posted
31/08/10
Getting into the film business is not an easy prospect. There is an old saying in Hollywood, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Another way in is to be related to someone in the business. Nepotism does have its perks!
Some people work their way to the top from the ground up, by being an actor, or work as a crew member and work up to the head of that department. You could sell a screenplay and eventually direct your own movies. While this is possible, it is difficult.
Years ago, you would hear about people being discovered in drugstores, or on the street. While this is a remote possibility, it really doesn’t happen that much these days. It takes work, hard work to show our stuff, and get your foot in the door.
Another way in would be to go to a film school, to learn the art of making motion pictures. Many famous directors got their start this way, for example, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Oliver Stone.
Film Schools can be rather expensive if you take the courses offered by universities. Placement in the film industry is spotty at best.
That being said, there is another option. Film Connection, offers classes in Film Directing, Film Production, Film Editing, Acting, as well as other aspects of the film industry.
You see the name Film Connection and think, “I’ve heard this is a big Film Connection scam! They offer classes for less money and say they have a great placement rate! It’s too good to be true!”
Often this is the case when something seems too good to be true, it often is. There is no Film Connection scam, however.
When you are accepted into one of the programs at Film Connection, you are matched with a mentor n the field you are training for. If you wish to learn Film Editing, you will be paired with a Film Editor working in the business. You will learn at this persons elbow, and learn the correct way, not from a book. In other words, you will get practical hands on experience in film editing.
All of the other classes at Film Connection is done the same way. You will make valuable contacts within the industry, which will get your foot in the door to help you to jumpstart your career.
This is real, this is no Film Connection scam. Feel free to check out the website, which has links to students who have graduated and are working in the business.
Your choice: Spend thousands at a “Film School” at a University, or spend less and get real world experience, and contacts.
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posted
27/08/10
Many times, when you are a revolutionary in your particular field, there are those that do not like upset the status quo. And when you are Jimi Petulla, the mastermind behind the Film Connection, you are assaulted on all sides because you dared to upset the educational applecart.
There are many areas on the internet where you might see Jimi’s name associated with Film Connection scam. This is an unfortunate part of being a successful trailblazer. Those that believe you are throwing darts at the traditional educational system will rise up and call an educational institution that has been successful for nearly 30 years, a scam. Unfortunately, with the information highway the way it is today, anyone can say anything, and there will always be those that choose to believe them.
Movie Maker Magazine recently did an interview with Jimi Petulla to get his opinion on exactly what his courses consist of and how they differ than conventional education. Realizing that this Film Connection scam can grow like a cancer, Jimi explains thoroughly about his school and how it can be the best choice for anyone involved in the film industry.
Jennifer M. Wood, the interviewer, realizes that the Film Connection and its related schools are “throwbacks to the Renaissance period” where you paid your dues, were mentored and then earned a position with those that taught you. It’s a concept that worked then, and with the success of the Film Connection and its students, is still working today.
Jimi explained, even amongst the Film Connection scam being perpetrated, that the Film Connection, a division of Career Connection, is nothing more than a vehicle to connect film production companies with aspiring apprentices. He further testifies that thousands of beginners have found positions in film, radio and TV companies and stations worldwide.
The interviewer, Jennifer Wood, soon learned that history has shown that most people who are very successful in the entertainment industry, did not come out of colleges with degrees. Most of them started at the bottom of production and worked their way up the ladder until they were now living their dream.
The old adage, “Those who can do; those who can’t teach” is very true in this situation. Students are learning from those who live their career choice every day. Students are taught by working professionals who have agreed to mentor one of Film Connection’s students. They aren’t just teaching but also “showing” students exactly what to do on the working equipment in a real working environment. Those that call this situation a Film Connection scam are obviously frauds themselves and don’t have any understanding of true learning and mentorship.
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posted
16/08/10
If you are considering working with Film Connection to find a mentor and make your way into the Film industry, then you may have read some type of warning regarding a “Film Connection scam”. You should, of course, be careful in choosing what type of education you will receive. However, this caution should regard choosing the school that is right for you based upon what the school can offer you and not some vague claims of some type of scam perpetrated by such schools. The unfortunate reality is that sometimes people are not satisfied with a service, for a variety of reasons, and rather than accept that fact they would rather slander the name of the group that provided that service.
