The following is a guest article from Theo Lee.

Are you a student trying to get into the film industry? Or perhaps you’ve decided to skip the formal route and are trying to make it big with an impressive debut short or feature. My question is this: Are you delusional in your expectations of success?

The film and entertainment industry is about connections. If you try, you can scour the endless supply of student films, Sundance or other contest entries, hobby films, geared-for-YouTube videos, and small major productions and you will be able to find a movie about any theme you can imagine. If you think that you will be the next breakout director because you are more profound than your peers and more profound than big budget Hollywood flicks, then you are delusional. In that endless pile of amateur films and scripts floating on the web (just search “free scripts” in your favorite search engine), there are many that are equally or more profound, deep, moving, and real than your movie. However, through your eyes it may seem that those subtle tricks you put into your creative product somehow make your script all the more majestic.

A film industry aspirer should never forget that film is a business. A machine. With the cogs and all. Imagine you are a producer. You have the money and you have the choice to choose film A: a beautiful documentary about failed American dreams, or B: a sci-fi drama that explores the moral themes that come with our advent into technologically elongated lives. Is there really a choice that can be deduced to be “better”? It may seem that the choice would come down to some sort of arbitrary reasoning (perhaps marketability). It seems so, because it is so.

If you are happy making a film that is wonderful in your eyes and in the eyes of your friends whom will pat you on the back and say good job, then THAT is the reason to make your film. Don’t make the mistake of being unable to discern your fantasies from reality.

With the advent of cheaper and higher quality digital camera equipment and technologies such as YouTube and other online streaming video sites/services, the competition to succeed has become that much more difficult. Of course, this is said about any industry. I’d just like to take the time to say it especially directed at entertainment industry apirerers, because we often tend be slightly more egocentric and for some reason believe, many times unrealistically, that fame is just another scene away.

The process of making a movie is fun. While making a film you are writing down your ideas in story form. Communicating the thematic questions that have been on your mind. Trying to rise up to the challenge of creating something that is pleasing to the eye and enjoyable. The technical challenges? Trying to make everything (all the extras, equipment, locations) work together in a fit of panic/frustration? Exhilarating. That road trip to nowhere with your friends that you planned? Try making a short movie in that time instead. It is just as, if not more, fun. Or just bring a camera with you on that road trip and try to plan something that will turn out coherent in post. It is for these reasons that we amateur filmmakers should make movies.

For some people, it turns out, that they love it so much that they want to make it a career. That’s going to be an exciting and interesting career, for sure. Just hopefully, you are not delusional in your chances for success, and are being realistic. Ambition is great. It’s just that a realistic mindset will help you more to reach that ambition, by allowing one to make judicious decisions.

Theo Lee is a film and wannabe physics major at UC Irvine. He likes to write film scripts and is constantly trying to find an excuse to take on a new film project. He’s made a number of small films already, most of which, he admits, have drowned in the pool that is YouTube.”

Because I watch so many films, I thought it would be fun to share with you a list of the 148 films I watched this year. Some of the films were great, others were a bit disappointing, and way too many were just plain stupid. As I look back on this list, I can’t believe all the crap I’ve subjected myself to this year. The list includes a number of superhero movies and sequels to superhero movies; poorly done comedies; and horror movies that didn’t even scare me in the least. That being said, there were some good films this year and in a subsequent post I’ll share my favorites with you.

For those who want to know how I watched so many films and how I can remember all the films I’ve seen this year, here is how I did it.

I subscribe to Blockbuster’s Total Access subscription plan. With this plan, I have three DVD’s being sent to me in the mail on a perpetual basis. I drop a DVD in the mail and two days later I get a new one delivered to me through the mail. And when, on occasion, I quickly run through all the films in my inventory, I can just ride down to my local Blockbuster video store and get some more (something you can’t do when you subscribe to Netflixbecause they have no local stores to do exchanges with). I was able to keep track of all the films I watched this year because the Blockbuster website keeps track of my viewing history for me!

Here is the list of films I saw this year in reverse chronological order:

