Tarantino says "I did get to film"

[Walter Graff]

Either way you are at a deficit for probably the first ten years of your career. During that period, you a not going to get recognized as anything other than low man on the pole. The key is to get yourself into as many work situations as possible so you become more knowledgeable and rounded. School is key for setting up a good knowledge base and organizational skills. I'd say if you are young, then go to school. It can not hurt and will help in the end. There are always one in a million examples of lucky success stories like Tarantino so I'd say go with statistical averages which say some from of schooling will give you a more rounded background and better potential. I know I look for two things in someone young, schooling, and something on their resume that says they are willing to learn. I just took an add out for crews people in New England. nearly 11 thousand responses later, most went in the trash. What stayed? Of course those with real world experience. And for those that had none, I looked for schooling first. Second I looked for eagerness to learn. I?d rather take someone with no experience but a good attitude than someone that thinks they are a Hollywood big shot or puts in their sentence about goals, to be a big time director and has 20 "features" as credits. Many resumes went in the garbage that had logistical problems. For instance someone applying for a PA job that had all these ?credits? as director. You are not a director at 23. So put experience that shows a goal not an ego. Of course you could splash a few personal projects, but don't make it all about personal projects with you as above line or you are showing me to much of your own independence. Showing me that you worked as a runner on five films, projects, and nothing more is going to do better for you that showing me you were an AD on one, A director on another, a PA on another, and Cinematographer on yet another. Too much confusion and not enough concentration for my tastes. Shows me lack of potential and organization. I want someone to do one thing and show interest in one thing.

 

Two examples:

 

First bad:

 

This person wants to be everything and to me, I don?t know what he really is. So I will pass on him:

 

Current Position · Freelance videographer and editor

Recent Positions · Production Manager for Arts & Media Inc. · Production

Specialist (audio and tape technician) and News photographer at WXXX

WXXX Philadelphia · Production Specialist, ABC WWWW, New

Orleans.

Production Experience · CBS and FOX football games ? Utilities

(2004-2005) ·

Cameraman and Chyron technician for Television ?

high school and college sporting events (2001-2002) ·

Fox Sports Northwest ? Slow motion replay (2000) ·

to Purgatory (2000) · The Forgotten (1997)

Editing Experience · String Nation Music Festival (2007) ·

?The XX

Guys? TV series and How-To videos (2004-2007) ·

Visitor(2007) · The Hypnotist?s (2006) · The Brothers(2006) ·

The Last (2005) ·

Craftsman Magazine Commercials

(2004-2005) · The Hitman (2004) · House PSA (2004) ·

?Who Care? PSAs and Product Video (2004) · Wedding Videos (10

total) (2003) · Rap Video (2003) · My World (2003) ·

Yellowstone (2001) Splendor Drive (2001) ·

Journey (2000) · Slicker than (2000) · Karaoke - A

Documentary (1999) · Seasons (1999)

Cinematography Experience · S Music Festival (2007) · ?The

Glass ? TV series and videos (2004-2007) · WB News videographer

(2005) · ?Swing ? Golf Tournament (2005) · ?Women ? PSAs

and Product Video (2004) · Rap Video (2003) · Nevada Public

Television: The Zoo School in an aquatic

archeological preservation in Yellowstone Park (2001) · World

Championship Wrestling (2000) · Guitars (1998) · In the Blink of

the Mind: Psychokiller (1997)

Directing Experience · Guitars (1998) · Karaoke - A Documentary

(1999)

Sound Experience · (2001) · The Seed (2000)

Acting · The Journey (2000)

Special Skills · Proficiency with Avid, Final-Cut, Discrete Logic, Adobe

Premiere, and Photoshop editing software · Experience with most studio

and field TV cameras · Own and operate a XL-1s digital video camera ·

Familiarity with Tascam DAT?s and audio mixing

 

Education B.A. Media and Theater Arts, Motion Picture/Video. University, 2001.

