly exceeds my peers. My ACT/ACT Compass scores prove that in paper and every instructor I’ve ever come into contact with has told me this.

I have drive and dedication. This isn’t a hobby or a game to me; this is what I want to do with my life. So I take filmmaking extremely seriously.

I know what I’m doing. I don’t have any way of proving this without equipment, but this is the primary reason I want to get equipment and start developing a portfolio as soon as possible. I’m by no means the best of the best, but I know for a fact that I can shoot and edit footage to make it competitively professional. I have an understanding of all of the following concepts: Lighting/ Focus/ Framing/ Audio/ Editing/ Camera Operation/ Voice Over/

I’m proficient with technology. Like most of the people in my generation, I grew up using computers and tech from the pinnacle of modern engineering. But again, I’m a little more intelligent than most of my peers. ANY hardware or software, I can learn how to operate, and I can do it fast. Basic computer skills are second nature to me at this point. (Internet/Word Processing/ Etc.) In short, I can do anything with video editing or 3D CAD if given enough time. Even if I’m new to the software.
This is one of the bigger benifits to doing this is that I CAN do a lot of things myself. One of you mentioned a website. For me, it would be easy to create a professional and "clean" webpage for my business. I've done web design before.

I’m dedicated enough to this to not settle for crap. I’m not some you tube kid who thinks he’s an awesome filmmaker. I know my limitations and I know my strengths. Anything I will do with this, I will do well.

I’m extremely creative. If I can’t solve an issue with one method, I’ll keep coming up with different methods until I find a solution.

Networking. I know a lot of people and I have a lot of friends. From a purely business perspective, that means I can get a helping hand with my work for cheap. That’s how I plan on building a small reputation initially with my business. I can film things for friends free of charge and use that as demo reel material. I also know several people who have similar interests.

What I’ve worked with or gained experience with in the past:
Through experience, I am confident of my ability to operate ALL of the following software: Adobe Premier Pro/ Adobe Photoshop/ Adobe Dreamweaver/ Autodesk Inventor/ Autodesk AutoCAD/ Autodesk Revit Architecture/ SolidWorks 3D/ Google SketchUp/ Reaper Audio Mixing

My education in film is primarily based in high school. Liberty High School, where I learned about film, has a very well funded broadcast journalism program. I would say one of the best in the country. I worked as part of a small news studio that did regular broadcasts for the city and school district. I learned quite a bit of technical knowledge, but there wasn’t much room for creativity. My 3D knowledge comes from combined high school and college level instruction as well as extracurricular work. Not the most impressive-looking sources, but I did learn enough that I can confidently aspire to do what I want with the industry.

What I lack:
Funding. I’m still in college and I’m quite poor at the moment. I’m going to GET as much money as I possibly can in any way I can and use it for this. Not much else I can say as far as funding.

Experience. I’ve never been to a film school and I’ve never worked for a production company before. I’ve never been paid to do any industry related work. But hey, I’m 19. If the opportunity to get a industry related day job pops up, I’ll jump on it. On film school, well that’s great and all, but $60,000 more of student loan debt is not very appealing, and the fundamental problem with most education is that it teaches you how to work for someone else. I’m out to make my own way; to control my own life and work to make myself rich, not a company or another individual.

Reputation. I’m nobody. And I fully realize I’m nobody. But I have a long life ahead of me to become a somebody, and I want to start NOW. I’m not out for glory or fame, but I’m out to make a name for myself as a filmmaker so that I can produce a career for the rest of my life. The language of capitalism is currency, and I’m fluent in understanding that language even if I cannot yet speak it. I look at this as a business first and foremost.

Patience. I’m not going to just sit back and say “someday I want to make movies…” No, I want to do anything and everything I can to work towards my goal of being a filmmaker NOW. That doesn’t mean I want to just jump into this without the necessary means, but I won’t do anything that won’t contribute to my long-term goals. What that means is that if I start working at some retail store, the money I earn is going to be saved the best I can spare to go to building this business, and eventually my career.

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

Now that's where I stand. Now I'd like to figure out HOW to get to where I want to be. How to come up with a realistic plan to accomplish my long term goals.