Akeelah and the Bee
The Opposite of Sex
Shutter
Bella
The Strangers
The Incredible Hulk
Run, Fat Boy, Run
Kabluey
Smart People
The Bank Job
Speed Racer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
88 Minutes
Iron Man
The Happening
You Don’t Mess With the Zohan
Fight Club
I’m Not There
What Happens in Vegas
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Baby Mama
The Forbidden Kingdom
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?
The Fall
Casanova
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Under the Same Moon
The Ruins
How to Rob a Bank
Watching the Detectives
Be Kind Rewind
Chapter 27
Spider-Man 3
Nim’s Island
Love and Other Disasters
The Hammer
21
The Eye
Meet the Spartans
Semi-Pro
P.S. I Love You
Amazing Grace
Paranoid Park
The Onion Movie
The Ultimate Gift
Fool’s Gold
My Blueberry Nights
Vantage Point
Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control
Go Further
Superhero Movie
Walk All Over Me
Stop-Loss
Drillbit Taylor
Delirious
Cassandra’s Dream
The Last Winter
Strange Wilderness
Mad Money
The Bucket List
Teeth
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Great Debaters
Over Her Dead Body
Gia
Disturbia
For the Bible Tells Me So
King of California
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains
The 11th Hour
Slipstream
Blue State
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With
Hitman
There Will Be Blood
27 Dresses
In Bruges
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Transformers
Mr. Brooks
Cloverfield
Charlie Wilson’s War
Lars And The Real Girl
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby
2012: Doomsday
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Lions for Lambs
Juno
No Reservations
2 Days in Paris
August Rush
Stephen King’s The Mist
The Sasquatch Gang
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Goya’s Ghosts
Awake
Becoming Jane
I Am Legend
Nancy Drew
Enchanted
Dan in Real Life
Rocket Science
Atonement
Bee Movie
No Country for Old Men
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
Into The Wild
American Gangster
Martian Child
Gone Baby Gone
Land of Plenty
Michael Clayton
The Mystery of Picasso
One Last Thing…
Across the Universe
Hot Rod
The Interview
American Experience: Return With Honor
Paragraph 175
Good Luck Chuck
Eastern Promises
The Graduate
The Ground Truth
The Godfather Part II
3:10 to Yuma
The Godfather
Apocalypse Now
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Superbad
Waitress
Live Free or Die Hard
Rescue Dawn
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Funny Girl
Hello, Dolly!
Meet the Robinsons
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
The Astronaut Farmer
Hairspray
Easy Rider
Touch the Sound
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Shine
License to Wed
A Mighty Heart
On a Clear Day

Stay tuned for my post on the best and worst films of 2008.

Over the past 10 years, more and more high schools have added video production classes to their list of available courses. With the introduction of personal video recorders and powerful home computers with video editing capabilities, it’s become easier and easier for young filmmakers to get access to basic filmmaking technologies.

The best part of high school video production classes is the opportunity to make mistakes. High school is an excellent time to experiment, explore, and find out what works (and what doesn’t).

Once you start working in the industry (and even once you start working on college films), there is a lot more pressure to make everything perfect. Once you get out of high school you won’t have the luxury of making so many mistakes. If you make a mistake in the film industry it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Even worse, if you make a mistake that’s big enough, it could be the end of your career!

So, when is the best time to learn the basic techniques and explore the world of film and video?

You guessed it! – High school!

If you’re still in high school and you have a film or video production class at your disposal, don’t let that opportunity pass you by. Sign up for classes today… and start learning now – before it’s too late!

But don’t fret! There is hope!

If you are looking for a way to not only land your dream job, but increase your pay and show what you’re really made of, then I have one big suggestion for you today that just might change your life entirely.

Create a Blog!

Yes! If you want to succeed in the film and television industry, a blog just might be your means of climbing to the top of this incredible, life-altering industry.

Instead of a piece of paper that explains in words what you have done in the past for your previous employers, a blog shows future employers exactly what you’ve done. On a blog, you can post photos, write articles, and even share videos you’ve created on previous gigs.

Now just imagine a potential employer who is looking to hire a new recruit. One person applying for the job turns in a boring paper resume, while the other turns in a cover letter explaining why he wants to work with the company and in that letter, he points to his website where the employer can find samples of his work, testimonials from previous employers and a whole host of images, articles and interviews the young filmmaker has done in the past.

Out of those two people, which one do you think stands the greatest chance of getting the job? The guy with the boring old resume? Or the guy with the interactive website, the long list of testimonials, and the video that knocks his future employer’s socks off?

You guessed it! The guy with the blog!

If you need help creating a blog for yourself that not only displays the work you’ve done in the past, but also lands you gig after gig in the future, please send an email to the people at Silver Mountain Marketing. Tell them you heard about their services through FilmandTVCareer.com and receive a 10% discount on any services they render. This is exactly the sort of thing they specialize in and they can help you to easily and inexpensively set up a blog to suit your needs.

What are you waiting for? Start your blog now! (And send me a letter once it’s helped you land your dream job!)

Metacafe had made special effort to compile a database of short “how to” videos and industry insider content just for filmmakers like you. The videos and articles have no doubt been created to improve the overall quality of the content published on the Metacafe site, but in the meantime, Metacafe has built up an impressive collection of videos for the up-and-coming filmmaker.

In Metacafe’s Production School area you can learn everything from the rule of thirds… to how to conduct a voice over… to how to color correct in post production.

In the Producer’s Forum you will find some great little interviews with working industry professionals and a community of people who can help you with your filmmaking endeavors.

