2.1 Explain the working culture of the film industry

The film industry is presumably an extremely challenging yet gratifying field to work within. The hours, travel requirements and budget would fluctuate depending on which production you were a part of. There may be times were you would have to fly out all the way to the other side of the world for a multi-million dollar production, yet there would more likely be times were you would only have a thirty-minute drive to work on a smaller independent film. If you worked freelance, your role on set would presumably change frequently but the pressures would remain more or less the same: you would always have to struggle with time, making sure your part in the production was finished precisely on the deadline. Furthermore, you would also have to work within a constrained budget, which would limit your creativity.

There are many positives to working in the film industry; if you enjoy the work, it is satisfying, creative and you work with a team of people towards a clear goal. The experiences you would have on a film would only be limited by the words on the script, presenting the opportunity for incomparable moments to occur. However, whilst working in the film industry is incredible, there are some negatives; there would most likely be great swathes of time in which you have no work, therefore pay would be thin. Furthermore, on the very rare occasion that the people you work with are unpleasant, then the whole filmmaking process would be a great deal less fun.

To work in the film industry, you need to be incredibly punctual. Good time-management is key whilst working on a production as, if one person is late then the entire day has the potential to grind to a halt, wasting time and money. You also need to show initiative, making sure you constantly show and outward interest in the work that you do and actively display it through getting experience and always asking for possible jobs. It is also important that you know your specialism, if you wander through the film industry with no clear role to offer then the stream of potential work will run a lot thinner. However, if you pick a specific field to work within, then people will notice and may need someone with those specific skills. Finally, you also need good communication skills, more than likely, you will be working within a team of people to complete a pre-established goal. You may arrive at this team with very strong ideas for what you want this goal to be achieved – however, it is most likely that there will be some within that team who also have strong ideas. Good communication skill involve listening to everyone’s ideas and finding a good compromise.

During my time at the BFI Film Academy, I’ve learnt so much about the working culture of the film industry. From the various masterclasses, I learnt that it is important to put your work out there and make to never to afraid to ask for help or to seek a job, as being active and showing initiative is the only way to get into this extremely competitive industry. However, it was during the production of our own film that was the most invaluable in terms of experience. I learnt first-hand how important time management was, being an actor on set. I also learnt about teamwork and communication during the writing process and, in fact, maintaining a dialogue with the directors and various other crew members whilst on set.

2.3 Potential progression routes into the film industry and wider sector

In terms of specialist areas, I would ideally love to woke predominantly as a writer/director as I feel that my strengths lie in the conceptual area of film-making – creating stories and characters. I subsequently enjoy the experience of physically being on set, collaborating with everyone else to create the visual language of the film.

Studying creative media in the future is definitely an option I’m considering. I’ve been doing some research into various different schools and found several courses that could be of interest; Falmouth University has various different courses on film production and has a school of writing. The National Film and Television School also has several courses that revolve around directing drama. Whilst I do intend to keep my options open, I would personally prefer to learn through experience.

Although I would really like to work in film production for a living, I think starting as an independent filmmaker seems the more realistic and logical choice. With YouTube and Vimeo being such popular and accessible distribution platforms, creating my own content with the intention of realising it on the internet seems a sensible option. Hopefully, the BFI Academy and other similar opportunities will leave me with a good network of friends that I can collaborate with to create short films, music videos, maybe even features.

Considering the fact that I’m most comfortable with prose and scripted narratives, I would love to make fictional short films. Keeping in mind the films that inspire me, they would have to not only be in the drama/comedy genre but also have a science fiction or fantastical element to them. However, whilst these are the breeds of story I feel I am the most comfortable with telling, I want to challenge myself as a filmmaker and so I may very well branch out into different genres and experiment.

Since I am more invested in being an independent filmmaker, funding would be difficult to come by. However, after doing some research, I have found that there are many different options available when it comes to getting money for a project such as crowdfunding, film grants or just saving money and paying for it yourself. In terms of distribution, as mentioned previously, the internet seems to be the most logical choice considering it’s accessibility and popularity as a platform. I may also consider applying for film festivals.

There are a few other opportunities available that seem really great. The NFTS residential specifically is a really intriguing prospect and appears to be the logical next step after I finish the BFI course. I may also consider looking for some sort of entry level work just to get some experience on a set. Whilst doing that, I’ll simply continue to make films and challenge and stretch myself.

Learning from Masterclasses