Alcove, you make very good points. But again, I'm not trying to jump into it with nothing, I'm trying to figure out HOW to build the framework now and get to work on setting it up. This is me scratching the surface. This is step ONE.

As far as the equipment I want, this is just the BASIC start-up kit. The bare minimum from what I'll be able to get my hands on right now. I will purchase things based on versatility. I realize there is no "do it all" equipment for anything, but I'll buy what can do the most. I want the best flexibility I can get out of my equipment. EVENTUALLY, once the initial equipment is purchased, I'd love to get more. I could certainly used a 3 or 4 camera setup, and multiples of other equipment as well, but I can't afford that at the moment.
My plan is to start small, and use what I have to build bigger things.

Somebody mentioned freelance work for bigger companies as a start. I think that is a wonderful idea. How does that work if I have no reputation or experience? Would decent equipment (is limited) make me enough of an asset that a bigger company would use me as a freelance worker?

THANKS EVERYONE! You guys are being extremely helpful and insightful and I really appreciate it!
 
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There is nothing like practical, real-world experience. So suggestion number one is to work as often as you can. You will have to start out working for free so you can build your rep. You can learn as much, if not more, from negative lessons. Work as a PA, grip, gaffer, boom-op, anything you can get.

Long story short... I work on a regular basis with a terrific producer. On one short we had a PA who stepped up and did much more than was required of him; he made substantial contributions to the project and was a joy to have on the set. The DP noticed and took him on as PA, then camera assistant. He moved on to working on Hollywood films within two more years and is doing very well - people always notice uncomplaining, first-class hard work.

So get your hands into everything and you may find yourself in unexpected places.
 
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Lots of good advice in this thread.

The only thing I could add is that there's nothing wrong with a bread job. While I'm not necessarily trying to talk you out of starting a production company as a business, just don't feel that you have to in order to make movies. Kevin Smith worked at the convenience store filmed in Clerks, and during production frequently had 24+ hour days to film when he wasn't working (it's no wonder he started smoking). This is kind of an extreme example, but the point is that plenty of fine films have been made "on the side".
 
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Wombat said:
Lots of good advice in this thread.

The only thing I could add is that there's nothing wrong with a bread job. While I'm not necessarily trying to talk you out of starting a production company as a business, just don't feel that you have to in order to make movies. Kevin Smith worked at the convenience store filmed in Clerks, and during production frequently had 24+ hour days to film when he wasn't working (it's no wonder he started smoking). This is kind of an extreme example, but the point is that plenty of fine films have been made "on the side".
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hear ya man. I've got no problem with "bread" jobs, but my point was that I didn't want to just settle for that sort of thing. If I work at a job that isn't related to the industry, then the money that doesn't go to rent and such I'd put into starting this business.

Anyone done freelance work that can give me pointers on that?
 
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Alcove Audio said:
There is nothing like practical, real-world experience. So suggestion number one is to work as often as you can. You will have to start out working for free so you can build your rep. You can learn as much, if not more, from negative lessons. Work as a PA, grip, gaffer, boom-op, anything you can get.

Long story short... I work on a regular basis with a terrific producer. On one short we had a PA who stepped up and did much more than was required of him; he made substantial contributions to the project and was a joy to have on the set. The DP noticed and took him on as PA, then camera assistant. He moved on to working on Hollywood films within two more years and is doing very well - people always notice uncomplaining, first-class hard work.

So get your hands into everything and you may find yourself in unexpected places.
Click to expand...

This is another great idea I never thought of. Location wise, would I have better chances of getting such work in say California or Colorado?
I'm pretty sure I'd HAVE to work for free seeing as I have no credentials that would get me hired on set. Which would be fine as long as I had alternate ways of making money. I'll have to think of ways to make that work too.
 
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The competition is fierce everywhere, but as you get closer to the "centers" of the industry (LA & NYC for example) the more people there are competing even for internships. Plus the fact that cost of living goes way up and the chances of finding a regular job go way down.

When you freelance (as opposed to freebee) you are thrown into a situation where you have to deliver quality work with minimal guidance, so you had better know what you are doing; you won't get a second chance.

