Desperately need some advce/guidance

S

Spaced_

Looks like this is the right place to post this. I feel completely lost and I'm running out of time. Some advice and guidance will be immensely appreciated and will probably be an insanely great anxiety reducer.
__________________________________

Backstory:

Right now I'm a 20 y/o college student. After graduating from high school in Puerto Rico, I first went to school at College For Creative Studies in Detroit where I was offered a $24k scholarship to get a degree in "Entertainment Arts in Video" but after attending the college for a year I felt I was still overpaying by way too much (almost $25k in loans) for the amount of film classes I was taking (1 film class and 4 art classes and 1 English class), in the 1 film class I had we learned basic terms and editing techniques and did barely 2-3 short films in the whole year. I decided to leave the school and attend a cheaper community college near Washington, DC where I would study all the good ol' basic classes like Math, English, French 101's, etc. The plan was I'd stay there for two years then receive a degree in "General Studies", then get a guaranteed transfer into another University where I would spend 2 more years in their film program which would end up costing me around the same price as my first college I went to in Detroit! Having to spend this last year in the community college with absolutely no camera gear, no film geeks, no film projects, and the worse of all, no editing, has made me feel completely out of touch, rusty, and sad. In Detroit I at least had other aspiring film makers I could go out with and explore abandoned buildings, jump on trains, and do crazy stuff for the sake of short films. Now I have no film student friends, no gear, and have replaced the time I used to spend editing/filming with CS:GO and working 5-6 days a week at a restaurant.


I am not an academic student, I am a hands-on learner and rather work and sweat my ass off doing 10-12 hour days 7 days a week in the field or be facing a computer screen full of raw footage for 8 hours instead of having to take an academic aproach to film. Is there a way I can learn filmmaking hands on for way less money? I've looked into other schools/academies that are hand on but they would also cost me damn arm and leg. I feel like I'm wasting my money on film school and even worse I feel like I'm wasting my time. It has taken a major toll on my health not knowing what to do. Most of my family members and in Puerto Rico and they're supporting me emotionally but I cannot turn to them for advice.


I want to dip my foot in the water in the filmmaking world but I have no idea how to which is killing me slowly. I don't want to be a hollywood filmmaker. My one true love is editing but my mistress is filming. I want to shoot documentaries or journalist type short films like the ones on Vice News, just thinking about being able to go out and film something as insane as this in Nigeria gets me motivated and pumped up, I'd do it for free! I want to capture adventures, put myself in awkward uncomfortable situations, even risk my life for an amazing piece of footage. Don't get me wrong I know this doesn't just fall on my lap, I know I have to work hard for it and I am abosolutely ready to do so. I'm willing to be the assistants assistant or work in a set and do what I have to do before getting to the good stuff but if I can avoid the academic approach and the debt I'm game! I JUST WANT TO LEARN!

_________________________________

So here are my questions:



  • Are internship programs looking for film school students only? I'd extremely ecstatic to be able work for free with a tiny company even if I was just the coffee boy, I just want to be there, I want to see a crew doing some shoots but is it possible without having any connections?


    Does an applicant with a Degree outweigh an applicant with good skills/experience but does not have a Degree?


    I'm not sure on where to live. I'm open to moving to Cali, Miami, Colorado, New York, literally anywhere that can help me achieve my goals. I have been a nomad all my life and I'm ready for a challenge. Any suggestions?


    Am I completely wrong? Is a film school or film academy the way to go?


Also one camera gear question:

I have about $2,000.00 saved up + some liquidable things I can get another $1,500.00+ for and I still have another month or two left of 6 days a week workdays to earn money for. I really wanted to go to New Zealand later this summer but I need to get my priorities in check and get camera gear. Should I seperate $500-$600 to build a decent PC and use the rest on a DSLR w/ gear? Right now I have a 13' MacBook Pro which constantly lags and stutters with any 15 minutes+ of footage and the Disk in a constant struggle of being full despite having a 1TB external hard drive.

______________________________________________

Pretty relevant video to what I fear I'll end up being in life


Sorry it's a wall of text guys, if this is the wrong place for such a post I apologize and will immediately remove it. Any insights/advice/guidance/anything you can chime in I cannot put into words how much I would appreciate.



If you'd like to get a bit more personal with my situation here's my email casaldana27@gmail.com
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Is there a way I can learn filmmaking hands on for way less money?
Click to expand...

Grab a camera (should cost about $400 or use an iphone - I also suggest grabbing some audio gear which should cost you about $500 - Hell, there are things that you can plug into your phone too. While I cannot attest to their quality or suitability, those are options) and start shooting. A tripod would also be nice but handheld is always an option. Learn from the experiences so you can improve over time. Don't get caught up in the gear race early on. Don't worry about what gear you need to earn money or make movies for the cinema now. It's mostly about storytelling and technique. Focus on your learning.

Some tools are needed, others are just nice. Other toys won't come into play until you learn more skills and want to bring your game to the next levels.

