I found out my passion for film by an accident. My sister chose film and accounting as her two majors. As a result, she bought home a number of books. One of them titled "Film Studies" by Ed Sikov. My interest piqued and once I started reading that book I could not stop.
I finished the college level book even before my own sister! I kept on finishing books.But the questions most people ask me is how do they know what place is right for them in the realm of movies? I usually get remarks like: "I would have filmed if I knew what I wanted to do" or "How do you know you wanted to be a director instead of an editor?" These questions don't have easy answers. They depend on the person but by following few steps almost anyone will be able to find their place in Hollywood.
People tend to accumulate knowledge in various ways. What makes film so beautiful is that it can be learned in two ways. One through articles, books and documents and another by hands-on experience.
There are several books out there for film. The book that I mentioned was just an infinitesimal part of a massive collection. Books are a great way to start: they provide insights into the film world from the reader's home. Books can help one from making several mistakes when he/she actually starts filming. If a person enjoys reading these books then chances are they like theorizing about film.
People tend to forget that the camera is just a tool and it is the person in front or behind the camera that actually make the magic. This is why anyone can grab their cell-phones and start shooting. Likewise, acting, production design, editing all have their rudimentary forms. Yes, a person might not be able to use the Hollywood standard equipment but there are always other options. For example, many companies like Autodesk, Adobe and Nuke offer students free educational use of their soft-wares. All the person has to do is to sit down and start working. It is practice and diligence that sets a normal person apart from a talented person.
If you are currently attending a high school or a college look over the alumni of your college. It is very likely that one of them are involved with film. It might not necessarily be the part that you wanted to do but you can still talk to them to get an insight into the film industry. This is extremely important because some facets of the film industry might change your passion completely. Besides if you do get accepted to talk to the particular alumni, you could get to talk to other people who actually follow your interest.
Adding onto that you might want to explore places that have the similar interest. Whether you are in middle school or high school there are places that are devoted for film. The Actor's Studio accepts people to take free classes through different auditions. The place itself held people like Marilyn Monroe, Al Pacino, Elizabeth Kazan etc. There are countless places similar to the Actor's Guild. You can also start looking at high schools like La Guardia(specialized high school for filming) or AFI, USC, NYU(Universities with strong film curriculum).
If you feel like there is no places or people of similar interest near you then open up your own spot! Through websites, blogs and even workshops let people know you are dedicated towards your passion.
You can not find your place in film by only grabbing your books or your camera. You also need to believe in making a change. Go out to the world and tell people what you want to do! There will be thousands of people who will say no but even one person can change your life forever. And working with that one person you will be able to learn about team-work but more importantly about your own mistakes.
Also, because you feel like you do not know what you want to do in film does not give you the excuse to sit down. A lot of people did not know what they wanted to and they found their own passion. Alfred Hitchcock started as a screenwriter and then became an art director. Later, one person recognized his work and told him to direct a film. That movie was "Jack the Ripper" and after that moment Hitchcock started to find out his passion for direction. He discovered his place in film. Go out there and make a difference to be treated differently. Always remember:
1. Find what Type of Learner You Are
People tend to accumulate knowledge in various ways. What makes film so beautiful is that it can be learned in two ways. One through articles, books and documents and another by hands-on experience.
There are several books out there for film. The book that I mentioned was just an infinitesimal part of a massive collection. Books are a great way to start: they provide insights into the film world from the reader's home. Books can help one from making several mistakes when he/she actually starts filming. If a person enjoys reading these books then chances are they like theorizing about film.
People tend to forget that the camera is just a tool and it is the person in front or behind the camera that actually make the magic. This is why anyone can grab their cell-phones and start shooting. Likewise, acting, production design, editing all have their rudimentary forms. Yes, a person might not be able to use the Hollywood standard equipment but there are always other options. For example, many companies like Autodesk, Adobe and Nuke offer students free educational use of their soft-wares. All the person has to do is to sit down and start working. It is practice and diligence that sets a normal person apart from a talented person.
2. Find People/Places of Similar Interest
The best way to know about any profession is to talk to the people who have lived in those shoes before. Most people think this is the hardest of all tasks but in reality it is quite simple.If you are currently attending a high school or a college look over the alumni of your college. It is very likely that one of them are involved with film. It might not necessarily be the part that you wanted to do but you can still talk to them to get an insight into the film industry. This is extremely important because some facets of the film industry might change your passion completely. Besides if you do get accepted to talk to the particular alumni, you could get to talk to other people who actually follow your interest.
 |
| Actor's Studio in New York |
Adding onto that you might want to explore places that have the similar interest. Whether you are in middle school or high school there are places that are devoted for film. The Actor's Studio accepts people to take free classes through different auditions. The place itself held people like Marilyn Monroe, Al Pacino, Elizabeth Kazan etc. There are countless places similar to the Actor's Guild. You can also start looking at high schools like La Guardia(specialized high school for filming) or AFI, USC, NYU(Universities with strong film curriculum).
3. Don't just Sit there!
If you feel like there is no places or people of similar interest near you then open up your own spot! Through websites, blogs and even workshops let people know you are dedicated towards your passion.
You can not find your place in film by only grabbing your books or your camera. You also need to believe in making a change. Go out to the world and tell people what you want to do! There will be thousands of people who will say no but even one person can change your life forever. And working with that one person you will be able to learn about team-work but more importantly about your own mistakes.
Also, because you feel like you do not know what you want to do in film does not give you the excuse to sit down. A lot of people did not know what they wanted to and they found their own passion. Alfred Hitchcock started as a screenwriter and then became an art director. Later, one person recognized his work and told him to direct a film. That movie was "Jack the Ripper" and after that moment Hitchcock started to find out his passion for direction. He discovered his place in film. Go out there and make a difference to be treated differently. Always remember:
"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory"
Friedrich Engles
No comments:
Post a Comment