FITP: Day 5

(Go back to Day 4)

Just finished up the first week at the Film Industry Training Program.

Today we finished the final two disciplines, or "crafts" as they call them in the screen trade. Script Supervision and Wardrobe.

I have to say that after sitting through nine detailed lectures that averaged three hours on each job, I'd be happy following ANY of the career paths they discussed. (Well, maybe not wardrobe so much, but only because I can't sew worth a shit!) But overall, the instructors made their specialties sound really interesting and fulfilling.

So far this week we've discussed the following crafts:

Assistant Director (AD)
Production Office Coordinator (POC)
Location Management
Camera
Sound (my specialty)
Grip & Electric
Props & Set Dressing
Script Supervision
Wardrobe

Today we had Virginia McCarthy tell us about script supervision. Virginia, like most of the instructors, managed to weave a bunch of entertaining on-set stories into her informative presentation.

The afternoon session was wardrobe, presented by Danajean Cicerchi. She managed to make the topic of wardrobe interesting to most of the class. And since the Sound department has a "vested" interest in wardrobe when putting a lavaliere mic onto an actor, it was especially useful to me.

After the final lecture, we were gathered together in our various crafts and asked if anyone wanted to change their career path before starting the next two weeks of focused instruction. Several students jumped from one craft to another, but the most popular choices, AD and Camera, were already booked solid.

Liam said that those two crafts were the first choice of 65 of the 90 or so students in the class, so a good number of students aren't taking their preferred course of instruction. But if we learned anything this week while listening to our instructors, you must get a foot in the door in the business before you can go anywhere. Even if your first job isn't your goal career, you should just buckle down, do a great job, and network with as many people as you can.

If you do that, you just might make a career for yourself in this highly competitive business!

Monday morning, me and about nine other students will begin learning about Sound in movie production from Chat Gunter, who's been around for decades and is a real workhorse in the business. I can't wait!

Click here to go to Day 6