I want to dip my foot in the water in the filmmaking world but I have no idea how to which is killing me slowly.
Click to expand...

One thing. Film makers make films. Decide whether this is for you. If so, go out and shoot. It may suck, or it may be worse. My first film sucked, not as bad as it could have, but it was still rather bad. You'll hopefully learn from it and improve.

Does an applicant with a Degree
Click to expand...

In film making, a degree usually doesn't mean shit. I suggest you don't let it be a factor in your decision making.

Is a film school or film academy the way to go?
Click to expand...

In my opinion, that depends on you. I'm one of those few who believe in both sides of the coin. In other words, both paths are correct. There are many threads you should read if you want to consider film school so you can make your own determination.

Should I seperate $500-$600 to build a decent PC
Click to expand...

If you want to focus on editing/post production, a good computer is essential. $500-600 may suit some situations, but will fall well short in others. With well managed workflow, you'll be able to handle virtually everything, ebeit, slower than the more expensive options. It will also depend on your technical abilities and your ability to learn those skills.

What you really need to do is read the appropriate threads on this forum, on youtube and the many websites around to get a better view and make the decisions that suit you best.

One last thing. You're going to meet people along the way. Some will have pieces of the puzzle you'll need to make your dream a reality. Filmmaking is a team sport.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Instead of addressing your specific questions I'll just give you some advice from an old fart.

There are no set paths to "success," whatever "success" may be; you need to find your own path. A few of the things that (almost) always give you the edge:

Have a hardcore work ethic. You're on time, do your job to the best of your abilities, you keep your mouth shut (at least when you're the new guy/gal) unless asked, and you volunteer for (and do a great job at) every "dirty" job that no one else wants to do. Almost everyone remembers reliable, hardworking people.

When you are on-set you keep your eyes & ears open and learn, learn, learn. Even the negative lessons are important. And always remember that the mark of a true professional is knowing that there is always something new to learn, and that those lessons can come from surprising people/places.

When you are involved with a project or at an event you need to network, network, network!!! You will need a broad base of contacts for just about everything you want to do, because, as Sweetie mentioned, "Filmmaking is a team sport."

Be parsimonious with your funds, pare down your life to essentials, organize your life to accommodate your career goals.

Avoid excessive partying. You can spend your money and life forwarding your career or partying, not both. Yes, you will have to go to events for networking and other purposes; be the sober, rational person who gets cabs and/or drives people home. You'll also learn who to avoid and with whom you would like to affiliate.

If you're a "hands on" type of learner then do it that way. Get involved with every project that you can in any capacity for which you qualify.

Continually reassess your professional life; make adjustments as necessary.

Don't let your ego override your common sense.

Do not burn bridges, no matter who it is or whatever the provocation; todays asshole is next years executive producer.

Do not bemoan a lack of ___________ (fill in the blank); turn it into an asset. Techno and Rap were created by people who used the technological cast-offs of others to create a new "sound." Work within your limitations, but push them as far as you can.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid! Even when you keep it simple it's easy for everything to get FUBAR; complicating things only guarantees that they will become a SNAFU.

STAY POSITIVE!




A little more specific to your post...

When it comes to equipment I'm a big fan of hiring someone with the gear. Next would be renting. As a mentor once told me, "If you don't use it almost every day you can't afford it."

If you want to do documentary/journalistic type work it doesn't matter too much where you are; there are interesting stories everywhere. It's up to you to tell those stories in a way that appeals to audiences.

If you aspire to be an editor build yourself a "monster" computer that can handle almost anything that may come your way; this includes peripherals and software, which can be more expensive than the computer! (My software is about three times the cost of my computer, computer peripherals about the same.)





As a sound guy, I, of course, have to include my usual advice:

Your project will only look as good as it sounds, because
"Sound is half of the experience"

If your film looks terrible but has great sound, people might just think it's your aesthetic.
If your film looks great and has bad sound, people will think you're an amateur.
Sound is the first indicator to the industry that you know what you're doing.​


Peace, and good luck!

Uncle Bob
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hello.

I live near DC and should be shooting some projects in the next couple months including a documentary. Although I don't generally travel to DC. I really hate driving in that city.

- Sean
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
There is only one question....do you have the self drive and determination to teach yourself, be it online, playing around etc etc or do you need to sit through a course that teaches you the basics and holds your hand for you before you go and find a job, where your boss will expect you to have the self drive and determination?

By the way. NZ is my playground. Let me know when you are coming if you want to catch up for a coffee.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I understand where the OP is coming from. I think the main reason to go to film school nowadays is not to learn film itself, but for networking and practicing film as a team.

I can relate a lot to OP's post. I've personally made some shorts, two music videos, a documentary, some online-commercials etc. but it's pretty much all been 1-man projects, since I really don't know anyone in the business or that has a passion for it. I really want to go to film school as well, but I can't afford it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top