breaking into hollywood...how to do it?

I'm at a crossroads in my life and I need some artistic professionals' advice. I don't know if the people on this board are the ones to pose this question to, but this is the only place I could think of to ask it.

long story short is that I was forced to drop my mechanical engineering courses abiut a year and a half before possible graduation., My plan until recently was to go into the military, but due to unforseen circumstances that may not be possible anymore.

Now, I have been getting into filmmaking in the past year, turning it into a couple "director of photography" positions in some local independent films that I believe turned out well. Admittedly my experience is a bit thin, but I fell in love with the whole process and can see myself doing it for a living.

My question is, what is the best way of breaking into the filmmaking industry and making it a full-time, legitimate career? I am aware I will have to start at or near the bottom, but I am willing and eager to learn and climb. I am (as humbly as I can) a very intelligent person and learn things very fast, and am very good with my hands. I am not particular about what I do, as long as I'm in the industry and creating even a small part of something that thousands or even millions of people will see. I don't care if I'm working on-site as a grip or at somewhere that develops and builds new camera rigs or whatever.

I realize this likely will include a relocation, probably somewhere like southern california (southwest missouri isn't really the hotbed of filmmaking activity I'd like to be in), but I want to make sure its even a reasonable goal to get involved with filmmaking before I pack up my lighting hear in my truck and drive to cali. If my goal is about as out there as a twenty-something moving to los angeles to try and become an actor, then I'll need to focus my efforts on something a bit more stable.

I appologize for the long winded post, but would really like to hear what you all think. I'd really like to hear from anyone with an insight, but particularly from those with firsthand knowledge of the industry.

Cliff notes: for an intelligent, passionate guy that is good with his hands but no complete college degree, is it feasible to find a constructive and fulfilling career in the filmmaking industry? And if so, what is the best way of going about it?

The film industry is like the music industry or the video games industry. It is a creative industry that everyone wants to get into. Not only is there lots of competition but, as creativity is subjective it is hard to prove that you are good enough - except by doing.

There is a fairly standard route into the film industry (on the technical side) which is to go to school and get a degree, then get a crap job as a runner/gopher. Make some/lots of shorts on your own dime while working your crap job and enter them into film competitions. Possibly get a grant from a film agency to make more shorts and keep on going until someone sees you have talent and gives you a slightly less crap job.

Alternatively gate crash a Hollywood party and sleep with someone rich/powerful/famous.

My friend is a prop master for one of the major network prime time shows. He started at the bottom as mentioned as a gopher and also worked for a prop house in the warehouse. Over the years he earned a reputation through the prop house which lead him to an assistant prop master position, which I believe took him well over 10 years in. The next step, if he wanted, would be to move into the producer/exec producer position, in which he has zero interest in. He does mention that work is only secure until that show/movie is done, so he always is looking for the next potential job. My other friend is a prop master as well and is on his third marriage as he worked in movies and found that travelling to other countries for several months a year was conducive to a steady and happy marriage. The exec producer of that show got started selling a script which was made into a very sucessful movie when he was 18 years old while living in Canada. There is no set pattern or course into this crazy business, from what I have seen.

I can say that during my infrequent trip to the set that there are many many people working for peanuts or less trying to get their big break. This seems to be counterproductive as most production houses understand that there are a ton of low cost laborers available for plenty. I would say, #1 you have to be in the location where the jobs are needed, LA or NYC. Then you have to find an acceptable entrance into the field, be it an outsourced company like prop supplies, etc to get you on a lateral course into the actual business. There are so many paths into the business that there is not one single path into the business.

you need to network with people and hope someone will give you a break. Everything in Hollywood is based on who you know.

sit on ground,
look up,
stick out tongue,
get used to a bad taste in your mouth

LONDON808 wrote in post #14079122
sit on ground,
look up,
stick out tongue,
get used to a bad taste in your mouth

don't forget the knee pads and chapstick!