You can even find some great filmmaker channels, like the one who’s tagline is “Smart Films For Smart People” – Filmcatcher.com. (Click here to view their channel)

Metacafe even has its very own online film festival (called Metafest) where viewers can vote and select their favorite video uploads.

Best of all, if you decide to upload your video to the Metacafe website, you can even make money from your work! The more times your video is watched, the more money you make!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to improve your craft, make sure you head over to Metacafe’s studio page today!

Check out the Metacafe video below to learn how to make your very own camera jib for less than $80.

Weekend Extra: DIY Jib Arm (Camera Crane)

The truth is, you become like the people you associate with. If all your friends smoke, you probably smoke too. If all your friends are fat, you’re probably fat also. If your friends are into cars, you’re probably interested in cars as well. And if your friends are filmmakers who like to push the boundaries and try new things… you’ll begin to act that way as well!

The people you associate with determine who you are, how you act, and how successful you will ultimately become.

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the people you spend most of your time with. I bet that if you look hard enough you’ll begin to see a lot of parallels between those people and yourself.

As filmmakers, we need to be selective when picking who we hang out with – both at work and off the job.

While your friends and family probably make the most direct impact on your life, your co-workers and bosses also serve to determine your ultimate happiness and success in life.

When looking for work in the film and television, you not only need to look for a job that matches your skill sets and pushes you to become a better filmmaker, but you need to find people to work with who are in alignment with your morals, your attitude, and your vision for the future. 

Just because you found a great job doesn’t guarantee you’ll be happy. Happiness comes from working with and being around the right people!

What’s more important than your job title is the people you are working with. If you pick the right people, you’ll be happier than you could ever believe. But choose to work with the wrong people and you’ll forever regret your decision to work in the entertainment industry.

For more reading, check out Seth Godin’s “Be Careful Who You Work For”

I found out at an early age that I had a passion for film and video. It wasn’t difficult for me to decide that I wanted to pursue a career in the film and television industry. I went to film school, graduated with honors, went to work on numerous movies, films, and documentaries… and accomplished almost every goal I set for myself.

After years of studying goal setting and working to achieve my own personal and professional goals, I began to realize that not only did I have a passion for filmmaking, but more than that, I had a passion for helping other people make their dreams come true. I realized that what I wanted to do, more than just work on movies, was to help other people accomplish their most heartfelt life goals.

With this in mind, I started a career coaching company called Farview Point. The company has now been completely restructured and no longer offers personal career coaching, but has morphed into something completely different. However, the aim for Farview Point from the beginning was to work with individual filmmakers from around the world to help them set goals, recognize what is needed to accomplish those goals, and then work with these individuals to help them accomplish the tasks that they have set out to achieve.

This website is now the collection place of Farview Point’s early filmmaker lessons. What you will find here has been designed to assist the future filmmakers of the world by helping them to improve both themselves, their craft, and the planet as a whole by way of their work in this most exciting and influencial medium.

In 2006, I published a book titled, “Film School & Beyond.” In that text, I set about asking a list of questions pertaining to film school and the film industry as a whole to approximately three hundred past and current film students from across the country. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you both the questions asked in this book and their answers.

Some of these people I interviewed for this book attended major universities such as USC and NYU, while others attended smaller film schools you may have never even heard of. Some of these individuals completed their schooling and immediately went to work in the industry, while others failed to find work after graduation. Some of these people express a pure joy in having chosen film as their career, yet others resent the fact that their decision to go into the film industry has “wasted” so much of their time and money. Some of these people went to film school part-time; others began, but never completed their film education; and a few individuals never went to film school at all, but are now successfully working in the entertainment industry.

By asking these probing questions to a mixed group of individuals from across the country I have provided the stepping-stones on which you will be able to stand as you navigate the sometimes rought and turbulent water that is the film industry.

Whether you are a high school student looking to go off to film school, a current film student, or someone who is about to make their break into the industry, this website and the stories, ideas, and tips for success shared here will provide you with the direction you need for your journey.

Navigating these waters may be scary at times, but working in this industry can be an incredibly rewarding and life-altering experience. Success is possible! You just have to know which steps to take.

Photo by Philo

We’re conditioned from early childhood to come in last. School not only teaches us things we don’t need to know, but in addition it teaches us how to procrastinate and do things at the latest possible moment. Some even thrive on getting their work done at the last possible moment. The rush and the danger of coming in last is what makes some people more creative. And there’s no denying the fact that films made at the end of the year stand a greater change of being nominated for awards (films made early in the year are forgotten about by the time award season rolls around).

So with all this conditioning to come in last, are we really doing ourselves any favors? What would happen if instead of coming in last, we came in first?

