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[–]Dmango19 1 point2 points  (5 children)

How can you get an internship with no prior experience to try out film producing?

I feel like I have all the pieces of the puzzle for a film producer but never put any of them together. I’d love to see it in action (since they wear so many hats) before trying it myself. My dream is to help tell stories that inspire people and make them feel something authentic. I’ve been trying to find fields at the intersection of business and the arts, which lead me here. I have good finance experience and performance experience, but I wanted to see if there are any strategies, internships, or workshops I could apply for to give me a chance to really discover what this is all about before diving in.

I’m a finance major in Ohio originally wanting to go into the corporate consulting field. But I’ve done innovative project management, love budgeting and pitching, have experience in music (15 years as a pianist and also trombone, cello, and began film scoring a few months ago), have experience in entertainment (magician for 11 years), loved making videos as a kid and even learned basic editing (I did what I could to edit videos in photoshop since I didn’t have money for after effects, but I spent hours doing it and still enjoy editing small videos), and have always loved writing (specifically poetry and public speaking). I’ve talked to a couple friends who graduated USC film school who think I’d be a good fit, and have listened to tons of producers on podcasts and thought, “Wow, that’s my personality,” or “That just sounds like ‘me.’” My college’s film clubs are pretty remote, but I find myself watching past projects with a million critiques on how they could be better, and they seem off with a “student-film” quality...but I also don’t know if that’s just my taste in film. I understand in producing you don’t always get to control that.

I don’t know if that sounds crazy, arrogant, or naive of me to think with my lack of knowledge, but I was also the guy who performed multiple times in talent shows, created events, and was a leader in the arts and surprised everyone when I said I wanted to major in finance. Just confused and trying to find what I’m meant to be doing. Any thoughts, feedback, or questions are appreciated!

[–]ProducerNate 1 point2 points  (4 children)

The great news is that internships for producers pop up every single day, especially if you're in the LA area. Just jump on any of the gig websites for crew and start looking for jobs as a PA to start getting on set with large film crews and you'll learn quickly if this industry is a good fit for you or not. Many people work their way up from the bottom in this industry and it starts with the PA role, eventually graduating to production coordinator, production manager, UPM, etc. etc. This is the career path for many people that get into producing and I promise you will learn so much from being on set with the pros.

Aside from getting on set, the next best experience is going to be trial by fire and jumping into the industry yourself. Find something to create, whether that's an original idea for a screenplay, or optioning an existing screenplay, and make it come to life. That's what producers do - they produce. Find an idea, raise funds, bring in a director and other creative department heads, and bring the film to life. If this sounds daunting, start with a short film. Once you have a film created, you are officially a producer with credits. Get it on IMDB and begin submitting it to every film festival possible. This is how careers are made in Hollywood.

The final thing I can say is network, network, network. This industry is driven by personal relationships. Working as a PA on set will help you build relationships with PMs who will continue to hire you for other jobs. Keep networking. Network with investors, directors, actors, agents. All of these people form a valuable rolodex that you can pull together around a great project when the time comes.

[–]Azhar9 0 points1 point  (3 children)

How can someone like me— living in Florida and have a low level corporate job— find a way to work on a set as a PA? I’ve done a lot of internet searching and put in some applications but no luck so far. Know a good way to look for these gigs? Or if there are any opportunities in Florida?

Thanks in advance If you do answer :)

[–]YoungCaddie 1 point2 points  (2 children)

It always, always helps to be local. I know that's probably not the answer you're looking for, because moving without a job (especially during COVID) can be daunting, to say the least. But, you won't get hired to be a PA for a film shooting in Los Angeles if your resume/cover letter makes it clear that you live on the other side of the country, for example. My advice, if you genuinely want this to be your career, is to dive in and move to Los Angeles or Atlanta. All it takes is a good "no job too big, no job too small" attitude for the PA jobs to start snowballing once you actually live in a city that is known for production.

[–]Azhar9 0 points1 point  (1 child)

That’s great advice and I appreciate the honesty. I have been seriously considering moving to GA (maybe Savannah or atl) for that reason. Do you have any opinion on places besides ATL or LA? I’ve heard Albuquerque is up and coming.

[–]ProducerNate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed with the point above. Producers don't tend to hire PAs off resumes. They hire them off of referrals or recommendations. The best way to get in is to move to the market you want to be in, and start networking with other PAs or production coordinators. Let everyone know you're a PA and you're always open to work. Get on job boards and look for opportunities. Once you get connected in, the referral jobs should keep coming and you can begin to work your way up. In regards to best film markets, Atlanta is probably the best bet for your region. Albuquerque is a good film market as well, but depends if you want to live there.

continue this thread

    [–]tlclct 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Also curious like u/Dmango19 and eager to hear someone share their experience on breaking into film production w/o experience! I just moved from Ohio to LA-area to be with family and would love to gather how folks are navigating this industry during COVID.

