Learn the adobe creative suite
The Adobe Creative Suite is Adobe’s collection of applications like Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator, Lightroom, Audition, etc.
It’s the most popular and widely-used software program in the industry.
But don’t limit yourself to just learning Premiere Pro for video editing, learn a little about designing in InDesign, Photoshop & Illustrator.
Familiarize yourself with animation and motion graphics in After Effects (you can charge more as an editor if you do!).
Learn how to edit sound in Audition, how to export with Media Encoder, how to organize footage in Bridge. Learning the Adobe Creative Suite is crucial—and it’s something you can do at home, for free (with youtube tutorials or Skillshare classes).
Don’t have a subscription? If you’re a student, you can get the entire suite of programs for only $20/month!
If you’re not a student, you can do a free trial with this link, and check this page to see if Adobe’s running any annual discounts right now.
2. Journal about your favorite films
One of the most important (and difficult) things about working in the film industry is figuring out what you like and why. Do you like dramas? Horror? Comedy? Documentary? Watch some of your favorite films and journal while you watch them. What makes you like this so much? Is it the acting, camera work, color, story, music? Learn about yourself & what you’re naturally drawn to!
3. Listen to film industry podcasts
One of the BEST things you can do is listen to podcasts that talk about the film industry & interview pros. Not only is it fun, but it will subconsciously teach you “industry speak”. You’ll learn about the latest news in the industry, hear about other’s journeys and learn the language. Here are some of my favorite podcasts:
Rough Cut (great for doc filmmakers!)
No Film School (great for gear & industry talk)
A Brighter Lens (great for general film career talk)
Indiewire: Screentalk (great for indie filmmaking)
Unspooled (good for aspiring film critics)
Scriptnotes (great for aspiring screenwriters)
The Black List (a closer look at current industry issues)
Indie Film Hustle (great for indie filmmakers)
4. Watch the credits
Watch the credits of your favorite films & write down the production company, director, and producers. You’ll start to see overlaps and notice what directors/prod companies you like. Make a spreadsheet to keep track of these individuals and production companies.
5. Follow & reach out to your favorite filmmakers
Make a list of your top 5 favorite DPs, directors, editors, producers—whatever you’re interested in doing—and follow them on social media. And, if you have a specific question or just want to connect with them, send them a message! Whether it be an email, twitter or instagram DM, or a nice comment! Filmmakers love to know their work is being enjoyed & they’ll be happy to give you a bit of advice. So send them a nice message just talking about how your admire them/their work & maybe ask one question like “do you think I should go to film school?” “I want to be a producer and director, do you think I can do both?” or “I really loved your work in this film, how did you achieve this look?” — whatever you want!