The secret of cinematic success
A slew of courses are available for budding directors. Hazel Davis finds out about life behind the lens
Published: 24 May 2007 The Independent 2007
As the Cannes Film Festival celebrates its 60th birthday, someone's career will be made, some unknown will win the Palme D'Or and still others will have their dreams dashed by a room full of critics.
We all know what we like and don't like in a film, but how easy is it to make a living as a film-maker?
British film-maker Aneel Ahmad has just completed Boot Polish, a short film that he hopes to screen at festivals around the world. It's part of the UK Film Council and North West Vision's Digital scheme, which encourages new film-makers.
But Ahmad's path to critical success, including a Unicef award, hasn't been smooth. He fell in love with film when he was at school in Manchester. " I started making zombie films on VHS and entered a competition for 10-minute documentaries," he explains. "My friend and I wrote a synopsis and it actually got short-listed." Despite his young age, he went on to produce another short film, which was screened on Channel 4. "My friend later went on to film school," he says, "but I haven't any academic qualifications so I couldn't, even though it was something I really wanted to do."
Ahmad describes "being broke, working in crappy jobs to support myself" and fighting an "institutionalised industry". But his advice to aspiring film-makers is: "Don't give up hope. Yes, get upset if you get rejected from a film body or network, but do it yourself, make it for yourself even if it's a film of three minutes. Believe in yourself and people will believe in you. It has taken me 10 years for anyone to believe in me and my work."
This might seem a little disheartening, says Ahmad, but there is nothing better than getting your film made: "There's a romance to it. If I make a film and someone likes it or can relate to it, then that makes me happy."
Ahmad loves the filmmaking process, but he is also drawn to the idea of making a difference. "My inspiration is the vast amount of stories that have yet to be told. I want to make powerful movies."
Many film-makers, such as Ahmad, make their mark without qualifications but there are increasing numbers of UK film courses.
The BBC Centre for Broadcast Skills Training (www.bbctraining. com) lists courses and contacts on its website.
Skillset (www.skillset.org) is the national training body for the audio-visual industries. Visit the website for details of funding or course information.
Other useful sites
http://www.aneelahmad.co.uk/, http://www.northwestvision.co.uk/, http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/
1 comment:
Great article good luck with your work
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