 

 

GOOD EXMPLES

 

The first shows me no experience and an admission to that. If I need to hire a greenie, this is the guy. He has an interest, schooling, and will listen and learn. Unlike the other guy who is in his early 20?s and thinks he is already there. I did hire this person recently and threw him in the mix with experienced grips. I told them of his greenness. By the end of the day he learned more than four years of college and looked the part.

 

 

My name is XXXX and i went to the Toronto Film School my major was in film production. I learned all the necessary tools to be successful in the film industry. I am a very passionate when it comes to the film industry. I am a hard worker and will not stop until perfection is achieved.

RESUME:

 

A creative and dedicated Multimedia & Film student with the ability to remain calm under pressure and the perseverance to follow through on projects to a successful completion seeking a full time, part time or internship job.

Education

 

XXXX COLLEGE, Multimedia Degree

Computer Graphics, Computer Animation, Digital Video Editing, 3D

Modeling

 

XXX Film School, Toronto, ON, Film Production Degree

Audio, Lighting/Cinema, Scripts, Working With Actors, Editing, Video

Production

 

Related Exiperiance

 

Set Design- Professional Feature Film

Grip- Student Short Film

Grip- Student Short Film

Key Grip- Student Short Film

 

Non Related Experience

 

Blimpie's,

Wal Mart

Movie Theater

Warehouse Store

 

Related Skills

 

Competent with Flash, Director, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightwave, Final Cut Pro, Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, Avid Xpress Pro, DVD Studio Pro, QuarkXpress, Pagemaker, Avid Effects, Adobe After Effects, &

InDesign.

 

Operate- grip equipment, lighting equipment, video camera equipment & video editing equipment.

 

 

GOOD EXAMPLE #2

 

GOOD HONEST RESUME. SHE TOOK A PRODCERS COURSE WHICH SHOWS SHE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING SPECIFIC BUT DOESN?T GIVE ME UNVBELEIVEABLE CREDITS AS SOME PRODUCER ON TWENTY DIFFERNT 18 YEAR OLDS ?FEATURE FILM?. I HIRED THIS GIRL AS A PA AND SHE IS NOW ON THE TOP OF MY LIST.

 

I am very interested in working with you as a Production Assistant on any upcoming productions. I recently graduated from the Producing program at the XXX

Academy. I have been working freelance since graduation for about 6 months in XXX on various productions, mostly in the role of Production Assistant. I have worked with the XXX Network several times on shows such as XXX AND XXX. I was also the Key PA on a low-budget Independent feature film that filmed in XXX in August.

I also have some experience as Script Supervisor and Still Photographer, and would love to

pursue these jobs more in the future.

Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon!

 

 

**********************************************************************

RESUME:

 

EDUCATION

XX Film Academy

One Year Producing Program, XXX

Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, May 2006

Communications ? Radio/Television/Film Major, Business Minor

GPA 3.83

 

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Set PA / XXX, 12 Days of Cookies - Webisodes / October 2007

Swing PA / XXX / September 2007

Set PA / Music Video

Key PA/Addtl. Still Photographer / Consent ? Feature Film,

Script Supervisor/Still Photographer /? Short Film / July 2007

PA / TV SHOW / July 2007

PA / Short Film, / June 2007

Still Photographer/PA / Short Film

[Lars Zemskih]

Not every film school is run by Mike Leigh, right ;) ?

 

:)

[Andy_Alderslade]

Wow, really? What is the logic behind that though?

 

The logic perhaps, being experience! I guess it only takes one incident for a crew member to form that opinion of students, especially if they have never been a student them self.

 

Infact I remember that view from University staff as well (cooks, managers, audio-visual staff) but lets admit it, some students can really embody the steriotype!

 

 

I do however, find it a little fustrating, as I certainly don't believe I have lived that steriotype (though i admit i'm a bit scatty, bit of a dreamer), in fact at university I juggled my studies with jobs and activities (clubs etc).

