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Is film production worth it?

I am interested in film but have been discouraged hearing that the success rate is low and the overall process takes a lot of time and waiting. Is it still worth it to go into that field? #film #college #help

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Jesse’s Answer

Lauren,

Follow your passion and your dreams. If you are truly passionate, work hard, do your best, and network within the industry, you will succeed. I was told I would never make money as an artist when I was a teenager. I therefore thought it was a waste of time. In my late 30s I was burned out of my first career and wanted a change. I decided to follow my passion and dreams to go to art school in San Francisco. I did just that and ever since then I have been checking off all the creative goals and dreams from my youth. I have been an animator for a video game based off a popular movie of my youth. I've worked for fortune 500 companies whom paid a decent salary for my contracts. I've been able to teach these skills and pass them down. I wish I had followed my dreams sooner. Art/Film/Gaming education is intense. I had attended a University, a tech school, and a junior college before attending the Art Institute. I did more work and longer hours in art school than I did at the J.C. and University combined, but I had the greatest experience of all my education because I learned about film, 2D and 3D animation, drawing, game design, story telling, and so much more.

Things to know about the arts. Often times, be it film, animation, or games, these jobs are often contract to contract or per project based positions. Save money while working the gig to pad you during the in between times and you will be okay financially. Mostly, if you enjoy what you do, it will be worth it to you.

Cheers,

Jesse

Jesse recommends the following next steps:

Research the institute or school you are considering. This education is not cheap and you must be certain you will be able to study in a place you feel is right for your learning style. I researched for over a year.
Visit campuses and have conversations with others whom attended these schools.
Be prepared financially and mentally.
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Hank’s Answer

Imagine all the amazing things that would never have come to be if the individuals involved had wondered, "Is it even worth it?"

If you're thinking of going into a creative field to either (1) make a lot of money or (2) become wildly famous, it's likely you'll do neither. As someone else said in their answer, follow your passion. All creative endeavors, especially film, will eventually break your heart--more than once, probably--but if you're passionate about what you do, you won't care.

Convincing your parents of all that, however, is a whole other enterprise.

Hank recommends the following next steps:

Check out YouTube for interviews with filmmakers (writers, actors, directors) and pay attention to the struggles they endured.
Read books like 'Adventures in the Screen Trade' by William Goldman and any other books about the industry you can get your hands on. Get a sense of the mix of creativity and business.
Steel yourself to accepting that 'the climb' will likely be near vertical and oftentimes even have a negative slope but the ones who summit are the ones who don't ever turn back.
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Donn’s Answer

Short answer is it's not worth it unless you love being part of the process of filmmaking, which is really true for anything. If you don't love something, it'll be harder for you to continue pursuing it when things get difficult or uncomfortable or frustrating. If you love it, you deal because, well, you love it. You have passion for it. Otherwise, no.

Donn recommends the following next steps:

Short answer is it's not worth it unless you love being part of the process of filmmaking, which is really true for anything. If you don't love something, it'll be harder for you to continue pursuing it when things get difficult or uncomfortable or frustrating. If you love it, you deal because, well, you love it. You have passion for it. Otherwise, no.
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