FILM SCHOOL PROJECTS: HOW TO DEAL WITH FILM PROJECTS IN COLLEGE
How to be Ready for Film School Projects?
If you are going to college to study film–nearly any aspect of film–then you are doubtless very familiar with film projects. These projects (as professors like to remind their students) are very important on several levels. Not only do they teach you valuable skills needed for your career, they also provide you will great material for your resume. However, film managers and others in charge of employment are usually less than impressed with film school projects, which are becoming too common and repetitive to demand attention. So how do you get the most from your film school projects?
Embrace Teamwork
Sure, you may be able to do the film project solo, with the help of maybe a few actors or interviewees, but there is not reason to go it alone. Working with other people who can help you write, direct, film, manage lighting, and coordinate shoots is very advantageous for you. First, it helps you practice working with other people who have different attitudes and ideas than you–part of a real film career anyway. Second, it gives you a chance to make friends with your peers, some of whom may be able to get you a job when you graduate.
Master Your Equipment
Film projects tend to use a wide variety of equipment, usually based on what the film education program has available at the moment. If you can, experiment with as many different types of equipment as possible. Feel free to develop a specialty, but try to use everything at least once, and if you can switch between brands or models of cameras and other devices, then do so. This gives you a wider base of experience and teaches you to adapt easily to changing situations.
Aim for Festivals
Sure, you can do a certain level of work and get a good grade on your project. But that is not what the project is about–not really. This project is designed to help you get a job, so treat it like it is important. Design it to impress. Aim to enter your film projects in whatever contests or film examinations possible: this is how film students really get noticed and picked up by companies once they graduate.
Try Out Everything
Do not settle for just a get-by style when you work on your film project. The project will typically have certain guidelines you must follow, such as a specific style or design element, but outside these parameters let your imagination roam free. If you want to try something, then try it. Humor any ideas you have. This is how you experiment with possibilities, find out what works, and develop your own, personalized style that gives you confidence for the rest of your life.
