Tuesday 19 November 2013

The pursuit of success

To quote Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, "life is a kind of chess". Same goes when planning your career. You have to prepare your every move, you need to create alternatives, avoid dead-ends and never forget what your ultimate goal is: to win (in our case, to achieve a desirable position in the industry/sector you are interested in). 

Source: http://sleepy-s-u-n.tumblr.com/, taken from 'The Seventh Seal' (1957) directed by Ingmar Bergman

"Winning" can be interpreted in various ways by different people. Everyone has his/her own desires and ambitions. Which are mine? Since a was younger I always dreamed of being an active and valuable part of the film industry. I love movies. I love watching them, talking/writing about them and occasionally making them. Throughout the years, my aspirations about which role I would like to have inside the vast universe of the film industry has altered many times. Director? Screenwriter? Editor? Film critic? They are all very intriguing and occasionally glamorous occupations. But none of them is what actually makes my heart quiver. If someone asked me today what I aspire to do when I grow up, my response would be: either get involved in film production or film festivals. There is something about these two occupations that really fascinates me; it is probably the thrill of creating something from scratch and following its course as it evolves.

In any case, as the epigram says, "Rome wasn't built in a day". In the same way, one cannot just become a film producer from one day to another. According to the team behind the website 'My First Job in Film' (n.d.), film producers usually have to work their way to the top. They tend to have a lot of experience in other departments of film making (mainly entry level jobs or assistant jobs in production), and a powerful network. And what better place to build a network than a film festival!

Source: http://bitchgotitall.tumblr.com/, taken from Inception (2010), directed by Christopher Nolan

That being said, my main goal for an internship will be top film festivals that take place in London as well as production companies that are either based or have a division in London. After a lot of research I came up with the "Big 5", my top 5 choices for my internship. From the most desirable to the slightly less:


Apart from the "Big 5", I have also gathered information about other production and distribution companies, just in case that all applications in the "Big 5" fail. The back-up choices include Metrodome, 20th Century Fox, Pathe Productions, Vertigo Films, TLA Releasing and Verve Pictures.

Which are my next moves? First of all, I have to visit the Careers Centre and get my CV checked (it does not hurt to get a second opinion). Then I need to attend some of the elective seminars from the King's Professional Skills Programme, in order to reinforce my skills in certain areas, like networking, negotiating and leading a team. In order to strengthen my CV a little bit more, I must start looking for volunteering opportunities in the film industry. I might have some experience in events management and festivals but I understand that British employers value more work experiences gained inside the UK. Last but not least, when I will return from my Christmas holidays, I need to send my covering letter and CV to Sundance Film Festival; it takes place in April, so the first week of the new year is probably the best period to start my communication with them.

References:

  • My First Job in Film, n.d.. Producers. Available at: http://www.myfirstjobinfilm.co.uk/producers [Accessed 15 November 2013].

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