8 answers
Maddie
Student
Portland, Oregon
2
Questions
Asked
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How do I pick what to do in college and with the rest of my life?
I am starting my senior year of high school in the fall and I've been thinking about what I want to do in the future. I really love film and I've been interested in becoming a director or cinematographer, however, I've been told that they aren't practical enough. The alternative is international law and political science because I guess those are things I could settle for. How do I pick what to do?
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8 answers
Jamie Clark
Visual Effects Artist
32
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Jamie’s Answer
I agree with Dameca 100 percent.
I'll second this with something your parents probably don't want to hear either LOL.
And like Gabriel wrote this is purely my opinion for what it's worth which might not be much.
If you want to be a director or cinematographer now is probably the best time to do something like that. BUT you don't need to go to film school to do either of those things. Not that I'm knocking film school because I'm not but plenty of people who are directors, not 100 percent on cinematographers since they don't get as much press, have not gone to film school.
Quentin Tarantino did not go to film school, Kevin Smith went for a few months then dropped out and started with his idea of "Clerks" and made it. Just a couple examples.
Nowadays the avenues for an audience are a lot more plentiful than back then. You can put you film up on Youtube and start that way. I have a friend who wrote, directed and acted in a film that Netflix bought. She did not go to film school (we were in an acting class together in LA).
From my experience I can tell you that Gabriel is 100 percent right. I, like you, thought that pursuing my dream was a fantasy and that I should "grow up" and get a degree in something that was sensible. I liked to write so I started out as an English major. I took theater classes because REALLY I wanted to act, but like being a director... getting a degree in theater doesn't make you an automatic working actor.
Anyway I finally got a degree in Journalism. Sensible.... employable... yay! I liked it. It was creative enough that I enjoyed my job and I did that for exactly one year before I realized I couldn't live my life having never at least TRIED to achieve my dream which was to be an actor.
So I moved to LA. I started my quest to becoming an actor. I got a couple jobs on some TV shows (ER, The Practice and a couple others) and was busting my hump trying to "make it." (By the way my parents were ALL on board when they saw me on ER... funny how things change eh?)
But then something very strange happened. I realized, in my one-bedroom Hollywood apartment, that I didn't want to be an actor anymore.
I had just finished vomiting which was my usual pre-audition condition. I would get so uptight and had so much pressure on myself to do a good job that I threw up every time. You see I loved acting... I HATED the business of acting. And there are many reasons that don't really matter in this context... but all of that to say ... I would NEVER have known if I hadn't tried.
Did I feel like a failure? Yes. Was I a failure? I mean it depends on your perspective.
I realized I still loved movies, acting, the "biz" so I gravitated toward working behind the camera (like you are thinking about). And buddy I LOVED it.
At the end of the day I worked many television shows and movies and I had an absolute blast!
I was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for "Eureka" and a short-lived show titled "Drive."
Now I work in video games because I had done it... and I had enough and wanted to move on.
Remember I have a degree in journalism... and here's a list of shows I've worked on:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1219965/?ref_=fn_al_nm_12
So... take all that information for what it's worth. Follow your heart and you'll do just fine... just work hard and keep learning and moving forward.
Best of luck!
I'll second this with something your parents probably don't want to hear either LOL.
And like Gabriel wrote this is purely my opinion for what it's worth which might not be much.
If you want to be a director or cinematographer now is probably the best time to do something like that. BUT you don't need to go to film school to do either of those things. Not that I'm knocking film school because I'm not but plenty of people who are directors, not 100 percent on cinematographers since they don't get as much press, have not gone to film school.
Quentin Tarantino did not go to film school, Kevin Smith went for a few months then dropped out and started with his idea of "Clerks" and made it. Just a couple examples.
Nowadays the avenues for an audience are a lot more plentiful than back then. You can put you film up on Youtube and start that way. I have a friend who wrote, directed and acted in a film that Netflix bought. She did not go to film school (we were in an acting class together in LA).
From my experience I can tell you that Gabriel is 100 percent right. I, like you, thought that pursuing my dream was a fantasy and that I should "grow up" and get a degree in something that was sensible. I liked to write so I started out as an English major. I took theater classes because REALLY I wanted to act, but like being a director... getting a degree in theater doesn't make you an automatic working actor.
