2/development in the film industry

if you got thrown into the jungle that is the film industry, would you survive?

2.1, Task 1 Research what it is like to work in the film industry and complete the following sections.

List 8 aspects that describe what it is like to work in the film industry. Consider hours, travel, freelance, and working on a set and budget. What are the pressures? What are the positives and negatives? Please answer in sentences

1.  Job security - Due to the irregularity of working on a film-to-film basis, there is a pretty low job security because if you're unlucky you might not be working for a while if you can't find anything to do.

2.  Expectations - You're expected to do quite a lot while working in film, and the work you've made is also usually supposed to be of high quality, thanks to the competitiveness of just being accepted to be in the industry.

3.  Teamwork - Since you're typically going to be working in a group while in the industry, it is vital to have a good sense of teamwork, like listening to other people on what they have to say or making changes to your work if someone has a suggestion.

4.  Inequality - Thanks to history's prejudice towards minorities (AND majorities for some reason) there's a significant imbalance in men to women who are working in film. There are a lot of statistics which I won't bore you with, but only around 20% of people working in the industry are women.

5.  Time management - Time is unforgiving and delays can cost a fortune, so you need to keep your head above the crowd to ensure you keep on schedule and don't fall behind in order to prevent faults or even halts.

6.  Presentation - Wear clothes that are suitable for the time and place: you don't wanna be walking around in full ski gear at high noon in the middle of the Sahara Desert, or holding up swimwear amidst Queen Byrd Land in Antarctica.

7.  Danger - If the theme of the film calls for it, some sets could be hazardous or straight-up unsafe, say if it's in an abandoned building or other unsavoury places, so you need to be really careful at any location that could pose a threat.

8.  Iteration on location - Once something has been said, it's not set in stone. People can change their minds about things, and you should be ready to trek to the other side of the universe and back if it means getting the perfect place to film.

List 8 personal qualities you need to be able to work in the film industry, for example showing initiative, taking responsibility, good time management, knowing your specialism, having good communication skills. Give reasons for your answers.

1. Be responsible. Don't say what you won't do but say what you will do. You don't want to leave people confused and you definitely do not want to let them fall behind.

2. Stay focused. This will let you get more done and you'll have more time to finish up everything that needs doing.

3. Be friendly. This will get people to appreciate you more and you'll have a better reputation in the industry.

4. Understand rejection. If something doesn't go the way you planned it to go, stay afloat and find your way around it; you'll keep your balance more easily this way.

5. Have good networking. This will allow you to connect with new potential film crews that you can work with.

6. Be punctual. Good time management is vital to staying alive in the film industry. If you don't have it, let's just say you're not going to get very far in the industry.

7. Be creative. The film industry is a diverse, multi-coloured jungle, and you need to stand out if you want anyone to acknowledge your existence.

8. Be passionate! Passion is the one thing that will keep anyone working in the industry moving forward. It's that little spark which boosts you along.

2.1, Task 2: Production Plan for Once Upon a Song

2.2, Task 1 - Different Roles in a Film Crew

2.2, Task 2 - More about some of the roles

• The concept artist and storyboard artist work together during their time producing their part of the film: the storyboard artist needs to keep checking in with the concept artist to make sure what they're sketching is compatible with what the concept artist has drawn. If not, then it might spawn confusion with the rest of the crew because they might not know for sure which design to go for.

• The storyboard artist and sound designer also cooperate closely in animation: it ensures that what the storyboard artist had in mind is what the sound designer is working with. Sound comes directly after the storyboard, so it would make a lot of sense for them to work together.

2.3, Task 1 - Industry Speaker Notes

Task 2 What have you learned about potential progression routes into film and connected creative industries? You can do this in a group where each member researches one or two routes and reports to the others.

Research the following routes:

• Apprenticeships seem to be an appealing entrance into the film industry for most people: you can jump straight into working while also learning. Apprenticeships can last for a few years. Internships, on the other hand, are a lot shorter. They're small but intensive work experience stints and you can learn a lot from them despite their length.

• Some of the most common entry-level jobs include runners, who are people who run errands and basically do anything that the film crew ask them to do; there are also set assistants, who organise and declutter a film set, give some people in the film crew a boost, and sometimes print out film scripts or other paperwork that someone might need.

• University appears to be a great option for aspiring filmmakers to get all the information they need to work in the film industry and venture into it feeling confident and determined. The biggest problem though is that it's very pricy and I'm not sure if I'm gonna have that much money to pay it off. We'll have to see...

• Sharing your work online is definitely a good and easy way to get yourself seen and I've actually sometimes have been doing this when I have a project that I'm really proud about. I've never thought about online competitions though, so maybe that could be a thought.

• There are a lot of film festivals in the UK and given enough luck and skill, it's an amazing way to show your work to hundreds and thousands of people, whom some of them might be really intrigued about you and could even want to employ you on making a film with/for them.

• I've learned about different filmmaking courses that the BFI has to offer, volunteering at some of their film festivals (maybe even submitting my own film to be shown at one of them), and even BAFTA mentoring which I didn't know you could do.