 

University in fact taught me responsibilities as an adult. Yes like many I drank to much, but I learned that even after a heavy night, if you have to be in work by 8.00am or 7.00, you have to be there no matter what. And eventually i even learned that if had to be at work early the following morning its better not to to go out on the lash. During university jobs, I scrubed toiletes, waited tables, washed dishes, pulled pints, moped up puke - perhaps the grocest one was trying to unblock the cigarettes in a blocked urinal with a black-sack over my hand (it turned out it wasn't water proof!) - yet many will say graduates won't make tea!

 

 

I believe the general advise for a Graduate seeking an entree-level job in the technical departments in film production in the UK is perhaps to consider excluding details of their education on their CV. The Graduate should definetly not put any job titles on their CV if they are of a title above the job they are seeking - so they should certainly not put 'Director of Photography' of some student short they worked on if they are trying to get a trainee job in a camera crew - just list the title as an experience.

 

 

Steriotyping can be cruel, but I guess in this instance the problem is they are often proved true.

[Isaac Harnett]

Well, that depends. If you're talking about cinematography, then schooling is pretty vaulable. If you're talking about directing, that's a different matter to some degree. Tarantino hadn't dp'd a film until Death Proof (although I could be wrong), but as for directing... well school could either help or hurt. Like someone just posted eariler, the filmmaker makes the school. I remember an interview with Thom Yorke (actually paraphrasing Tom Waites) about not going to music school, or rather not knowing TOO much about the theory of music, as it would impede the creative process. In other words, the slight ignorance of a craft can be beneficial as it allows you to try things differently than following an ordered technique, thus seperating you from others. It could be for some that do study directing at a school, they could be discouraged from trying methods that are deemed unconvetional, or even NOT try any new idea at all because they only practice what was preached. Again, this isn't always the case. There have been plenty of innovative and original directors that come from academic backgrounds in cinema as there have been unschooled directors who gave us something from working the ground up. It's what's in you that counts and how you choose to utilize your abilities. You CAN teach yourself and go from there, and you CAN learn from a teacher that will guide you on your way. You just have to know yourself and what's best for you. But, that's easier said than done, isn't it?

Look, all I'm saying is you don't HAVE to go to school to make a film, or even garner attention. Going to a film school does not boost your chances of getting a film into a competition or festival for review, but it may help in fine-tuning your directorial style. So if you feel it'll help you deep down to go to film school, then I say go for it.

[Tim O'Connor]

I enjoy some of Tarintino's films, but I completely agree.

 

I attended a class at NYFA and was not impressed. It didn't meet my needs for a film school. It is very important to research the school and evaluate if it will meet your needs.

 

I decided to attend Full Sail where I have learned an enormous amount. I also paid roughly $60,000 for a B.S. (as opposed to $26,000 for a certificate at NYFA) for tuition alone, but I am also working with equipment that you will never touch at NYU, NYFA, or USC. But then again, I came to Full Sail because I wanted a degree in less than 2 years, also.

 

When it comes down to it, you need to know why you are going to school. NYFA and Full Sail are practical based schools teaching you mostly the skills and craft to shoot a film. NYFA focuses a little more on the theory, but you miss so much of the technical end. Schools like NYU and USC are theory based schools. They will teach you why a shot is moving left to right or vise versa.

 

Now as for whether school has been worth it.... I paid $60k to make every mistake possible and it won't affect my reputation (to any major extent) in the industry. I won't be green (or as green) out there. But then again, it is all about what you make of it. 80% of my classmates go home and play video games while I go to shoots. So if you decide to go to film school, you will ONLY get what you put in.

 

It is a big investment. I hope I helped you out.

 

 

I keep seeing lots of billboards and ads on busses for the NYFA that show students working with a

Panavision camera. Did you get to do that when you were there or did you see anybody with one?

[Michelob Fedusenko]

I keep seeing lots of billboards and ads on busses for the NYFA that show students working with a

Panavision camera. Did you get to do that when you were there or did you see anybody with one?

 

No I didn't. All I ever saw were what looked like a DVX from a distance. Then again, I only visited the school when I was in town. I did not actually attend the school. They may use 16mm/35mm, but I never found out otherwise. As for my decision, I am very glad that I did not attend NYFA. I don't believe that I would have received the education that I wanted there. Anyways... a grand per credit hour just to get a degree after you already finish the 2 year,13 grand program... That just does not seem right.