Anyway I finally got a degree in Journalism. Sensible.... employable... yay! I liked it. It was creative enough that I enjoyed my job and I did that for exactly one year before I realized I couldn't live my life having never at least TRIED to achieve my dream which was to be an actor.
So I moved to LA. I started my quest to becoming an actor. I got a couple jobs on some TV shows (ER, The Practice and a couple others) and was busting my hump trying to "make it." (By the way my parents were ALL on board when they saw me on ER... funny how things change eh?)
But then something very strange happened. I realized, in my one-bedroom Hollywood apartment, that I didn't want to be an actor anymore.
I had just finished vomiting which was my usual pre-audition condition. I would get so uptight and had so much pressure on myself to do a good job that I threw up every time. You see I loved acting... I HATED the business of acting. And there are many reasons that don't really matter in this context... but all of that to say ... I would NEVER have known if I hadn't tried.
Did I feel like a failure? Yes. Was I a failure? I mean it depends on your perspective.
I realized I still loved movies, acting, the "biz" so I gravitated toward working behind the camera (like you are thinking about). And buddy I LOVED it.
At the end of the day I worked many television shows and movies and I had an absolute blast!
I was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for "Eureka" and a short-lived show titled "Drive."
Now I work in video games because I had done it... and I had enough and wanted to move on.
Remember I have a degree in journalism... and here's a list of shows I've worked on:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1219965/?ref_=fn_al_nm_12
So... take all that information for what it's worth. Follow your heart and you'll do just fine... just work hard and keep learning and moving forward.
Best of luck!
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Maddie
Dameca Hardie
Nursing
3
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Dameca’s Answer
Life is to short to settle on what is practical. If you want to be a director or cinematographer, go after it. At least give it a chance if that’s what interest you before you “settle” on what is practical. Is it practical based off of your expectations or someone else’s? Give your dream your all to show others why you are choosing it. Does international law or political science interest you at all?
Thank you! International law and political science interests me fs but I feel like its not something I could do without getting burned out because it's not really creative enough.
Maddie
Gabriel Hennsssey
Financial Aid Administrator
69
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Gabriel’s Answer
Good evening Eli! You hit a nerve with me on this one…but please read on…
Please take everything I say with a grain of salt…I work at a university in the financial aid department. 20 years now.
I was originally a double-major, triple minor. Theatre ed, acting, international business, Spanish…you name it, I was game for it.
This is JUST my opinion, so please apologize to your folks. What you “major” in does not have to define you. From a business standpoint, the most important factor is that if you start college…you finish and get a degree.
I hate that you used the word “settle”. I have a daughter that drives me nuts…but she deserves better than I had. Film and cinematography are not practical. I majored in theatre and work in financial aid. The turning point for me was that I stepped back and realized that I didn’t have the tenacity to have to go and look for a new job constantly. My college roommate did, and still lives and works in LA. My dearest friend from HS is a musician, has recorded CDs, etc. I don’t know details of her financials, but I know she earns a living. And her husband works in film.
As for practical…I love to cook. And my parents noticed this years ago. Their initial thought was that I should go to culinary school. And in that instance, I figured that…if I had to do it for a living I might grow to hate it…so I deferred.
You’re in the Pac. NW. Random pull…reach out to David Lynch for an apprenticeship…sometimes those reaches pay off….
Please take everything I say with a grain of salt…I work at a university in the financial aid department. 20 years now.
I was originally a double-major, triple minor. Theatre ed, acting, international business, Spanish…you name it, I was game for it.
This is JUST my opinion, so please apologize to your folks. What you “major” in does not have to define you. From a business standpoint, the most important factor is that if you start college…you finish and get a degree.
I hate that you used the word “settle”. I have a daughter that drives me nuts…but she deserves better than I had. Film and cinematography are not practical. I majored in theatre and work in financial aid. The turning point for me was that I stepped back and realized that I didn’t have the tenacity to have to go and look for a new job constantly. My college roommate did, and still lives and works in LA. My dearest friend from HS is a musician, has recorded CDs, etc. I don’t know details of her financials, but I know she earns a living. And her husband works in film.
As for practical…I love to cook. And my parents noticed this years ago. Their initial thought was that I should go to culinary school. And in that instance, I figured that…if I had to do it for a living I might grow to hate it…so I deferred.
