A friend of mine recently reached out to me and asked,
“Help, I don’t know how to get back involved with filmmaking!” She is a great
writer, but due to life’s circumstances, she has not written anything for a long
time. She is now married with two small children that demand her attention. She
had given up her writing to pursue her dreams of becoming a wife and a mother –
very noble things. But, the passion in her heart for filmmaking never ceased.
She was able to keep it at bay for awhile, but recently it’s called her gently
out of her Hobbit hole. She does not share this same calling with her family,
so it takes being around other creative people to help foster this longing.
I can totally relate, but for people like us we can never
leave filmmaking on the altar for long. It’s more of a calling than a desire to
just do film. Our goal is not a hobby, but a profession. But, she had been out
of it for so long, she no longer knew where to look. Here’s what I offered her,
which can be for a writer, actor, or filmmaker:
- Find the local 48 Hour Film Project in your area. http://www.48hourfilm.com/ - they have them all over the world. People take them very seriously and really give it their all. I was very impressed about the team I found myself on. Or there are others, like the 168: http://www.168project.com/
The point here is really to
surround yourself with filmmakers – reach out and make connections. Plus, you
get to say you actually completed a project – how many
writers/actors/filmmakers can say that?
- I was a little skeptical about this next idea, but when I attended one – I found 25 other local filmmakers just like me. Check out the MeetUps in your area: http://www.meetup.com/.
The group had gear and desire –
they are still meeting today making projects.
- Just about every college out there has some type of film program. Look within their communications department. You can either a) take a class, or b) volunteer for student projects. Just reach out to them, let them know what you can do, and be a contributor when you get a chance.
- Use social media to find filmmakers – from YahooGroups, to Google+, to Facebook (of course). Filmmakers know other filmmakers.
I have found most people out there have a desire to make
things as professional as they can and they are willing to sacrifice for it. If
you can't find a group in your area, I encourage you to step up and start a group
then (be a producer). You never know, you might find yourself taking 30 days
off work and doing a feature!
Here’s to making next year about doing projects!
What other advice would you have offered? Leave a Comment and share!
