How to start to break into the film industry - from a third year student.

Hi,

My name is Tiff and I am a third year Film, Television and Radio student at Staffordshire University.

Entering your third year is a very daunting time, as the conversation surrounding “what’s next?” begins to loom. This is something that I am starting to think about more than ever.

In this thread, I plan to talk about my motivations for entering the film industry, how I decided that this is what I want to do, how I plan to get there and what back up options I have in mind. For those of you that are nearing the end of university and are thinking about the next step, I hope that this will give you some idea of the kinds of steps you should be taking/thinking about and for those of you wanting a career in film, I hope this gives you an idea of the different options/ways to enter the industry.

Firstly, my motivations. I have wanted to enter the media industry since taking media as an option for my GCSE’s, The subject just spoke to me. After studying it for a while, at both GCSE and A Level, as well as participating in a BFI short film scheme, I discovered that my interest lay specifically with film. I enjoyed deconstructing films, breaking them apart and learning about how they are made. With this, and my creative mindset, pretty soon I realised that becoming a film director was my dream career. This swayed my decision to do this Staffordshire University Film, Television and Radio course, where I also found a love for scriptwriting. My experience within media throughout my education is what has resulted in me choosing scriptwriting and film as my chosen specifications for my third and final year at university.

Now I am in my third year, geared with what I have already learnt, I need to start thinking about post-university (scary, I know). I am still unsure of the steps I am going to take as there are many routes to take to reach my chosen career path. There are post-graduate courses and apprenticeships, but also a chance to get some experience under my wing. I am very keen on furthering my university credentials with a masters degree, and maybe one day even a PhD, however, at the moment I feel like I am heading towards taking a year out to make sure that I am certain on what masters route I would like to take, and using this time to get out in the world, creating and boosting my portfolio either independently or through work experience/projects (thanks to networking with people during university) with small production companies.

Knowing that the film industry is also a very difficult industry to get into, I am also beginning to think about backup career plans. Due to the variety of aspects of my course, I have developed skills in different areas of the media industry through radio and TV. University has also granted me experience in the world of social media through a part-time student job, which has also led me to opportunities like co-hosting at award events. These other areas of my university experience have given me an interest (and experience) in presenting, and so this is something I can fall back on, and maybe even pursue or use as a stepping stone as I build up my film portfolio and work on achieving that director/scriptwriter goal.

I also want to stress that it is okay to not be 100% certain of where you want to go in terms of your future career, and it's also okay to not know how you will get there. Just make sure that you look at the different options you have, things you enjoy, research the different pathways that are available, and think of other skills that you have/can use. For me, this entails staying open minded, taking a look at all of my options (even if some of them are not my final goal), and holding on to any opportunities that come my way to boost my experience and skill set.

If you have any worries about entering your final year and coming to the end of your university journey please feel free to get in touch.
Please also do the same if you have any questions about studying film/entering the industry, as I would love to help you where I can, share what I know, or point you in the right direction of some people/places/advice that helped me.

I wish you all the best in your university/filmmaking journey!

Tiff :smile:

- Student Content Creator at Staffordshire University

Reply 1

Emily_Maguire

If you're seeking advice on how to become a film director, please check out this blog post. It covers important details such as the rate of pay, necessary skills and qualities, useful subjects, day-to-day responsibilities, and additional sources of information.

https://www.reflectionscareercoaching.co.uk/post/tv-and-media-job-roles-on-a-film-set-film-director

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