Many on the forum have heard this story before. I was a talented musician. When I was 18 I worked in a gas station, played piano and was the audio tech for a dance school, was the organist/choirmaster for a small church and practiced with my band four nights a week; I had to do my personal practicing as well. I got maybe two or three hours of sleep most nights for months on end. When the band finally took off I quit the gas station and got four to six hours of sleep a night. The point is your passion has to be all consuming. Stay away from the booze, the broads and the drugs; besides the negative aspects to your life you need to save the freakin' money.

See what you can find locally for a start. Check out Craigs List, Mandy, etc., and don't forget your state film commission. Go Google crazy, there are good things out there if you are persistent. Once you have a base of experience you can move to another location with something to offer potential employers.

And keep in mind - Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one and they all stink. Only you know what is best for you, but make sure that you think it all the way through.
 
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TI Irwin said:
I’m 19 years old, which going to be my first obstacle in appearing to be professional with my prospective business.
Click to expand...
You’re wrong, TI. Being 19 isn’t the obstacle. Not having a
business sense is the obstacle. You can have more talent than
anyone and still not be able to compete in the business. And stop
placing so much emphasis on schooling. I never graduated high
school and by the age of 26 I was working in show development for
Walt Disney Imagineering - a company that had never hired anyone
without a college degree. I have never worked a non entertainment
job. No film school, no college and no high school.

So now is the time to take all this knowledge and passion and
build your reputation. You do not start with a prodCo - you start
by working. No client will hire to shoot a wedding, commercial or
non-pro sporting event as the owner of a prodCo with one camera
and one light. But, a wedding photographer will. An established
prodCo shooting non-pro sports will. Even a small prodCo shooting
local commercials will hire an owner/operator. Most company owners
aren’t like you - they do not want to do everything all alone.
They hire people to do specific jobs.
 
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Training

There are areas of the country that have a lot more activity. However, you might want to check to what activity you have in your area. Check to see if there are any state or local film commissions and other film associations in the area. They could provide a lot of resource information and sometimes free or inexpensive training. A lot of local cable channels provide free or inexpensive training.
 
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directorik said:
You’re wrong, TI. Being 19 isn’t the obstacle. Not having a
business sense is the obstacle. You can have more talent than
anyone and still not be able to compete in the business. And stop
placing so much emphasis on schooling. I never graduated high
school and by the age of 26 I was working in show development for
Walt Disney Imagineering - a company that had never hired anyone
without a college degree. I have never worked a non entertainment
job. No film school, no college and no high school.

So now is the time to take all this knowledge and passion and
build your reputation. You do not start with a prodCo - you start
by working. No client will hire to shoot a wedding, commercial or
non-pro sporting event as the owner of a prodCo with one camera
and one light. But, a wedding photographer will. An established
prodCo shooting non-pro sports will. Even a small prodCo shooting
local commercials will hire an owner/operator. Most company owners
aren’t like you - they do not want to do everything all alone.
They hire people to do specific jobs.
Click to expand...

That's pretty impressive. I hear ya about school, I'm in college right now but I actually think it was a huge mistake for me to have enrolled. Both of my parents have MBA's so I had it burned into my head from a young age that "If you want to be successful, you HAVE to go to school". I'm old enough now to see through that mentality, but the damage's already been done for me. (student loans)

I don't want to do everything alone, but right now it's just me. If I find more people willing to work with me then I wouldn't hesitate to work with them. I believe I can get other people interested in working with me, but I NEVER want to be forced to rely on other people. I have some issues with trust and because of that I want to be able to fall back on myself if someone decides to screw me.
 
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That's going to add to your already considerable obstacles.
I ALWAYS rely on other people. When I make a movie I
have plenty of people around me to do their jobs. It's one
of the aspects of movie making I truly love - working with
talented, dedicated, passionate people.

But I hear ya. You can do it without trusting others and you
might be able to write, direct, film, edit and even act in your
movies without relying on anyone else. You might even be
able to start and run your prodCo without anyone else. But
in my opinion (and it's really only one person's opinion) you
could miss out on the amazing things that can happen on a
movie set that has others working on it. I have learned so
much from others and have grown so much as a director
and a writer (and as an editor and DP) by relying on other
people.

You have really set yourself a difficult challenge. But it seems
you are up to it. I wish you the best in your solo endeavors and
if you need any advice, let me know.
 
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