You’re in the Pac. NW. Random pull…reach out to David Lynch for an apprenticeship…sometimes those reaches pay off….
Thank you for the advice, Gabriel.
Maddie
DENNIS BREEN
Lawyer
148
Answers
Cary, North Carolina
Updated
DENNIS’s Answer
Hi Eli: First, relax! You think you're the first guy to face this delama? We all do! Second, just be yourself ! You'll be suprised how resourceful you are! Third, let it come to you. Take your time. Follow each path and see which one feels right for you. If you force yourself to be a lawyer - international or otherwise - you will never be happy at it or good at it! If your films stink - you'll know soon enough. Life is a journey not a sprint. The joy is in the journey! There is an old - I think- Billy Joel (singer) - line: "mistakes are the only thing you can truly call your own" So go out and make mistakes, learn from them, move on and make yourself - and this world a better place. This world gets better when guys like you struggle to be better and find their own path. So take your time, struggle, feel bad - that's how you grow and learn. So, Eli, enjoy your trip - you are going to be great in any field you eventually choose!
Katie Ko
10
Answers
East Brunswick, New Jersey
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Hey Eli!
I am a rising sophomore at film school at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University so I know exactly how you feel!! I was in the same exact position as you - passionate about film but unaware if it was a career that would be stable enough in the future. Although the choice is ultimately up to you, I encourage you to follow your passion! If film is truly a big love and passion of yours, you should be able to sacrifice the 9-5 lifestyle of a more "regular" job that would give you a steady pay. However, I will say, jobs within the film industry are more practical than most may think. Because creating films and movies requires so many people, there are so many job opportunities! Not only are there directors and cinematographers, but there are also script supervisors, camera operators, editing crew, lighting crew, marketing crew, and so much more! As long as you are open minded and put yourself out there, you WILL have a job in the film industry.
I am a rising sophomore at film school at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University so I know exactly how you feel!! I was in the same exact position as you - passionate about film but unaware if it was a career that would be stable enough in the future. Although the choice is ultimately up to you, I encourage you to follow your passion! If film is truly a big love and passion of yours, you should be able to sacrifice the 9-5 lifestyle of a more "regular" job that would give you a steady pay. However, I will say, jobs within the film industry are more practical than most may think. Because creating films and movies requires so many people, there are so many job opportunities! Not only are there directors and cinematographers, but there are also script supervisors, camera operators, editing crew, lighting crew, marketing crew, and so much more! As long as you are open minded and put yourself out there, you WILL have a job in the film industry.
LaTasha Cunningham
Corporate Compliance
4
Answers
Birmingham, Alabama
Updated
LaTasha’s Answer
Hi Eli, I think you should do what you're truly passionate about in life. When you are passionate about a career it doesn't feel like work and you will aim to do your best. A successful career is an investment of time and sweat equity (work), don't waste that on something you don't want to do. If you truly invest yourself in what you want to do in life you will reap the rewards. I have heard and know a lot of people who switch careers after years to follow their passion. Just know you have to put in the work in whatever you do to be successful, so map out your plan to get it. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do in life.
Devin Rice
Filmmaker
5
Answers
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Updated
Devin’s Answer
Imagine college as a sandbox. You've got these 4 years to experiment, stumble, triumph, and grow. You have the rest of your life to earn a living. Some individuals have a clear vision of their future career from an early age. Others, like me, had to explore a variety of options before landing on a career based on passion. This was advice given to me during my undergraduate work by the Ph.D. chair of the department under which I eventually got my B.A. He was an exceptional teacher and mentor, and also happened to be my father.
And by the way, being passionate about your career outweighs everything else. It is passion that drives getting to be skilled at what you love. The world already has way too many unfulfilled people who settled on some "practical" job they don't really like.
And by the way, being passionate about your career outweighs everything else. It is passion that drives getting to be skilled at what you love. The world already has way too many unfulfilled people who settled on some "practical" job they don't really like.
Ethan Trice
lawyer
1
Answer
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Updated
Ethan’s Answer
College is often rather expensive. Unless on scholarship, the best way to do it is a year or two in community college to get your gen ed credit. While doing that, work on making some films on the side and see what you can do. "International law and political science" isn't particularly practical. A BBA is probably the most practical major to get unless you want to do engineering or medicine.