How to build a career in film making

India and film making are like a body and its shadow, inseparable ever. And given India’s penchant towards emotions of every kind the best way to vent it out can never be any medium other than films and movies! And if you think film making is easy, think again, and again, and again!

Film making in the world’s most complex and diverse of countries is a challenge but then that isn’t the only point. If one can surmount this challenge, what one gets is pure adulation and admiration for a long, long time. And of course, truck-loads of money!

Today we tell you all there is to become a consummate film maker! If you can practice these points to perfection, you shall be rewarded with plenty!

Develop an interest in the field

No one ever succeeded in a filed they were least interested in. Obviously, you wouldn’t care for such a field and not take it up with required severity. What is then required is that one develop the right attitude as regards the field for that one must develop an innate sensibility which includes reading extensively about the field besides meeting the right set of people very often. In doing so, one gets accurate information besides interesting tid-bits of information about a field. Interesting aspects of the industry get highlighted and that way one can slowly develop an interest.

Read extensively

Besides reading to know more about the field, what is really and badly needed in the case of film making is to know about tools and techniques as also stuff done in the past. All these points get highlighted when one reads and reads extensively. Film making books are rare as the field is tedious and only few books exist. But what one can’t find in the press can be found these days on the net! And thankfully stuff on the net gets updated every now and then. Using a mix of books, net and people can form the right base for one’s film making career!

Get the right qualification

Film making sounds easy as compared to its actual avatar! People come to the film-making industry in droves with all the wrong nothing- including instant stardom and people’s adulation and lots and lots of money. Who ultimately remain are the ones who have the right qualification be it thru an institute or thru one’s own hard work in the absence of any qualification. Where qualification thru an institute scores over experience-based qualification are that one gets ready-made info on all the important different aspects of film making at the hands of veterans. Also, one get an exposure of all the fields involved in film making which may not be the case with experience-based knowledge where one may get stuck to one or very few fields.

Work as an apprentice for a while

Try and get a hang of it as far as the most important parts are concerned. It’s important to get the right qualification. But it’s equally important to be able to practice what one has learnt and see for oneself what really takes place on the ground as regards film making. For this reason, it’s important to start working in the industry at the earliest AND preferably in a set-up with lots of work of the kind which one would like to learn.

Be seen with the right crowd!

You are perceived by the company you keep! So, go with those who mean business, and go for it with a vengeance. The film-making industry is full of sop-story tellers who will related their achievements over just a cup of tea. And that’s about it as far as they and their work is concerned. And if you stick to them long enough, you shall be judged by their standards which aren’t high enough. So, move on and be seen in the company of achievers and those who seriously struggle to get somewhere!

Make your own show-reel to the extent possible

There is nothing like a live example to convince people of your ability to perform. In the film industry, your ability is seen by the show-reel that you show! So, make it large, dynamic and as vivid as you possibly can. This, the showreel is your “report-card”! Make it look convincing enough so that people take you seriously enough and let you get on top the gravy-train!

Sell yourself well

 Stuff sells if the salesman is good. Even if the stuff per-se is nothing great! Same goes for students of film-making. It’s the ability to look, feel and sound convincing that gets people to employ you. If they aren’t sure of your abilities, they won’t come near you. And if they are, they won’t even mind the fact that you are a newbie who has nothing to show in the name of a showreel!