Hey Everyone!
In my recent video about student films, I spoke about the importance of making them in addition to how the world views their quality. While not everyone attends film school, I believe that the term “student film” refers to any amateur short film that is made by someone that is still learning about the craft of film making.
I also referred to them as a “necessary evil”. By this I simply mean that student films aren’t made a the professional level, which leads some people to look down on them for their quality. Yet they are a necessary first step in anyone’s film making career because they provide you with the opportunity to learn and make mistakes before you work professionally.
Honestly, half of what I learned in film school was from the classroom and the other half was from working on student films. If you have any interest in working in a particular position on set, you need to get that hands on practice or experience at the amateur level so you can truly understand what you are doing and how to get better at it.
Working on amateur sets is also a great way to try out every department. I have always wanted to be a director, so in film school I knew that it would be beneficial work in the sound, lighting, and camera departments so I could learn about the various roles in each and how important everyone’s jobs are during the set up and filming of each scene. .
When you start making your own student or amateur films, don’t get discouraged if you start to feel that you are low budget or low quality. Everyone has to start at the bottom, and you will only get better with practice! Just remember that it is a learning process and a great opportunity to test out your skills. And don’t forget to just have fun and enjoy it.
You can check out my video here: