Specialty tasks in post-production are, quite possibly, the last great bastion of entry for a career in filmmaking in 2019. As referenced in my last article, the rise of digital imaging in feature-film production, world crafting in computers as opposed to in-camera cinematography, has meant that specialised designers should be a highly sought after craft for the foreseeable future.
Recently I was asked to advise someone on a path to a career in filmmaking. As I am an idiot savant in advice giving, I believed firmly that in order to succeed, one needs to specialise in a high-demand area and make themselves indispensable in this area.
All I know about filmmaking on the professional end (and I'll admit, I don’t know much) is that there is always a job to be done.
On-set, in post-production, you name it.
There is always a coffee to be bought, there is always someone needed to run and grab a prop that was forgotten, a cable to be wrapped, a file to be exported, a hard drive to be formatted, a light to be held, a studio to be struck.
All jobs I have been asked to complete as a runner on the various productions I have been involved with.
However, had I married myself to a particular department — directing, camera operation, editing — I would have been surrounded by mentors who would have helped in perfecting my craft and lead me to a path of employment in a specialised field.
While my story isn’t entirely dissimilar, I didn’t necessarily target a specific craft that would warrant a demand for my professional services in the entertainment industry. Politics and local campaigns? different story.
But I chose a different path.
So my advice to this person was to marry themselves to a specific department and become the ‘God’ of that area. Use the contacts to work your way to your true calling.
A colourist would have access to a cinematographer who, in turn, would lead to exposure to a director in a lot of cases.
If directing was your chosen field, you can see a path to attainment.
But it is the people in those positions first needing you and your services in order for this exposure to be available to you. That’s where specialising yourself in a field comes in handy.
The best way to make this path for yourself is to offer your time for free to a company that will accept it.
As mentioned, there are always jobs that need to be done in film production. They will use you if you are around and available. The trick is to make yourself open and available and to give your time and patience to a cause that you truly believe in, your future.
If this is your passion and you want to make it your life, the investment is more than worth it.
