I have a plan, tell me if you think it will work:

Could work...

PlanB said:

am a highschool student and I plan to become a film-maker. (I don't really care for fame or super-mainstream success, I just really want to make films that people can find, and enjoy.) Tell me if you think my plan will work, I have it mapped out:

I am a highschool student as I already said before, Next year I am going to go to boces (a trade school paid for by the highschool) for television production where I will learn a lot of the basics. I'm going to work my ass off there (I don't in school) and the program is offering internships to 2 local stations, one is pbs and the other is the station formerlly known as NY-55, (no idea what channel it is now), I hopefully will get one of those internships. After learning from experienced people, I plan to try to get some connections and then make a film of my own.

Please tell me what you think.

I posted this on IMDB and no one really made any helpful replies.

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Ahhhhh... To be in high school with the opportunity to do it all over again... LOL.

PlanB, sure this plan can work but in addition to this plan, I would strongly suggest getting involved in filmmaking as soon as possible i.e., start making some short films on MiniDV, work with actors, camera work, editing, etc. In other words, I would start getting my feet wet now. If you don't have any equipment, look into the possibility of a public access station near you. Almost anyone can now afford a cheap MiniDV camera and a basic editing program to get you started.

The reason I say start now is so that once you feel you're experienced enough to either a) make a feature or b) make a career launching short (can be difficult but possible), you can start working toward it. This could easily be a couple of years from now if you start pretty soon.

The idea of becoming an intern is outstanding. In fact, once you're out of high school. I would definitely recommend becoming an intern in Los Angeles at one of the multitude of production companies that are out there. Every month, at least 20 to 30 production companies list unpaid intern positions available RIGHT NOW. I know... I'm on a list that lists many of these positions on a weekly basis. If you're a filmmaker AND an intern at a production company with some motivation and committment, I can't help but think this could easily catapult you into a very decent position at an early age. Unfortunately, this is what a LOT of film school graduates find out after they graduate. Unless you are that 1 in 10,000 that makes an unbelievable film in film school... Worthy of representation and distribution, you'll end up having to get a job anyway. Why not have 6 months worth of cash saved up and then take an unpaid internship? It's almost a no-brainer and had this been available when I was young and unmarried, I would have jumped at it!

If you're a highly motivated intern at a production company with some films already under your belt, you could easily develop that into a paid position within 6 months if you bust your ass (as you said you were willing to do). A lot of interns do NOT bust their ass (even when it would behoove them to do so) and end up with stupid jobs that have nothing to do with the film world.

Luckily, I've been able to get my daughter to do just this and at age 23, after having been an unpaid intern for less than 6 months, she is now the assistant to the Director of Development (making $40K a year) and knowing how she is, she'll end up with that job or better within a year... *NOTE: She's not even a filmmaker, just a lover of films and a screenwriter.

The interesting thing here is that within the last six months, she has met some pretty decent celebrities. All of which have their own production companies and are allowing her to submit her screenplays to them...

In this day and age, this is, I think, one of the best ways to make contacts in the biz.

GO FOR IT.

filmy

Wow, thanks film-jumper. maybe I should just start posting my qualms on these boards. People over at IMDB bite your head off. I am already going to write a script and me and my friends are going to film it (AS SOON AS I GET A CAMERA!!). When I get a job I am going to save for equipment first off, then some money to put away. I'm only 16 right now, so whatever I write now, will just be bullshit, really. It's all for practice. I've never really heard of a movie that was written by the film-maker when he was only 16. I'm definatly going to take advantage of the fact that I'm young and get as much experience as I can.

Go For It...

PlanB said:

Wow, thanks film-jumper. maybe I should just start posting my qualms on these boards. People over at IMDB bite your head off. I am already going to write a script and me and my friends are going to film it (AS SOON AS I GET A CAMERA!!). When I get a job I am going to save for equipment first off, then some money to put away. I'm only 16 right now, so whatever I write now, will just be bullshit, really. It's all for practice. I've never really heard of a movie that was written by the film-maker when he was only 16. I'm definatly going to take advantage of the fact that I'm young and get as much experience as I can.

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PlanB,

It can definitely be done. I'm a guest instructor at a local Native American school. I teach one class for 3 hours once a week. It's a filmmaking class but the emphasis is on STORY FIRST! I have 9 high school students of which, 3 are very good writers and are EASILY writing better scripts than what I read from most indie filmmakers... LOL. Sad, but true.

So it can definitely be done... You just gotta do it!