 

I still have many problems with Full Sail, but there will never be that 'perfect' school. Then again, I have full mocap capabilities, an entire HD studio, and I get to shoot in 16mm and 35mm with all my costs being up front, there is nothing better!

 

I think the point of this is that I did not come to learn theory. No one will hire me because I know why the color purple is in a shot. I will get hired at entry level to know how to set up a lighting rig. I will let everyone else compete with being a director straight out of film school.

[James Baker]

The best part about school for me (MFA, CalArts) was the dialectic and the contacts. It was a luxury to spend that time completely immersed. Worth every minute; an environment that I can never replicate. Yes, for the price I could have bought a new BMW (and a half), but the BMW wouldn't have lasted as long.

 

Go to (a good) school if you want an exchange of ideas and a sea of contacts.

[alessandro sambini]

Ok, now I have an opinion on this matter. I guess that I will take the experience way. I will probably look for a position as assistant, PA, as suggested by many of you. In the meantime I will try to work by myself. By the way I will post soon a thread in an other section where I will ask you to give a critic to my first work: a commercial.

At the same time I will try to win a "borsa di studio", a big amount of money given to young students who are willing to study in the US. therefore I must prepare the TOEFL. Next friday. It is approaching!

Thanks to all of you. ;)

[Francesco Bonomo]

Alessandro,

Since you're Italian, it might be useful to consider the situation of the industry in our country when thinking about this matter (or better, the absence of an industry).

I know lots of people that went abroad to study. They all came back with degrees, and still had to apply (for free) as interns in rental houses and wait 5 to 10 years before getting their carreers going.

There's a lot of competition now in that specific department, because of the lack of jobs and right now it's really over-crowded (there's a waiting list at one of the major rental houses in Rome, you would have to wait at least 6 months to apply for volunteering some time cleaning camera boxes there).

Since you want to try a career in the camera department, my advice is: move to Rome, forget about ANY school, even if you get the scholarship, and try to step in right away: find a rental house, or better a p.a. position in ANY department (i.e. a "volontario"). Once you're in, it's easier to switch to the camera department.

[Edgar Dubrovskiy]

Arri doesn't give educational discounts. If they did, it wouldn't be 95%.

 

Worked on a 3rd year's uni graduation film today.

 

Arri SR3.

Set of Zeiss primes [T1.3]

Canon zoom.

Matte box.

Filters.

Follow Focus.

Extra accessories.

 

Guess how much.

 

£172.

Per week.

[Dave Green]

Wow, really? What is the logic behind that though?

 

In one word: arrogance.

 

It would appear that, as a massive sweeping statement, film students in the UK are taught that by the end of their course they will know everything and be able to walk onto any set and do the DoP's job, never mind the 1st and 2nd AC's jobs. It's certainly an all too common attitude. But the student is in many ways an innocent victim of the competitiveness between colleges and universities who promise the earth. Indeed, some courses don't even have any real hands-on tuition yet still give their students the impression that they're learning everything they need to know.

 

To say the majority of film students leave their course with an over-inflated arrogance would probably be grossly unfair, but by the same token you'll find it remarkably difficult to find working DoPs and ACs who don't have numerous horror stories regarding problems with arrogant (ex)students.

 

On the other hand, I've just worked with a student on a film who was absolutely brilliant, and who I'm desperate to get on the next project I'm working on.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Dave Green

[Michael Lehnert]

At least you undermined your very original "sweeping statement" with your final point...

Great argumentation, Dave :D !

[Dave Green]

At least you undermined your very original "sweeping statement" with your final point...

Great argumentation, Dave :D !

 

Just trying to explain the prevalent attitude, and belief behind that attitude, rather than state a personal opinion. Of course, I could have mentioned the first trainee we had on the same production who was hopeless - can you guess what route they took to get into the industry. ;)