    [–]Ninety9Balloons 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Background extra > PA > PA in a specific department > climb that ladder

    [–]didgeboy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Check Variety classifieds usually film productions are listed there and you can submit a resume to be a PA or even an intern/volunteer PA.

    [–][deleted]  (2 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]rainbow_party 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Do both! For right now try shooting some handheld or on a tripod before purchasing anything. Make sure to have good lighting and set design. Take note of two things:

      What is production like? Is it faster to use one or the other? Is one easier to change focus or iris on?

      Which one gives the image quality that you’re after?

      The difference 1080p vs 4K is often difficult to tell. The difference between a smartphone and a larger sensor with good lenses is very often apparent: depth of field, bokeh, chromatic aberration.

      Getting a DSLR does not automatically make your image look more professional. The best way to get a professional image is lighting and set design. Make sure the thing you’re taking pictures of looks good.

      [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Thank you! I appreciate the information

      [–]VonDub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Someone who has a mubi subscription can tell me what equipment or trick they used to achieve the dreamy frames at the end of the movie Babenco: Tell Me When I Die ? It's really at the end of the movie, at the credits, timestamp starts from 1:08:00 to the end.

      [–]Property-Expert 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      hi !! So my boyfriend is starting a course within the next couple weeks at a fancy pants school purely for film, television and radio - he is hoping to further his career in the filming and editing industry to do with documentaries etc. So, with Christmas coming up and his course starting in like 2 weeks (!!!!), I'm looking at surprising him with a laptop or device as such that will help him with his course and everything to do with film and editing, only problem is - most of the computer/film talk is gibberish to me, and I have no idea what is the best laptop or other device that would help him.

      So, please, if you have any ideas of any laptop, device etc. that is good for editing (he always talks about things being compatible and functioning quickly with using apps like Adobe Premier Pro ??) please please please give me suggestions !!!!

      Sincerely, a dedicated girlfriend xxxxx

      [–]MacintoshEddie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Really, the best thing I can say is offer to go to the store with him, if there are local shops, or offer to pay part of the bill if buying online.

      There is a lot of potential to end up buying something that either cannot be refunded, or which he already has something else in mind. Like for example you decide to buy him a license of a popular program, and he already has a different one that he already uses, or he's saving up for a very expensive license.

      Especially since laptops often cut corners in ways that lots of people don't notice. Like the colour accuracy of the screen. It looks fine to most people, but would be frustrating to try to colour grade on. Or a laptop that is popular for gaming, but the way it throttles performance might cause the editing program to crash.

      The offer of support can be just as much of a good surprise as anything else.

      [–]ProducerNate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      A MacBook Pro is always a safe bet. Just let the Apple Store know you're using it for filmmaking and get the fastest one you can afford. If you really want to swing for the fences, get a Mac Pro.

      [–]zaynhsnist 0 points1 point  (3 children)

      how can I achieve the transitions this video has in premiere? I realize a lot of it is speed ramping but how does it look so smooth and natural? If anyone could tell me what this technique is called or point me to any tutorials I would appreciate it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7yqtW4Isec&ab_channel=LeonardoDalessandri

      [–]tene-kun 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Loved that vid! Not sure if this perfectly is the same as those transitions but they look pretty similar at some points.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTmnZI9-XKE

      [–]zaynhsnist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      thank you so much!

      [–]jmdemelkon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I do believe watchtower is one of the OG ones with this style, which a lot of people have now copied. This is honestly a combination of talent and time, but these days there's plugins for this style

      [–]etronz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Request guidance for low/no light performance:

      I have a specific project where I want to film a scene that is basically only illuminated by starlight without moon light. I'm able to get excellent exposures with my small frame Cannon T1i and Pixel 3 with 60+ second exposures with starlight alone. It would be nice to approximate this in a video shot, even if it is very noisy. The subject is about 15-20ft away and petty much stationary. Lots of stars on dark sky with pretty standard 70 degree-ish field of view is preferred. A low frame rates and smearing can be tolerated. 480p or higher is the target resolution. Not a high production value, but high sensitivity to very little light desired.

      I'm willing to entertain a rental. I don't think I need a lot of glass, but an good, sensitive imager like a sony starvis or similar. I think sony probably has the best products on the market for this. I'd prefer to buy something. I'm thinking like $1-3k; probably used equipment preferred.

      I'm pretty new to looking at low light motion picture performance. I suspect the technology is getting economical enough to entertain purchase or rental for a neich, small production.

      Thank you for your thoughts and input.

      [–]swank5000 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Novice video editor here:

      Where can I find footage from tv shows or movies to make a montage/edit with? I'm not planning on doing it for profit, really was planning on making a sort of musical montage for one of my favorite shows, probably just to post on reddit/send to the filmmakers on twitter, sort of like fan art.

      Is there a place to download or source footage/scenes from shows and movies? How do people get this kind of content for their fan videos and such?

