What do you do if you want to enter the film industry with no prior experience?

Consume content of the kind you want to make – but do so consciously. Yes, literally sit there with a notepad in hand! What decisions did the filmmakers make to achieve specific emotions? Unfortunately, "making of" featurettes are produced less and less, but I also watched those on every VHS and DVD I could get my hands on. No-one can educate you better than your favorite filmmakers themselves. Then: do it yourself. It's never been easier to make movies. However, I do recommend getting a camera with as many manual settings as you can, because a phone does too much for you. Even a cheap mirrorless or DSLR camera will force you to think about lens choice and technical settings like aperture, shutter speed etc. Learn these basics first!

The AI Community on Discord and Youtube are incredible educational resources for getting started. Check out the tutorials from Olivio Sarikas, Civitai, and MDMZ! Think about what skills you want to develop and what you uniquely can do.

For many creative fields, university may not always be the most effective path. Often, practical skills and theory can be learned independently, driven by a person's passion rather than the pursuit of a degree. This approach can lead to the realization that a formal degree might not be as crucial as once thought. Acquiring skills that are directly applicable in the job market can be more beneficial and financially rewarding than accumulating debt from university tuition. It's worth considering alternative educational routes, especially for careers that don't require a specific professional degree like medicine or architecture. Exploring government-supported careers can also offer stability and support in a fluctuating job market.

In my opinion, make meaningful connections with industry professionals by attending events, film festivals, and networking mixers. Don't hesitate to reach out to potential mentors or collaborators who can offer guidance and support on your journey.

Take time to self educate through mentors in the biz, or classes. Attend festivals and network to find people willing to share knowledge or who you can shadow.

The best tip I can give is to just reach out to people you admire! Don't be pushy or pitch something. Write them a few words of what you like about their work, and include some of yours. This can be valuable even if it doesn't spark immediately: I remember connecting with a role model early on by sending them some short films I did. They were very gracious and gave some light feedback, but were clearly not super impressed. But when I sent them a new project a few years later, it sparked a collaboration that continues to this day!

nitially, it was common to attend numerous events, such as free workshops and exclusive screenings, to network and enhance visibility among peers. Nowadays, in our digital-centric world, networking and visibility have become even more crucial for success. Therefore, it's essential to adopt creative and unconventional approaches in pursuing new opportunities.

Have you had an idea a great idea for a short film, TV series, or feature film? If so, you've already completed the most important step, now it's time to make it into reality. My favorite way to begin creating is to previsualize the story with image generation tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, KREA, or Leonardo. From there, you can add animation with Runway or Pika Labs. Next, lay in some voiceover using Eleven Labs. Finally, edit it all together in your favorite tool such as Adobe Premiere, CapCut or DaVinci Resolve. What you'll have may not be ready for the big screen - YET! It's the start of your creative journey.

Utilizing a compact team enables more flexibility in choosing shooting locations and times, allowing for some creative leeway. True innovation often comes from thinking outside the box rather than strictly adhering to rules.

With AI moving so quickly, it's hard to stay on top of the tools and workflows. Some of my favorite IG influencers who talk about AI and film are @akilwade, @chatgptricks, @hellocivitai, @realrileybrown, @karenxcheng, @ainterestingupdate, and @evolving.ai

Don't hesitate to take the first step. Often, honing certain skills can bolster additional competencies in the future. Grasping the fundamental principles or understanding the theoretical basis of subjects can greatly aid in generating innovative ideas and enhancing existing ones.