How to find or create a film making group?

Ron Flex · June 19, 2009

I am a film student and I am looking to join or create a group who create films. I have searched and searched and cannot find anything other than professional production companies in my local area.

How can I create a group of like minded people who are talented and will take it seriously? I own all my own camera and sound equipment which is all of broadcast standard so that isn't a problem.

Suprisingly nobody on my course is actually interested in production work which is making it very hard.

What is your advice forum go-ers?

David Mullen ASC · June 19, 2009

What is your advice forum go-ers?

Well, it would help if you actually signed your posts with your location...

Charles Talbott Jr · June 20, 2009

I think all aspiring filmmakers go through this, very frustrating, situation.

If the students in your course are not interested, talk to your instructor. He/she may be able to get you in touch with previous students that are still in the area. If not, go around to other local community colleges or universities and talk to the instuctors there. You need to be your own PR person. There's no real way to get the help you need without advertising yourself and networking.

Have you tried getting work in the field? Getting work as a Grip or PA might not be what you're looking to do forever, but it pays and you'll meet plenty of serious film/video professionals. Like David said, if you give your location in your posts, you might even hook up with people from this board.

Persistence is the key to success.

Brian Drysdale · June 20, 2009

If you are at college perhaps you could start a film making club, it's something that looks good on your resume. Also, local arts organisations or art house cinema may have some information.

Freya Black · June 20, 2009

I'm guessing he is in the UK. Theres something about the use of language. Not sure what but also the situation he describes seems very UK too. (Film course on which no one is intrested in filmmaking),

I could be off the mark tho. Of course where in the UK is another matter! :)

love

Freya

Ron Flex · June 21, 2009

I'm guessing he is in the UK. Theres something about the use of language. Not sure what but also the situation he describes seems very UK too. (Film course on which no one is intrested in filmmaking),

I could be off the mark tho. Of course where in the UK is another matter! :)

love

Freya

Wow spot on! My problem I guess is that I am doing film studies and not film production (Wish I had done the latter). We only have 1 practical module per year. I am interested in how you determined my whereabouts through my use of language. I always thought my internet tone was pretty non-descript!

Thanks for all the advice. I have a production job over the next 3 weeks shooting a promotional film but its just me and a friend doing it so there won't be any meeting other production people since we will be the only 2.

I think my best bet is to wait till my 3rd year starts and try and grab some attention round uni. Unfortunately at the moment everyone has gone back home for the summer.

Brian Drysdale · June 21, 2009

I'm guessing he is in the UK. Theres something about the use of language. Not sure what but also the situation he describes seems very UK too. (Film course on which no one is intrested in filmmaking),

I could be off the mark tho. Of course where in the UK is another matter! :)

love

Freya

One of our two local universities has a film making club as well as their film course. Many years ago it had a Cine Society (it had a Bolex and a Pic Sync), which had members from various courses (film courses didn't exist then) and quite a few of them are now in the film & TV industry (with the odd BAFTA).

I expect there are people on other courses who would like to be involved in film making - engineering students are handy people for example. Also, surprising numbers of law students end up in the industry.

Freya Black · June 21, 2009

Wow spot on! My problem I guess is that I am doing film studies and not film production (Wish I had done the latter). We only have 1 practical module per year. I am interested in how you determined my whereabouts through my use of language. I always thought my internet tone was pretty non-descript!

Thanks for all the advice. I have a production job over the next 3 weeks shooting a promotional film but its just me and a friend doing it so there won't be any meeting other production people since we will be the only 2.

I think my best bet is to wait till my 3rd year starts and try and grab some attention round uni. Unfortunately at the moment everyone has gone back home for the summer.

I don't know, I think it might be things like "searched and searched" and "like minded people" but it wasn't just the way you were saying things but also what your post was about. The combination of the 2. After a while on here the UK people start to stand out and I'm not really sure why.

I guessed you might be doing film studies too. To be honest with you I'm not sure it would be any better if you had done a production type course, the issues would just be slightly different. It sounds like you are doing just fine at the moment so I wouldn't worry. :)

love

Freya

Brian Dzyak · June 21, 2009

I am a film student and I am looking to join or create a group who create films. I have searched and searched and cannot find anything other than professional production companies in my local area.

How can I create a group of like minded people who are talented and will take it seriously? I own all my own camera and sound equipment which is all of broadcast standard so that isn't a problem.

Suprisingly nobody on my course is actually interested in production work which is making it very hard.

What is your advice forum go-ers?

My question is, what do you mean by having a group of people to "create films"? I mean, I understand that you'd like like-minded people to all get together to make films, but my question goes toward the specifics.

You have the equipment, but what job is it that YOU want to do in this group? What about your friend and his/her goals? What jobs would these other people in the group be expected to fulfill? Any project has jobs that have to be done, whether they are done "Hollywood style" by one person per job or low-budget style where only a few people accomplish everything.

So, I guess my suggestion is instead of just looking for a random group who will hang out and make a myriad of projects over time, perhaps you'd build the "group" by instead concentrating on putting together just one quality project at first. Being that you are the one starting this project, you'd be the de facto Producer. But if you need some financing, you could visit a Business School and search for a "volunteer" who is interested in finding financing. Then, perhaps a Writer who is local or in a filmschool who has been working on his/her own things but would jump at the chance to write something that will be produced.

Point being, build the project and the people you need as you go instead of just gathering a random group and figuring out what to do afterwards. If the project is worthy enough, the people will likely find you! Way back when I was still in school, a small group of us in the film program decided to make a feature. We agreed to each of our own positions (one was the Writer, one was the Director, and I was the DP) and then sought out others to help. The response was overwhelming. I believe it was because we weren't just asking in general for people to "join us" for some hypothetical project. We had something real and needed help. They came in droves.... people we didn't know and people we did know, but didn't realize the extent of their interest. A simple cheap advertisement in a University newspaper can be enough to get your word out. Of course the internet (we didn't have all this nifty stuff when I was in school) is a great way to market yourself and your project.

Good luck!