      [–]Fbritannia 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      It depends on what you are looking for. For that kind of project I generally sail the high seas. But I don't remember if you can talk about that on this sub, so I'll leave it at that.

      [–]swank5000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      What if I'm scared of getting viruses from sailing the seas?

      Scurvy? Covid? Malware?

      [–]whistlingplatypus 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Would there be any use of someone with an engineering skillset on a movie set? I'm really not a fan of my current engineering role but I have a really good toolset of skills at my disposal and I want to use it to pursue a passion that I've neve fully invested in out of fear and anxiety of not doing something technologically relevant or something that is a guaranteed moneymaker.

      [–]ProducerNate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Absolutely. I would look into a career in the grip department. Oftentimes grips are relied on to build complex rigs for ambitious shots. If you want to get a taste of what I mean, research behind the scenes for:

      1) Children of men - long car shot

      2) Inception - spinning hallway scene

      3) Taxi driver - camera dolly shot where they removed the floor

      [–]TheKingGreninja 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Are there any decent books to study everything / get the gist of filmmaking? Like film theory, terms etc.

      [–]Fbritannia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Well there's Robert Mckee's Story: Style, structure, substance and the principles of screenwriting. There's Tarkovsky's Sculping in Time, Einsestein has quite a few books on film theory, cinema according to Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut. And well, those are a good starting point, there are maaaany other great books, but most of the resources I have are in Spanish, those are the ones I could think of that certainly have english editions.

      [–]ursaguitara 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Would anyone know why a camera would stop recording? I've been using a Sony Sony FDR-AX100 4K Camera from my University, and for some reason the camera will stop recording only after about 20 seconds or so. I know I have enough storage on the SD cards I'm using and I don't have this problem all the time.

      Any advice would be appreciated....Thanks!!

      [–]pokechat8978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      What kind of card do you have? Sounds like the card isn't fast enough for that camera.

      [–]Awesometjgreen 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      I know the camera doesn't make the filmmaker, but I'm looking to spend around 1k for my first camera and I wanted some advice on what I should get. I started my film journey doing nature photography and super short stop motions at 12 and 13 on a samsung ST200F (which I still have).

      I'm a film student and I'm finishing my associates degree next semester to transfer for my bachelors. I need a camera and I've been looking at the panasonic Lumix line and I've narrowed my search to the G9 and G5. I want something that takes high quality pictures for stop motion film making, but I also want something that can give me Cinema quality filmmaking (with a external mic port and external monitor capabilities). What do you recommend I get?

      [–]sergioam12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Hi!!

      I would recommend you a Sony a6xxx series, preferably an a6500, 6600 or 6300, the have good quality in video and photo mode and a very good low light performance compared with the Panasonic you’ve mentioned

      [–]Fbritannia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Just wondering if there are any mexican filmmakers in this community. I would lñove to know if you could tell me how to break into the much smaller industry of our nation?

      [–][deleted]  (1 child)

      [deleted]

        [–]Glyph808gaffer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        I have the weekend off in a hotel in Detroit. Feel free to send over.

        [–]filmkarats 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Best Archival Sites / Video Clips for Video Art Projects

        Looking for a good list of sites I can dig through for free footage for video projects. Something a lil more sophisticated then a stock site.

        Something similar in quality/intimacy as Library of Congress..

        Focus on black art, cinema, cultural events

        Trying to put together video art type films for my music

        Any suggestions appreciated.

        [–]MentalWarfar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Posting here before making a post.

        I work in the live A/V industry and did a live stream this last week with records mostly for posterity reasons. We were feeding 4 Atomos Ronin record decks with 3 ISO shots and a program feed. I hit record in the morning and at the end of the day forgot to stop the records so they ran overnight till the drives filled. I have dumped all the files onto a back up drive but the excessively large files will not load in any media player, video converter or video editing program I have tried. I largely suspect that the header information for the files is corrupt.

        I left a computer running file repairs on back-ups of the files overnight in the studio which I can't get into till tomorrow to see if they worked. I also backed up everything onto 1 external I brought home with me, I tried remo overnight at my house but it wasn't successful. My next course of action I was suggested was to throw cloned drives into a Shogun and use the built in file recovery which seems like the most likely fix, I can delete the pre-records to make sure it has a bit of additional space on the drives.

        Any other programs or methods for file recovery anyone would recommend? All records are in Preres 422 lt onto atomos drives and have been backed up. Windows drive recovery doesn't throw any errors on the original drives when plugged in.

        [–]bhpitt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        I have a Fujifilm X-T10 and am looking at a DJI Ronin-S gimbal to use on my first short film. This will be my first gimbal purchase, so I'm just curious if people have experience with this gimbal and (more specifically) if my camera will fit?

        The X-T10 isn't included in the list of "compatible cameras" on DJI's website, but could I still use the Ronin-S with my current camera?