Posted by Nate1234 at 231-pm4.hom.alaska.net on May 24, 2002 at 17:40:09:
This question is mainly directed towards either Mr. Smith or anyone else on his message board that is in the film industry. I currently have a year left in high school and am debating whether or not going into film is a good idea. I'm not particularly artistic and am not a great writer, plus I come from Alaska (I dare you to try to name a noticable film maker from up here), but I have a deep interest in movies as well as making video projects.
My question is, what exactly is the success rate of people who go into film? I mean, if a person does not manage to make the next Clerks or American Grafitti, what are their options?
Are there any courses in college or high school one should take unrelated to film that might be of benefit?
What does the average person in film pull?
And are there programs that you know of to perhaps become an assistant grip or some other sort of odd-job like that on a movie in the summer at my age, without being in college, in order to help one make a decision to go into film by allowing him to observe the production of a movie first-hand?
I hope I get a response to this message, because at the moment, I'm really desperate for guidance. I'm really scared I'd go to film school and come out a shoe salesman.