OUGD502 - Leeds International Film Festival

The Leeds International Film Festival is an annual event that celebrates film and is useful to me as an area of interest in the industry. I attended a panel on the topic of 'How to Get into the Film Industry' which was interesting and insightful. The professionals on the panel spoke about their own experiences and and how they made it into the industry and answered any questions we had. As I want to go into the film industry myself, I found this interesting and it gave me ideas and ways of making my own way in.

Many aspects were touched on within the panel, a few things I picked up on that I found useful myself. A good online presence is important when applying for jobs or getting to know people within the industry. I have and online portfolio and try to keep my Instagram professional but it would be beneficial to branch out on other platforms such as linked in.

The panel did touch on the topic of Brexit as it is a current discussion. Mentioned was the fact that the UK didn't receive masses of government funding the same as Central Europe because other places such as France and Germany are more known for their grand artist culture. Brexit may benefit this situation by allowing the UK government to fund the film industry itself.

Many of the questions focussed on the writing and production of a film which doesn't closely relate to the prop and set production but it was useful to hear advice. Many of the panel agreed that to make a successful film, it must hold a clear message. It is all well and good to make a visually spectacular piece, however it won't go anywhere if theres no substance to it.

Many of them spoke about employability and what they look for in candidates. They all agreed that attitude was the most important quality and it made to stand out from the rest. Often a good attitude will be the decider between two equally skilled candidates. The Panel also discussed the phrase 'it's not what you know it's who you know'. It was made clear that it is a combination of what you know and who you know, although it helps to have good contacts, it is very important to be good at what you do. They all spoke about how it is important to start networking, may it be at networking events or just inviting people out for a drink or a coffee.

I also had the opportunity to talk to the panel afterwards and take part in some networking. It was useful to ask them about the prop and set design area and hear what they had to say about making my way into the industry. I also made a contact with an actor/producer who I could potentially take part in a work placement with over summer.