Dimensions_movie

Ok - the film school debate. This is a tricky one, but I will be honest with what we know.

We spoke to a friend a few days ago about this. Now this friend is a very successful EP who works with filmmakers you will all know. His take is that unless you go to one of the big ones (e.g. USC, UCLA, NYU) you are not going to make the contacts you need to progress. Not to say you won't progress, but the bottom line is that your classmates at those bigger schools are way more likely to move into agencies, production, etc. and will be great contacts.

To add to this (from our perspective)...

However - you can learn (if the school is good) some great skills. However (you can see where this is going) pretty much everyone comes out and begins at the bottom as an assistant/runner. We've spoken to students who were led to believe they would graduate and then pick up a job as a director/producer etc. Very unlikely in reality.

So, be careful - research the schools and really make sure that the school you are considering is up to scratch. Looks at what the practical (and business) skills they teach. Find out who their graduates are. Find out what % of grads go into film/tv (and drill it down by narrative, doc, corporate etc.).

TL;DR If you are considering it then quiz the school on every little detail - after all, you are paying for it!

Edit: clarity

Selling our home was a tough decision - not something we took lightly at all. We had long conversations and finally said to each other:

"If we loose everything, but make the film, would we still feel it was worth doing?". We both said yes. Life is short and it is something we were really passionate about doing.

The house sold really quickly - so we didn't have time to back out. ;)

I was impressed by so many things!, both sets drawn up by other members of the art department and my own. Having worked on the 6th Potter, the Quidditch Pitch came up again and our amazingly talented Production Designer Stuart Craig wanted to change the design slightly from what it was in the first few films. I got to draught the new version that had 20 towers now instead of 16 - and the towers were now about 25 feet taller (in theory!), so over 110 feet tall. There were other smaller changes and tweeks as well. Though a part of the tower had been built at full size for previous films, on the Half-Blood Prince, this was the first time that the Quidditch Pitch (that is the field itself) was built full size. So we had half an entire pitch laid with grass at full size!, plus the grass bank that curves around the far end behind the three hoops. It was quite exciting to actually have the big field. I (and a couple of junior draughtsman) drew/redrew the entire Quidditch Pitch, both on the computer - so that it could go to the VFX houses to be built in 3D and the characters could be composited, flying around on their brooms! - and by hand. Other impressive sets definitely include the Observatory, the Room of Requirement - such amazing detail in every set!

Lack of sleep. Finding work. Getting people to say 'yes'. Getting people to read scripts. But it can be soooo much fun.

Smile. Always be on time (or early). Be willing to pitch in and help anyone. Respect boundaries. Watch how others behave on set and emulate (the good bits). Everyone is sleep deprived so a positive attitude really helps!

It's all about meeting people. It is hard to cold call/email and introduce yourself to people - but it's part of the business. Sometimes people will have time to chat, sometimes not - but persevere.

When you do get someone on the phone/email, ask if you can send a CV (resumé). It always pays to know a bit about who you are talking to - be familiar with their work and reference it. Write a polite email and follow up every couple of months (email is best). We get lots of emails, and when it is time to find people for a project, we naturally will be more likely to remember someone who has kept in contact.

Of course, study everything you can about the field you are interested in. Find out what skills are required and learn them.

One thing that is really important - film/TV hours are long! Having a positive personality, an can-do attitude and a smile really helps. Everyone likes to be around nice people.

Hope that helps? Good luck! :)