• Money vs Portfolio - A Life Question
    20 replies, posted
I am a 16 year old from Australia. I've loved movies my whole life and since I was about 12 and started making short films with my friends Ive wanted to be a Writer/Director working in the American film industry. Right now I'm in my last 3 years of school and my parents want me to study a lot and all my other free time is working at my part time job (which I hate because of my boss) so I can save the money to maybe afford to move to america and/or go to university/make an independent feature. Do you think I'm better off quitting my job and using my weekends to make films and build up my portfolio or stay at my job and make money for my future? I wouldn't be able to make time for both. I'd appreciate your thoughts on my situation. (I posted this in fast threads about and gave it 24 hours but I had no response so I thought I would try here.) [b]edit:[/b] Just to confirm, I am staying in school no matter what. I am just asking if you think I should use my weekends to keep making money with my part time job for my future or quit my part time job and use my weekends to build a film portfolio.
finish school kid you're fucked otherwise
Go to college/university and find time to make films in your free time. Otherwise you might waste a lot of your life for something that isn't sure to totally work out.
What above are saying, you should always have a backup insurance at least, no different than football players getting fucked over for life after getting an injury that'll never heal when he spent his whole life on football. So, at least get a relevant or not degree, then pursue what you want, at least then, if you find that making movies isn't going to get you anywhere, you at least have something else to pursue.
Stay in school, get your qualifications. You want a lot but the reality of life is things won't come as easy as that. With your qualifications you'll have that as a safety blanket. School and your part time job so you can afford some good equipment. If you aren't studying and working, use your free time to look up film making so you can educate yourself to a certain extent.
You can have a portfolio all you want but if you have no cash to move to the US, how will you be able to show it off there?
Post your videos so we can judge and decide
Stay in school.
stay in school if you drop out, start making films which bring in no income or hardly any at all, you're fucked. you'll have no education and will most likely have to go back to school to get anywhere.
Wait, what do you need for your portfolio? Actually full-blown films? Or can you just write some scripts? Hell, why not write some so you can start filming right off the bat when you finish school?
[QUOTE=MountainWatcher;28448552]Wait, what do you need for your portfolio? Actually full-blown films? Or can you just write some scripts?[/QUOTE] Then I will have something somewhat professional looking to show people and some film schools ask for a demo reel. [QUOTE=MountainWatcher;28448552]Hell, why not write some so you can start filming right off the bat when you finish school?[/QUOTE] That's actually a good idea.
All these replies triggered lots of thoughts about my future. Thank you all, it means a lot.
Finish school no matter what, which you said you were. I think you should stay in work for save money for filming equipment and all that good stuff. Build up your portfolio. I'm not trying to be a debbie downer, but it is really hard to become a successful movie person.
[QUOTE=crackberry;28451969]I'm not trying to be a debbie downer, but it is really hard to become a successful movie person.[/QUOTE] Yeah, apparently there is a saying "if you haven't made it by 30 your probably never will."
[QUOTE=Roo-kie;28447893]finish school kid you're fucked otherwise[/QUOTE] Hey OP, this guy is from our country. He knows his shit.
[QUOTE=Atokniro;28472492]Hey OP, this guy is from our country. He knows his shit.[/QUOTE] Our land of lamingtons and kangaroos. But seriously, you need both experience and cash. There aren't too many bigtime studios over here, you [b]will[/b] have to move to the US of A.
[QUOTE=SuckerPunch;28472473]Yeah, apparently there is a saying "if you haven't made it by 30 your probably never will."[/QUOTE] That's [url=http://www.rankopedia.com/Celebrities-Who-Became-Famous-After-Age-40/Step1/3768/.htm]Not entirely true[/url]
finish school, work hard. you'll regret it if you don't. post some of your videos, i just hope to god they're not you and your friends running about pretending to shoot each other with plastic guns. [editline]7th March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=SuckerPunch;28472473]Yeah, apparently there is a saying "if you haven't made it by 30 your probably never will."[/QUOTE] bullshit i know lots of 35-40 year olds who worked minium wage, went to university at that age and now earn a fuckload. it's never too late.
Both, you need to get experience if you want to be able to get good at what you do and have something to show people. On the flip side you need to learn money management, etc. Keep saving up, but try to get more free time to make shorts. If you can, try to get involved with a 48 hour film contest
The Australian government will offer an interest free loan for your university fees up to ~$100,000 dollars, which equates to about 7 bachelor degrees. You only have to start paying them back when you make a taxable income of more than $40k. If you start a business (couple hundred dollars worth of fees), you can claim expenses (such as buying that fuckawesome but extremely expensive equipment) as tax deductions. So, if you plan to do the whole 'mostly starving film maker', you won't have to worry about the cost of university, and with a business you can pour money into your art and claim it as a deduction. Have a graduate degree will also help increase the chances that you will be accepted into the US, and doing University film means that you will have a more rounded knowledge of your art, and are able to access a network of people, which is generally pretty important to succeeding in all industries. You should work on what you love in your weekends, rather than slaving away for $20 an hour, but neglecting your passion. And there's the platitude of 'do what you love for work, and it won't feel like work at all'. What state do you live in? [editline]8th March 2011[/editline] Also, see if you weasel your way into work experience/volunteer work/coffee bitch for one of the television networks, and the sparse few film studios that operate here.
[QUOTE=joe588;28472564] post some of your videos, i just hope to god they're not you and your friends running about pretending to shoot each other with plastic guns.[/QUOTE] God no, even when I started I loved a good story. [editline]8th March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=CjienX;28474516] Keep saving up, but try to get more free time to make shorts. If you can, try to get involved with a 48 hour film contest[/QUOTE] I am terrible at time management so i'll have to give it some thought. [editline]8th March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Contag;28475568] Have a graduate degree will also help increase the chances that you will be accepted into the US, and doing University film means that you will have a more rounded knowledge of your art, and are able to access a network of people, which is generally pretty important to succeeding in all industries. You should work on what you love in your weekends, rather than slaving away for $20 an hour, but neglecting your passion. And there's the platitude of 'do what you love for work, and it won't feel like work at all'. What state do you live in? [editline]8th March 2011[/editline] Also, see if you weasel your way into work experience/volunteer work/coffee bitch for one of the television networks, and the sparse few film studios that operate here.[/QUOTE] That is all really good advice man, I actually really appreciate it. I live in NSW right now. Yeah my cousin in a producer for Australian Idol, Master Chef and So You Think You Can Dance so probably could get a job doing something basic if I asked.
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