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Breaking into the movie business is no easy task. It takes a ridiculous amount of hard work, patience and perseverance. I've wanted to make movies since I was a little kid, and it's something that I am still constantly working at. Being a filmmaker is a dream that I will never give up on, it's just one of those passions that I have that is a part of who I am. I know a lot of you out there feel the exact same way.
Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn recently offered some advice for all of us who are looking to break into the film industry. I won't lie, some of the things he says can be discouraging, but for me it's all stuff I knew about before I decided to go down the road I did. At the same time, the advice he gives is encouraging because, for many of us, it means we're on the right track.
This is what Gunn had to say:
"I get tons of people who want to be directors, actors, or writers asking me for advice here. Here's some short form advice:
"Remember that it takes ten years or so to become a doctor. Entertainment is a far more competitive field than medicine - and, if you're really focused on mastering your craft, it can be just as complex. So expect it to take at least ten years of hard work at the expense of a regular life to simply be competent and perhaps begin to make a living at it. And, even then, sadly, only an extremely small percentage of people are able to do so.
"If you find that too daunting, consider working in another field. If you don't find it daunting at all, consider therapy. Considering your sense of reality, you've got bigger problems than your career goals.
"However, if you find that daunting, but still have the need or desire to continue, well, that's at least one place to start. I wish you not only luck, but strength, perseverance, heart, and talent.
"And, before you start, there are of course lots of exceptions to the ten year rule (or, as Malcom Gladwell talks about in his book Outliers, the 10,000-hours-of-work rule). But that also takes a great amount of luck, something we don't have much control over other than putting ourselves out there as much as possible."
