We’re talking a good writer, film maker, or writer-director. Some say, “Oh, he’s a film student.” A few of us are actually professors. As the film industry grows, those jobs are going away. There’s a reason why they’re losing jobs.
So how do they explain that to their students?
We need to know how much is they paying us. You just read those statistics!
Are there things I should know or should not be aware of?
The basic facts:
Film students are about the same as anybody else
You don’t get a pass to do your research. No one can judge you, and if you study film, especially, you can get fired. No one says we don’t want you to study film. But you should be aware that you might have a different career path in five years to six years, or you might be dead. So keep some things in your mind; be prepared.
We have a lot of money and they know they’ll never earn enough
It’s important not to let that fact affect your work ethic. You can’t just work yourself into something. You’re working on a project that might not be worth the effort.
They get paid a lot, and you get nothing
If you’re a student, you might be told you’re just getting paid to hang at the festival. And there’s no guarantee you won’t land a job elsewhere. That’s why I encourage you to be more diligent about securing a job!
They get paid so little, they have to take on an extra job as a temp. If you’re a student, you might end up on an internship. There’s no guarantee that you’ll find anything you want.
They get fired, and you still don’t get any money. So it’s hard to put a face on it. It’s not exactly what you’d think they would do.
They get fired, and you don’t hear from them. There’s no reason why they’d feel comfortable saying, “Thank you for your work, and I’m going to hire you tomorrow. Thanks again for coming and seeing me.” That makes me sad.
What can I realistically do?
Don’t expect a job interview after school
You have to be a very focused person (to take on the work)
You have to be very diligent about your studies
You should keep a writing project going
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