1.1 - Outline the Culture of the film industry

What do you know about the working culture of the film industry?

The film industry has a time-consuming and very difficult working culture that is always worth it for the finished product that comes as a result of the hard work. In the industry, there are many people working in specific roles, though this also involves working together in order to create one cohesive vision. It involves working at high pressure for very long hours in order to reach a specific deadline and requires you to be very flexible in order to put full input into your work. You must be ready to drop everything at a moment's notice to fulfil your tasks when you are needed.

People will often need to move around substantially when working in the industry, particularly in projects with large budgets that require substantial crew members to work on-location across the country and sometimes all over the world. Furthermore when working in the industry, contracts are generally short-term and very often the work you will find is freelance.

What qualities do you need to work in the film industry?

In order to work effectively within the film industry you must possess a number of qualities and traits, that without will make it difficult for you to succeed. You must have determination and be confident in your own ability. Despite this, you still need to be prepared for failure and be willing to adapt your ideas and work if they are disapproved. Being able to work within a team is also very important, and requires an ability to get along with people and to listen to others. The film will most likely be a collaborative project so you have to be a team player in order to work efficiently, or nothing will get done. Opinions are appreciated, but you mustn't push them endlessly for your own personal gain.

Additionally, it is vital that you have good organisational skills. Without time management and punctuality, it will be an uphill battle to achieve anything and so you must be ready to plan in detail what you need to do for each step of the filmmaking process. Finally, you also need the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines. Stress is a given when working in the industry, but you must be able to keep it under control in order to meet your deadlines. If you feel you have all of these skills, you may be ready to work in the film industry.