Four Things I Told the MSU Students
I had a great time the other afternoon talking to the group from Montana State Universtity made up of about-to-be-seniors and recent-grads from the film program who were visiting Los Angeles to get a taste of the business.
I went around the group asking each of them what their career aspirations are. There were a lot of cinematographers, editors, and, of course, directors in the bunch, along with a potential film composer, a couple of producers, some actors, and some who wanted to do it all. (Kudos to those bold souls!)
So here are four nuggets of wisdom I passed along to them (in no particular order):
1) If you want to be a director, you must direct as much as you can. Steven Spielberg spent his childhood making 8 mm films, as did many of our most successful directors. You learn by doing. Get out there and do it! It’ll help you hone your craft and get comfortable with the process. Plus, no one is going to hire you to direct unless you can show proof that you can direct.
2) Don’t be afraid to reach out to those you admire, even the big names. Most people love talking about what they do, especially to a nice, polite recent grad who compliments their work.
3) Be on your best behavior at all times. Hard work and a good attitude will be noticed, as will no work and an entitled attitude. You never know when an executive at the company where you interned is going to be in a position to recommend (or not recommend) you for a job.
4) Don’t worry too much, have fun, and take chances. That’s right. I told them that what might seem like a permanent set-back in your early 20s will prove to be not that big a deal in the long run and to enjoy the early days of their career. If you have the opportunity to go to Europe (or even Kansas) for no money and shoot a documentary, you should probably go for it.
That wasn’t everything I told them, but if you’re a student or a grad, those are probably some of the most helpful bits of advice you would have gotten out of my talk. Especially #4.
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