Without the proper guidance, the filmmaking industry can be incredibly challenging to navigate. While everyone may have the same goal, to make films, there are many routes that can be taken to achieve that goal. The industry is filled with a vast amount of knowledge and many tales of unique success stories. While this may be overwhelming in the first instance, adjusting the lights and focusing the lens will reveal that this is, in fact, a tremendous opportunity. At LFS, we have made it our mission to demystify the “how to” and provide our students with the experience and confidence needed to succeed in the film industry.
We spoke with members of our community who shared valuable expertise in response to some common questions the budding filmmaker may have. Continue reading to see what those no stranger to the working world of film advises.
What are the essential skills required to succeed in the filmmaking industry?
“Years ago, I pitched Harvey Weinstein at a film premiere having just finished my first screenplay. He told me to get it to the Savoy hotel by 6am and he’d read it on the plane home. I duly did and to my astonishment 2 weeks later I had a call from his New York office telling me ‘Harvey loves your screenplay, this is a 'go picture'.’ I thought I would be an overnight success - that was back in 1999. Little did I know it would be 17 years before my first film went into production (and then I actually had 2 made at once) …so I would have to answer ‘persistence’…that’s the only moral you can draw from my story. I simply refused to give up, during years of ups and downs and near misses. Now I’ve just co-written a series for Netflix, so it’s all paying off, but boy has it taken a long time.” - Henry Fitzherbert, Screenwriter & Visiting Lecturer
“Resilience. Loads of craziness and an absurdly optimistic spirit. When everyone says no, you need to keep going and continue to foolishly believe that you can do it. Resilience is key. Resilience is the most important quality for an aspiring filmmaker, and we are all aspiring filmmakers because the fight to get your film greenlit and funded never stops. Even Directors of major Hollywood films have experienced this, like Francis Ford Coppola with The Godfather. There is also a level of foolish self-confidence that is needed. I would urge aspiring filmmakers that if they are sure they want to do this, they must be twice as sure and fight for it because we need films from passionate, crazy fools that want to tell them, so keep going because we want to see them.” – Miguel Faus, Writer, Director, LFS Alumni
How do I become a successful screenwriter?
“You don’t quit. For me, writing is a discipline – it’s the practice of working towards a goal, committing to a result even when it’s not an immediate one. I often compare it to sports or music, because just like the athlete or the musician, the writer devotedly trains and rehearses, goes through warm-up exercises, scales, and keeps pushing towards self-improvement, always. In short, to be a successful writer, you make the choice of being one every day, and a better one, the day after that.” – Sabrina Semidei, Screenwriter, LFS Alumni, Programme Administrator for MA Screenwriting & MA International Film Business
“Success is what you decide it is, whether it be winning awards, making money from writing, or simply having time to create. All will be achieved with learning your craft. Write. Get it wrong and learn. Write. Look back at a script you sent someone and know you can now write it better. Write. Put your work in front of people. Live life to have experiences and draw upon emotions, and get to know people deeply. Writing is about capturing humanity and the intricacies of relationships. Success is in doing the thing and dedicating time to it. I’ve written on existing shows, but the things I’m proudest of remain unmade and on my computer.” – Mark Boutros, Screenwriter, Author & Visiting Lecturer
How important is having a personal style or vision as a filmmaker or screenwriter?
“In terms of ‘personal style’ I would say - leaning into my background as a journalist - I try and make all my screenplays page-turners. People are so busy you really have to grab them on the first page. Don't give them any excuse to stop reading! If your script is a compelling and fluent read that will stand you in good stead. But to answer the question more broadly, it’s helpful for producers to be able to ‘categorise’ you as a writer and I now specialise in true stories and historical dramas, again leaning into my journo background and also my history degree. However, it’s taken years for me to develop this niche for myself. I started out writing high concept rom-coms!” - Henry Fitzherbert, Screenwriter & Visiting Lecturer
“Working as a DoP, you cannot have a single niche style, as that would limit you to a set of probably non-existent 'niche' productions. There is, of course, a tendency that the DoP, along with the other craft department heads, will get 'type cast' - the last movie is the one that 'sells your style'. However, despite this, a cinematographer needs to develop a portfolio of invested visual styles, with films of intrinsic value, and, crucially to develop creative working relationships with their directors and producers.” – Belinda Parsons, Director of Photography & Senior Lecturer – Camera
“If it’s fake and it’s a marketing thing then I don’t agree with that, but if it comes from a natural place then great. If it’s too calculated and too forced it could be a bad thing and doesn’t have anything to do with art and cinema.” – Miguel Faus, Writer, Director, LFS Alumni
“It helps you to stand out, but I think it’s something that emerges as you explore characters, rather than something you hunt down. All development comes from writing, consuming what has been before, and sharing experiences. Write what impacts you, what you want to see on screen, but what you truly feel. If you write what you think someone will want, you’ll be bored and they likely won’t want it. If you write what you feel strongly about, it will stand out as only you can capture your observations about particular relationships and feelings.” – Mark Boutros, Screenwriter, Author & Visiting Lecturer
And there you have it! Some top-notch advice directly from the filmmakers’ mouth. Stay tuned for more insider tips coming soon! As challenging as it may appear to get your foot in the door, at LFS we encourage our students to kick that door down or at the very least, to build a new one. Interested in making your dreams a reality? Then be sure to explore our MA Filmmaking, MA Screenwriting and MA International Film Business courses.
Photo credit:
Brothers Keepers BTS, Writer-Director: Fergus Neville