First off, before I get to your question, let me tell you about myself. I currently live in Los Angeles, and have been working in the film industry for the past 10 years. I work as a grip(IATSE local 80), and I'm typing this out on my iPhone while sitting on the set of a jack in the box commercial. I freelance full time- it keeps life interesting! In the last two weeks I've worked on a pilot, the star trek sequel, and an Arby's commercial. I love the work I do. I've met a ton of great people, found myself in all kinds of crazy places, and have a boatload of great stories from all the adventures.
Everyone in this industry has had their own unique route to gettin in, do here's mine, nutshelled.
I grew up in Seattle, and went to film school up there. (complete waste of time, more on that later) After film school, I began working as a P.A. in the film industry (small as it was) up in Seattle. I quickly realized that I wanted to be grip, and approached some of the key grips in Seattle, an let them know I'd work for free of they'd teach me the trade. A few took me up on it, and after 6 months workin as a PA, I got my first full time slot on a grip crew. It was a 4 month run on a mini series, and after that job ended I had some hard thinking to do. I realize that if I were to stay in Seattle, which is very small market for film production, I would quickly piss away all the money I had saved from my first big grip job, and end up grabbing my ankles for a bunch of good Ol boys who were fighting over crumbs of film work. Screw that. So I made the leap. Packed everything I could fit into my trusty Honda civic, threw everything else I owned in a dumpster, and got on the freeway headed south.
As luck would have it, my timing in hitting L.A. was absolutely perfect. At the time, SAG was threatening to go out on strike, so the producers were slamming through as much production work a humanly possible to stick up before the contract expired. The town was on fire with work! I leveraged the tiny handful of connections I had to get onto a grip crew, and long story short 3 months later I had enough days to get into the union. The rest is history.
So, advice for you?
Film school is vastly overrated. I have never once had anyone ask to see my resume, let alone ask if I'm a college graduate. I always tell people that are thinking of going to school to take the money they would have spent on that, and shoot your own short film(s). You'll make a mess of it, but learn a hell of a lot of far more directly applicable skills than by going to film school.
It is true, it's all in who you know out here in Hollywood. I won't lie, it does take a bit of luck to be at the right place at the right time to make the right connections.
It's okay if you don't have the connections initially. Get out here an get a job as a PA. if you have a pulse, you can work as a PA. Its not glamorous, and doesn't pay much, but you'll be on set all day watching, learning, meeting people, and making those all important connections.
Everyone (myself included), before they get into the industry, picture themselves as a director, director of photography, or actor. It's possible you can pull that off, but extremely unlikely. Do the math. 1 director on a crew. 1 DP on a crew. Maybe a handful of actors. Then there are 40-100 crew members in the technical departments, all of which are good paying, creative jobs. I'll let you figure it out from there.
With the mechanical engineering background, you may really enjoy working as a grip. (I also remember you saying you like working with your hands... Definitely a lot of that!). Bear in mind it really helps to be physically fit if you want to work in the grip or electric departments- it can be very physical work.
The hardest part down here about getting in is getting into the union that governs the field that you want to work in. You'll be to some extent at the mercy of how busy or slow it is overall in town. If its slow, you'll have a tough time of it, because the work goes to the union guys first. It's when we run out of bodies that the new guys start gettin their crack at it.

I hope that helps. I'd fully recommend you make the leap. Sometimes I just have to laugh, things worked out so great coming out here, but it was such a crazy ballsy move that my 10 year younger self made to launch this direction. Extremely glad that I was young and dumb enough to make the attempt, haha!

Great post Skrump...

Pretty much mirrors my experiences in the broadcast industry. Lots of moving and lots of faith in my self! Often more balls than brains but it was a great 20+ year career.

I was just thinking the same thing: great post, Skrump. Nice of you to take the time to help out that dude.

Thank you all for your responses, particularly you skrump! I'm at a point where I feel that I can and should make a crazy leap to try and do something I really want to do. If I make it, awesome, if not, I'm young enough to fairly easily bounce back. My plan at the moment is to save up a good amount of money and work on networking as much as I can where I'm at, then head out west this fall and try my hand at breaking my way in.

At the very least ill have a good story and a good tan from a few days at the beach.

Army Photographer. Now that would be cool.

jmweb wrote in post #14082670
Army Photographer. Now that would be cool.

Not as cool as being a photographer with your own army

I don't know what you have near Rolla, MO, but you might think about corporate film production & advertising, though I suspect that most of it will be video EFP (Electronic Field Production). Not very romantic, but it would give you a chance to do everything while you build up your $s & experience before a move.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #14082908
Not as cool as being a photographer with your own army

lol.

I disagree.... the intensity would be unreal!!

I would try to get started where you are. Go out and meet every grip, gaffer, dp, producer, etc that you can find in your area. Tell them about yourself and what you want to do. Ask them for help getting started. You would be surprised where it might lead.