Despite all the hype and social good built around coming in last, I think that those who succeed in the future are not going to be the ones who come in last, but the ones who think, act, and respond first.

What do you think? How has procrastination and acting at the last possible moment either benefitied or hindered your career? How important do you think acting first actually is?

Of those that did find work, most of them were unhappy with their positions and felt that they were either underpaid or under utilized.

Some of my friends who did get work, found positions that gave them a lot of experience, but didn’t actually provide them with a paycheck. In other words, THEY WEREN’T GETTING PAID!!!

The Intern Conundrum

One of the worst parts of the film and television industry is what I call the “Intern Conundrum.” The Intern Conundrum is where young filmmakers go to work for major studies and production companies and don’t get paid a single cent. They are promised a great experience and made to think that they will eventually move up in the company… but that doesn’t always happen.

In many cases, the student goes to work as an intern and doesn’t get a salary, but hopes that after the internship is over they will be promoted within the company and a salary will then be paid to them at that point in time. They put off payment at the beginning in hopes of a pay out in the end.

Of course, that never happens. Instead, the company realizes they are getting a lot of value out of this free worker and that there are a hundred of other people out there who are willing to get an internship with the company and do the work for free.

So what do they do? They let the intern go (he or she basically gets fired) and the company brings in a new intern who will work for the company and then be replaced by another free intern somewhere down the line.

In the end, the company gets a free employee and the intern is tossed out and forced to find a new place to work.

Sadly, because the student been working for free for the past year, they haven’t built up any perceived value (something I’ll talk about in a future post), so no one wants to hire them. So what do they do? They go out and get another internship, hoping that this one will turn out better.

They then work for another year as an unpaid intern and are let go once again at some point down the road. By this point, they’ve essentially been out of work for two years straight and they simply can’t take it anymore. No one will hire them, they don’t have any money left, and in the end, they are forced to go out and get a job in a field completely unrelated to their passion or their background.

It’s artistic exploitation, but it happens every single day!

The sad fact is, those of us in creative industries are often times exploited because we are in a highly desireable industry. If you need proof, read this article on exploitation from the good people at LateralAction.com.

So now that you know what’s happening, you’re probably wondering to yourself, “How do I avoid this situation?”

How do you find work after graduating from film school?

How do you negotiate a reasonable salary or day rate?

How do you build your perceived value?

The answers to these questions are going to be the topic of discussion here at FilmAndTVCareer.com over the next couple months.

Check back soon and you’ll learn what mistakes people make when looking for work in the film and television industry. You’ll discover the secrets to building your value and your brand. And more than anything else, you’ll see how you can jump from a lowly worker bee to a high paid executive in 12 months or less. It can happen, you just have to know which steps to take!

Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography

If you find yourself working on a film or video shoot that lasts less than a month, you might find yourself being asked what your day rate is.

For those who don’t know, day rate is when you get paid to show up on set and put in one full day’s worth of work. But here’s the trick. One day on set is supposed to be anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Sometimes the day turns out much shorter than this and you get to go home after just three or four hours of work, but this is quite rare. What’s more common however, is when you show up to work for 8 or 10 hours and soon find yourself working close to 20.

The problem with working for a day rate is that no matter how many hours you put in, you get paid one flat rate. The more you work, the less you get paid per hour.

Many first time filmmakers start out working for around $150 per day. If you are working for less than that, you either aren’t very valuable to your company or your boss is simply screwing you (but I have to warn you, the former is more likely, so look at yourself before turning to your boss for a raise). Either way, let’s assume that you are working for a day rate of $150.

At this rate, if you work for 8 hours, you would be getting paid $18.75 per hour, which isn’t bad to start off. But the problem with day rate, as I’ve already said, is that the more you work, the less you get paid.

You see, if your shoot goes over by just 4 fours, you end up working 12 hours and are still only paid $150 for the day. At that rate, you are making only $12.50 per hour… and at that rate, you might as well go get a job at Starbucks, because you could make about the same amount of money and the work you’d be doing is a whole lot less taxing on your creative mind.

But just imagine if you were being paid only $150 per day and were forced to work a full 20 hours (which is way more common than you might think). If you were to work 20 full hours and you got paid $150 for all that time, you’d only be making $7.50 an hour. And at that rate, not only would Starbucks be looking like a Godsend, but Taco Bell would be looking like the Pearly gates of Heaven.

My point is simple: Day rate is a customary part of the business, but just because things are done a certain way doesn’t mean you have to play by the rules.

The next time you are asked what your day rate is, instead of simply saying, “$150 per day” I suggest you say, “It’s $150 for the first 8 hours. After that it’s $25 per hour.” Say it confidently, keep eye contact with the person you are talking to and believe in yourself. You’ll not only get the job, but you’ll find yourself getting paid twice as much as the people around you once your day on set goes into extra innings.