Do You Have What it takes to Succeed in Film?
What does it take to triumph in film production and digital media? In this article, you’ll find the answer to three important questions for film majors:
- What type of personality is a good fit for film production work?
- What skills do you need to develop to have success?
- Why is media school training essential?
Are you a creative person with an adventurous personality and natural leadership skills? Do you love creating videos for YouTube, TikTok, and other sites? Those qualities can give you an important edge for a career in film production. When combined with the best media school training, your personality can make you stand out from the crowd. What do you need to succeed?
7 Essential Qualities for Film Production
1. Passion
There’s a vast difference when video content is produced by someone who is passionate about the project versus someone who’s just punching a time card. Following the same old routine as everyone else results in middle-of-the-road content that puts people to sleep. If you’re someone who gets excited and likes to put a personal “touch” on projects, you have a big advantage in film. Passion is contagious, helping capture the attention of the audience for broadcasting programs and digital media alike.
2. Creativity
These days, viewers have seen it all. They’re not easily impressed by the same ideas that have been done before. To break out, you need the ability to do things differently. A creative person can adapt to challenges, invent awesome solutions and think outside of the box. This captures the attention of the audience and can also get you noticed by higher-ups on a set.
3. Confidence
Like any career, film production has a level of competition. Whether you’re aiming for an executive producer spot or a cushy corner office with lots of perks, confidence is the key that unlocks many doors. It’s normal to be nervous about taking on a leadership position, but to triumph, you need the ability to push through and take action: stepping up in a crunch, proposing better solutions, or explaining confidently why you’re obviously the best choice.
4. Initiative
It’s OK to ask questions when you’re just getting started, but you’ll get further when you start coming up with the answers yourself. To succeed in film, you have to trust your own judgment and take the initiative. It means seeing a smarter way to do something and then just doing it.
5. Resilience
As you embark on your career in film, you’re going to come across a lot of great people, but you’re also going to discover that not everyone is friendly. Sometimes they’re your competitors, your clients, or just everyday consumers on social media. A resilient person has the power to focus on the successes and leave any negative things in the past. Virtually everyone who is someone in film has had to overcome obstacles, critics, or people who just didn’t “get” what you were aiming for.
6. Self-Discipline
Careers in digital media and film are often more flexible than your traditional 9 to 5 workday. In fact, your best ideas may come to you while you’re lying down in bed or grabbing a cup of coffee. To make the best use of your time with this laid-back work environment, you need self-discipline or the ability to set your own goals and force yourself to focus on them. Website designers and content marketers run into this same challenge.
7. Flexibility
Until you’re the one calling the shots, you have to adapt to the people’s different management styles. That’s where flexibility can serve you well. The idea is to adapt and get the job done without letting minor squabbles sidetrack your personal performance. At the end of the day, it’s the person who crosses the finish line who gets the prize.
Successful Skills Every Film Pro Needs To Develop
In addition to a passionate, creative, and confident personality, you need to build some skills. These are things that most people don’t have automatically, but they’re important if you want to get the maximum return on the time you invest:
- Analytical skills: This involves being able to look at a big project and see its individual parts. For example, people with good analytical skills don’t just see a problem: they see what things are causing the problem and what steps can help solve it. Being able to look beyond the surface is important for any producer or manager.
- Time-management abilities: It’s easy to get swept up in your creative flow and forget that you also have a deadline to think about. Time management skills help you break large projects into smaller steps and stay on track to successful completion.
- Networking skills: Making connections is a big part of success in both film and digital marketing. You need to build a network of friends, colleagues, clients, directors, and potential employers. Making a great first impression is an art form in itself, and it’s one worth mastering.
- Stamina: Every film and media job is different, but many involve rhythms of work. You may have more relaxed moments and other times when you’re scrambling to meet a deadline. It takes stamina to push yourself when you’re physically or mentally tired. This is an ability you can learn, and some people end up actually functioning better under pressure.
The Importance of the Best Media School Training
With a creative and focused personality, you’re like an up-and-coming sports star with tons of potential. To succeed in your film goals, you need the final ingredient: training. The rapid advance of technology means that even the most talented people need a focused education to launch their careers in film production, performing arts, or digital media.
Video producers have to storyboard and create engaging narratives. Film teams understand how to transmit emotion, art, and information, whether they’re shooting commercials, news programs, or motion pictures. The responsibilities of a producer also include managing the budget, overseeing pre-production, taking charge of the editing process, reaching out to studios, securing locations, hiring actors, and speaking with clients. Other film production careers have more specialized needs, including video editing, FX, cameras and lighting, and advanced post-production.
The same skills and training are valuable for a career in digital marketing and media. Digital media is everywhere, making it an ideal choice for reaching consumers. Professionals with skills in social media advertising, influencer advertising, video advertising, content marketing, and website development are in high demand. Digital marketing agencies often use production managers who can visualize and execute projects from beginning to end.
The Opportunity To Shine
When you have the needed film production skills and professional training, it helps you enjoy your work more. For the right kind of person, a film or digital media career is exciting, fun, and satisfying. This is the type of industry where liking what you do is really important because it affects the quality of your finished work.
Discover if you have what it takes to launch an amazing career by learning more about the courses in film production at the Media Schools, located in Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, and Miami. Apply now and combine your incredible personality with the skills and training needed for success.
Featured Image: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock