Anybody who goes to the movies is aware of the huge number of new films produced each year, and anybody who has sat through the end credits of a current Hollywood blockbuster knows that a lot of skilled people are employed in their production. To learn these skills, many aspiring movie makers attend one of the many film schools that have come into being during recent decades. Some of these students have gone on to great success after graduation.

But what about the aspiring filmmakers for whom film school is too expensive or far away? Are these people out of luck or is there another way to realize their dreams? Is film school even worth the time and money in the first place?

It’s up to the individual enthusiast to decide whether or not film school is the best way to gain entry into the field, but it’s always good to examine all of the available options.

It is with the intention of helping the movie makers of tomorrow to become of another possible route to their goals that I’m telling the following story. It’s about a friend of mine and how he got his start in the film industry. I’ve lost track of this friend (he’s very busy), so I haven’t been able to get his permission to use his real name. Let’s call him Paul.

One day Paul learned that he would be receiving an inheritance. It was his mother’s job to decide the way this money was to be spent. The only condition was that it was to be used in the furthering of his education. She asked Paul what kind of career he wanted to go into.

He said that he hoped to someday build a future in the movie industry and that he thought going to film school would be the best way to get started. His mother figured that his goal was reasonable, but she had a suggestion for a different route to take.

What if he used the inheritance to make his own short movie. That could be his film school.

Paul thought this was a good idea, so he went out in search of some help on this project. He found a local special effects technician who was interested in getting involved. I also happen to know this man. We can call him John.

This is the deal Paul offered to John: John was to contact some of his special effects colleagues and together they would compile a list of effects that they had always wanted to create but had never had the opportunity to do. Paul would write a script that used as many of these effects as possible and a short film would be made from it that they would all work on together. The technicians wouldn’t be paid for their work, but Paul would supply all of the necessary materials.

Everybody in the effects crew agreed to this plan and were very enthusiastic about the project. They all had lots of fun with the project and Paul learned how films are made. In the end he had a really slick looking short movie that he could use as an impressive portfolio piece when seeking work in the future.

Of course there are a lot of people who went to film school and are doing very well, but Paul’s story is certainly not unique. Many of the top professionals in the industry learned their skills by making their own films.

In one of the most famous quotes attributed to him, Stanley Kubrick stated that in his opinion, the best way for a young hopeful to get into the film business is to get the necessary equipment together and make a movie. Robert Rodriguez, John Waters and Quentin Tarantino are just a few directors who have made similar statements.

Video equipment and movie-making software are now relatively affordable and easy to find, making it possible for just about anybody to get started making independent movies. Once they’re completed, these films can even find an audience when uploaded to the internet.

Once again, there are many paths to success in the motion picture field and it is in the best interest of all who plan to enter it to consider as many of these paths as possible. Best of luck to all of you in the future!