Film Internships - Do You Have What It Takes?

Let's examine what's needed to get a job for film internships.

1. Drive and determination. Would you be willing to work 18 hours per day? Flakes are not tolerated on the production side of things. Try acting if you're a flake and you want to work in the film business.

2. Creativity. Do you have a story to tell? Are your topics of interest to anyone? Do you see your film in your mind's eye? Do you dream about your story, obsess about it?

3. Can you handle too much pressure? Do you believe that Murphy's Law would sometimes be not the case? Do you treat limitations as opportunities?

If you've replied "yes" to these three inquiries, you appear to have what it takes for a job in filmmaking. However, drive and determination, creativity and thriving under pressure are not sufficient. You still need job skills. It is also of high importance to have a solid social and professional network. Let's tackle these issues.

Learning the technical aspects of the job is somewhat self-explanatory. Knowing how to turn on and point a camera, set lights, work an editing bay, etc. can be learned from any good mentor. One important consideration that is often forgotten, however, is the environment where you learn these jobs skills. In traditional schools, the practical applications are taught in a very structured environment. The same class materials are used every year. The alternative film school's approach opts for a more hands-on, learn by doing method that thrusts the student into real-world shoots where everything is being done for the first, and only, time. This way, traditional film schools are like practice and the alternative film institute, like the Film Connection, can be likened to the real deal.

Who you know may be the most important piece of all. In the film business, this is how people get hired. A vacancy opens at a film company...someone quits for a better job somewhere, leaves to get married, moves out of state, retires, etc. and suddenly there's a job opening. The person in charge of filling this vacancy is NOT going to weed through a stack of resumes and start calling people. Instead, they call someone from the industry and ask him/her if they have a person in mind to recommend to fill up that opening. This is why connections (or to use the current buzz word, networks) are essential. The more working professionals in the film business you know, the higher are your chances of getting hired. Talent alone is not enough. Of course, if you have the talent, plus the connections, then you are clearly rising above your contemporaries.

The final aspect is financial. Traditional film schools, in reality, require you to pay up to $100,000 - this amount cannot be immediately earned by film school graduates. So ask yourself, do you really want to start your film career with that kind of debt? Wouldn't you rather put that kind of money towards making your own film?

These and more are the reasons why the Film Connection Film School Alternative was started. The Film Connection knows that it offers the best of all worlds. You learn job skills from a working professional who serves as your personal mentor or trainer. As you'll be working on real film projects, you are learning from the most effective environment. You will be responsible for many projects simultaneously, so you gain wide experience fast. The school's structured curriculum will teach you both the traditional (theory and history; equipment and production techniques) and business (fund-raising, distribution, permits, contracts, talent releases) sides of filmmaking.

Every film shoot you go to is an opportunity to get new film industry contacts. Bear in mind that everyone who works in the film industry knows people in the same field - as a result, you'll have access to people who can help you out. This wonderful occasion is given to you by the Film Connection film internships. Half-a-year is all you need to finish the course - just the amount of time you need to be comfortable with everything that you have learned. Finally, the cost of the Film Connection Film School Alternative program is just $7,750. Because the fact of the matter is is, we don't believe film school is worth $100,000, $50,000 or even $25,000.