The best advice I could give you right now (based on your original post and followup post) would be to really learn how to write screenplays. Start out with writing stuff for you and your friends to make but also try to have that script you're working on the side to actually submit one day. Should you ever become an intern in Smell-A, having 3 to 5 really good screenplays couldn't hurt.

Hell, most studio writing assignments start out at $100K and go up from there. Get a few of those every year and you can make some decent low budget films to help you break in even more.

At 16, you could easily be writing professional level screenplays by the time you're 18 if you just get started.

filmy

Hey PlanB, and welcome!

Just to give you an idea of what you could do ...

A friend of mine and I wrote a story, bought a miniDV camera for about $300, recruited some friends to be our actors, and then made a movie. We used a video editing program that came with my computer (Pinnacle Studio) but I have since purchased Sony Vegas Home Studio edition for $99. To make our movie, we spent about $50 on blank tapes and about $50 on props. (We also spent about $150 on pizza and beer, but you wouldn't have to do that).

My point is -- you don't need to spend a lot of money to get experience at making a movie. Get that camera and an editing program and get started!

Don't get me wrong. I've been told I'm really good at writing and I hope they're not just lying. I have good screenplays so far.

And thanks for the advice, john. That reminds me of what I plan to do.

That is a fairly traditional plan PlanB, one that usually works.

But just remember, doors don't open themselves. Aside from the schooling and professional expert advice, remember that it will only apply to your career if you use it, so take what you learn, apply it, and open doors. The contacts you make at that point will be much more meaningful if you are already chasing your dream than if you are just trying to get started.

Much like how everybody states, "I'm going to write a book" or "I've been working on writing a book", those that have actually written a book will find it much easier to attract assistance and contacts.

Also, I started my schooling in TV production classes. I took some of the basic skills from that class and technical knowledge, but most of all I used and still continue to use the contacts I made from that class... but that alone doesn't make you a filmmaker. And TV prod professors really don't admire filmmakers.. still haven't figured that one out.

In my vastly limited experience, TV run-and-gun production is a whole other animal that creative cinematography. Just look at the crappy commercials the local TV stations produce. I mean, pan left, pan right, show the outside of the store, and that’s it. I think it’s good experience, but set shooting is not done the same way. Take the internship and classes, because TV work can pay the bills, but make your own on the side and submit the best ones to festivals. Don’t worry about creating something that you never send out. It happens to everyone, and part of the process is learning to separate the wheat from the chaff, and if you think that everything you make is gold, you’re deluding yourself. The biggest mistake I see young filmmakers make is that they are so in love with their own work they won’t cut down scenes and it makes a good story very boring. Also they distribute everything they ever made no matter how good or bad.

Good Luck!

I work for the local News and do my own short films on the side. It's a way to pay the bills as film8ker mentioned. But if you do go that route, I would warn you to keep at the filmmaking part of it. The BS and politics of a News Room, Production Team, or any "pay the bills" type job can wear you down. You just have to remember why you got into it in the first place.

Poke

...I think it is a great idea for you to get started now if you want to be a filmmaker. Hey, here you are at 16(?) and you know what you want to do. That's good because I think the worst thing you can tell a young person like yourself is that you have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. No, you don't. What you have is right now to start putting yourself in a position to be able to do what you want and head where you need to. (...uh, that kinda means try to work harder and graduate from H.S. so people don't get the idea that you have poor judgement or are scatterbrained.)

In my vastly limited experience, TV run-and-gun production is a whole other animal that creative cinematography. Just look at the crappy commercials the local TV stations produce. I mean, pan left, pan right, show the outside of the store, and that’s it.

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...sometimes the reason these local commercial spots look so crappy is that the client is trying to tell you what to do instead of letting you do your best work. The client is the money, you have to make the money happy. It is good experience, though, and you can get better at shot composition and editing then you are on your way...

The biggest mistake I see young filmmakers make is that they are so in love with their own work they won’t cut down scenes and it makes a good story very boring.

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...I also agree with film8ker here, the fact is if you left everything in it would be hours long...

You are in a unique position, PlanB, try to find people who are like minded and want to do films or tv or music videos like you do. You will find out who is serious and who is not, who is reliable and who is not and you may find that you will have a foundation of good people who you will work with for years down the line. And to start you don't need and expensive camera or edit system... Good Luck to you...

--spinner

True, the client is the last word, but everything around here seems very formulaic and unoriginal.

Plan B - You are getting pearls here boy, so pay attention!