Filmmaking in the U.S.

Is moving to Hollywood the right move for you?

Introduction

Each year thousands of people flock to Hollywood. In all these cases,
these young people come with notions of creating blockbusters that will be seen throughout the world. After all, that's the point of filmmaking, right?

While many countries produce films, there is no other country as
successful as the U.S. in creating and distributing films worldwide. They have
brought laughter, tears, and every shade of emotion to people in every corner of the globe. If you are considering a career in film, then the U.S. is a natural choice.

Competition for Entry

You must first consider a basic rule of economics: the relationship of supply and demand. There are far more people in Hollywood looking to participate in filmmaking than there are opportunities to do so. You will have to develop the tenacity and endurance to work your way through the labyrinth that makes up the "Hollywood Machine." However, if you understand what is ahead of you, and separate reality from the hype, you can be well prepared to engage in the most difficult, most exciting, and potentially most rewarding career imaginable -- filmmaking in the U.S.

Education

Filmmaking is a very technical undertaking. There are a growing number of film schools in the U.S., and several have achieved significant notoriety. One top choice for international students, as far as quality of program and reasonable cost is California State University at Northridge (www.csun.edu), which is located in the media-heavy San Fernando Valley, just north of Hollywood. Other top-notch film schools in the area include The University of Southern California (USC), the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the American Film Institute (AFI).

A film school education will teach you what goes into making a film. You will be introduced to the history of filmmaking, and then progress through all aspects of film development, production, post production, distribution and exhibition. Generally, the programs culminate with your final project, which will be the production of a short film that you can then take with you as a showcase of your capabilities. While you will not immediately be ready to create a blockbuster, you will have the tools to begin the
process.

Once you have completed film school, you must consider where you want to begin your career.

The Two Routes to Filmmaking

The Majors

The most familiar route to filmmaking is via the major studios -- working with organizations with familiar names like Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, etcetera. These organizations produce the global blockbusters, and have the long legacies that drive students around the world to become filmmakers. A career path at one of the majors usually involves entering through the development path (reading scripts, deciding which projects are potentially worth working on), as a low-level assistant making photocopies and getting coffee, or other entry-level position. These are very un-glamorous positions. These are, in reality, the lowest rungs to a very tall and very steep ladder, that potentially could take you to the highest levels of the studios. Similar paths are through production companies that work for the studios, where you may begin as a production assistant, an assistant to the second assistant director, etcetera. All of these positions focus on menial tasks that will challenge only your patience, while exposing you to the vast operations of production or the business side of filmmaking.

The competition is fierce, and you will have to be prepared to do the absolute best job you can do with every assignment, no matter how trivial. Your goal here is to make as many people happy as you can, since if they like you and the work you do, they may hire you for projects doing more advanced work. Or, you may be promoted to a higher level position. Virtually all of the great filmmakers and studio executives have worked their way up this ladder. It is a difficult and stressful climb, but if
you succeed, there is nothing else like it.

The "Indies"

The second approach is through independent filmmaking. There are many positive sides to independent filmmaking, and as studios produce fewer films, there is more call for independent productions. Initially, you will want to work on other people's projects to obtain experience in the "real world". While indies lack the resources of the majors, your opportunities to learn the art, craft, and technical aspects of filmmaking are greatly enhanced. Since far fewer people are on a production team, you will be exposed to much more of the activities. Indeed, you may still be making coffee, but you may be asked to learn to load the cameras, help with set construction, and participate in any of a multitude of activities.

Independent production generally means a small budget. You may be asked to work on "deferral," whereby you are paid little or nothing for doing the work until the picture is "picked up," or purchased for distribution. After the film's investors and others in line are paid, the crew will be paid. Also, you must be prepared to work for no pay at the onset in order to obtain experience and some screen credits. You are considered of little or no value until you have done some U.S. production work, and hence will not be paid until you have such.

If you are a filmmaker with an idea who wishes to obtain funding and create your own film, the process for acquiring funding for a feature film varies, and requires the same level of creativity that goes into developing the film's script. You must be aware that the U.S. government strictly regulates how you obtain funds from investors, in order to protect investors from unscrupulous pitchmen. It is wise to retain an attorney (counsel) to aid you in this process. Once you have the money you require, you can begin to put together your production team. You will find an enormous number of people ready to help you, either on deferral, or frequently only for screen credit.

Once your film is complete, you will be ready to send it to the various film festivals. In the U.S., the most important independent festival is Sundance. There are other superb festivals as well, along with international festivals like Cannes. The goal is to generate excitement for your film, and ultimately, to have it "picked up" by a distributor who
will put it into theaters. Along the way, you will be looking at foreign (outside the U.S.) sales of your film, which for independents, can be the largest source of revenue.

Independent filmmaking is an entrepreneurial process. It is exciting, frightening, and invigorating. You have all the control, and have all the risk. While the major studios are certainly what the world thinks of when they think of movies, we believe independent filmmaking represents that independent spirit for which the U.S. is known.

Conclusion

There is nothing more exciting than seeing your vision brought to life on the screen. Your education in the U.S. will provide you with the tools you need to be successful. Should you wish to continue your career in the
U.S., it will be challenging, but the rewards are unmatched. We look forward to seeing your name soon, on the silver screen.

About the Association of Independent Feature Film Producers

The Association of Independent Feature Film Producers (AIFFP) represents some 20,000 filmmakers worldwide. With the goals of education, advocacy, and networking, AIFFP brings together a diverse population of independent filmmakers who all share the same goal: to create great films. You can find AIFFP at www.aiffp.org.

Copyrignt (c) 2001 The Association of Independent Feature Film Producers, Inc. All rights reserved.