For a lot of people, filming movies and shorts is something they do as a hobby on their time off from "real" work, whenever they can gather enough friends to donate time and efforts into working as crew or actors. But those who have chosen to expand that passion and take on film and video production as a career might find it hard to figure out where to start.

There are many paths one can take to making filmmaking an actual paying career. One isn't more adequate than the other. It all depends on what speaks to you the most.

In my case, I went with the "academic" route and obtained a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Film & Video Production. Yes, many pros out there will tell you all about how a degree in film is just a piece of useless paper and that you gain all useful lessons only when out in the field, and in some small way, they're right.

I've never actually had to show my degree to a potential client, yet the experience one gains in school speaks for itself. Before film school, I was never quite sure which of the many departments that I always saw in the credits of movies I wanted my name to be under. They all seemed to be fun and challenging in their own way. So I was lucky enough that the program in my school was very hands-on, with every student directing his or her own short film every semester and cycling around positions for other students' projects. One day you're directing, the next day you're the assistant cameraman, the next day you're the sound recordist, and so on. This was a very good all-around introduction to most positions out there. It proved useful, seeing how nowadays I feel very comfortable pursuing and performing different jobs on very, very different sets, allowing me to keep a diverse list of clients, and therefore staying busy and getting paid!

There are of course many other options besides school.

One of the most common entry-level jobs in the business is the "production assistant" (PA). The title sounds vague, but that is because the job consists of having to assist absolutely anyone with absolutely anything they need related to the production. From getting dozens of orders of coffee, all with very specific yet different amounts of sugar and cream, to playing babysitter for the actor's non-potty-trained kids, it's all valid when it comes to being a PA. Usually everybody in the business has been a PA at some point in their career. You can usually get a PA job by scouring through your local production guide and calling up different production companies or production coordinators and offering to help in their next production free of charge (hopefully a short production!). The number of contacts you will gain will more than make up for the hard, unpaid work. Next time around, you can feel more confident to request an actual rate. Every now and then you can get lucky and be assigned to be a specific department's PA, and voila! Now you are the "Camera PA" and are helping the Assistant Cameramen (AC) lug around tripods and cases full of fancy lenses. Time to learn about depth of field and lens aberrations! Do a good job and they might call you for the next gig as an official paid 2^nd AC!

If you love knowing everything about the latest gear, perhaps you can see if your local equipment rental house has any positions available. Even if it's cleaning the warehouse, you will eventually get more hands-on time with the latest cameras, lights and sound gear than most pros who own their own equipment ever will. I have met plenty of DP's that started out as 1st assistant cameramen or as grips when the rental house they worked at started sending them out on shoots along with the gear.

On the other hand, maybe the first movie you directed with your grandfather's old film camera might be so good that it wins every short film festival and convinces investors to fund your next script! In which case, congratulations! Need a cameraman?

Whatever the case, at first it can seem like quite a daunting task to handle freelance production work. Your goal might be to direct experimental artsy movies, yet the only jobs that pay in your town might be ridiculous, shameless "reality" shows. You might be busy on a feature film for two months, then find nothing but a couple of day gigs the month after. Such is the nature of the beast.

But don't fret.

When it comes down to it, it's really about the experience and the contacts you gain from each and every set.

No one can make movies completely on their own, and learning the skills required for different positions can only help you understand the craft that is filmmaking, and therefore help you get paid. So whatever you want to do, make sure you practice, practice, practice. Put yourself out there, meet as many people as you can, browse Openfilm for your favorite local filmmakers and send them an email offering to help with their next flick! We'd love to hear of any success stories! Filmmaking is a constant, fun, learning experience, and getting paid while you learn is of course the icing on the cake.