Professionals give you their Top Tips in how to get into the Meida Industry ....
Tom Betts, writer, director and editor of the 'Secrecy' film project.
1. What do you do?
Mostly I write, direct and edit. I started out with short films (often 2 to 3 minutes long) but I'm concentrating on features now.
2. What made you want to do this?
I was about 15 when 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Clerks' came out at the cinema - the first made people rethink the way they could tell stories on film; the second made them realise they could do it very cheaply. It was a very exciting time for movies and I got swept up in it.
3. What's the best part of your job?
Producing something that's actually pretty close to what I imagined.
4. What's the worst part of your job?
Organising: co-ordinating actors' schedules, getting permission from locations, that kind of thing.
5. What tips would you give people out there who wanted to do this?
Don't spend too much money when you're starting out - you need to make mistakes in order to improve, and it's much less painful to make them cheaply. Cast friends, borrow equipment, ask favours, and work quickly.
Once you've made a film, make it shorter: most early films I see are too long, either because the makers want to show off a shot they're proud of, or because they don't trust the audience to absorb what's going on. Look at the films you like, and check out how much happens in each minute of them.
6. What's your favourite film and why?
I really like 'Out of Sight', directed by Steven Soderbergh. It's just a really-well put together film: the cast is great (even Jennifer Lopez); the photography sharp and colourful; and the score is catchy, jazzy and soulful, just like Scott Frank's Oscar-nominated script.