Film Connection provides a service to people interested in breaking into the film industry. By pairing you up with a knowledgeable, experienced mentor who works within the industry, Film Connection gives you a chance to get your foot in the door and learn on the job. If you are expecting to be directing a big budget blockbuster two weeks after beginning your work with a mentor, however, you may be sorely disappointed. The film industry is just like any other business, and you will have to pay your dues and impress those in charge to be given a real opportunity to shine.
The idea of a “Film Connection scam” typically comes from those who had expectations that were too high or those who would not work with the program, and then were displeased with the results. If you begin working with a mentor through Film Connection thinking that you will become the next Steven Spielberg, then you may be disappointed. On the other hand, you could become the next great filmmaker, but you will have to work your way up to that, it will not simply be handed to you by your mentor.
“Work” is the key word regarding making your apprenticeship a truly useful experience that can help you build your future. You will have to work, and you may have to go beyond what is expected of you to truly shine. That is true of college classrooms and workplace apprenticeships alike. Those few people who complain about Film Connection typically were unable or unwilling to do the work required of them to thrive and find success. Film Connection will give you the tools you need to build your future, but you have to put them to use. There is no “Film Connection scam”; there is only an opportunity for you to succeed as long as you are willing to put forth the effort to make it a reality.
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posted
10/08/10
It’s understandable to wonder if there’s a Film Connection scam going on. Those who hear about the program may initially think that the school is too good to be true, and couldn’t possibly live up to its promises. But the reality is that the Film Connection is a legitimate, well-respected program with a high rate of success among its graduates. It’s an attractive alternative to traditional film schools for a number of reasons. First, it costs a fraction of what you’d pay for other film programs. Secondly, it requires a much shorter time commitment, providing students with an intensive, highly focused education in the area of the film industry that interests them most.
Most importantly, the program provides each student with an internship at a film production company, working one-on-one with a personal mentor. This mentorship relationship is crucial in helping aspiring directors, actors, screenwriters–and many other film professionals–develop their craft, set goals, and embark upon their career. Unlike students who leave traditional film school with increasingly useless degrees and countless hours spent in a classroom, Film Connection graduates are already industry “insiders,” with the real-world experience and professional connections to prove it. That’s not a Film Connection scam–that’s a shrewd business model, with demonstrable success.
It’s a fact of life that in Hollywood, it’s all about “who you know.” Millions of hopefuls flock to Los Angeles and New York in the hopes of making it, but without the right connections, it can be nearly impossible to even get your foot in the door. (Whether this is good or bad is debatable. We can thank nepotism for giving us Sofia Coppola, Angelina Jolie, and Ben Stiller…And also Miley Cyrus, Carnie Wilson, and Tori Spelling.) By putting you in a film production company, working with industry professionals day in and day out, the Film Connection puts you on the “inside,” giving you the chance to impress the people who do the actual hiring. When you’ve completed the program and are ready to get a paying job, these are the people who can give you the hook up–or even hire you themselves.
Another advantage of Film Connection over traditional film schools is that you can learn right where you live. Students needn’t move to another city and pay for relocating and room and board. Since films are produced and shot nearly everywhere in the country, there are valuable internships to be found virtually anywhere. Each internship is custom-designed for each student, with flexible schedules that allow students to continue with other schooling and/or their “day” job. For those wise enough to distinguish between a great opportunity and a Film Connection “scam,” the program can be a life-changing experience.
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posted
04/08/10
The Film Connection is a career education program that places students in apprenticeships at film production companies. The program is most similar to an internship. However while many internships involve making coffee, organizing files or doing similarly mundane work in exchange for college credit, Film Connection is about learning to make films.
Participants in Film Connection internships get invaluable first hand experience observing, participating and contributing to the filmmaking process. They work with writers, producers, directors and editors to learn the intricacies of creating a motion picture.
Equally important, are the professional contacts and connections students can make while participating in a Film Connection mentorship program.
Calling the Film Connection scam a real scam is patently absurd.
Not everyone who embarks on a career in the movie business is going to be the next Steven Spielberg. Many people who want to be directors will not even succeed in that. Not because they aren’t talented, but simply because there really only is a limited demand for television and film directors.
However many who embark upon a film career with the goal of becoming a director will discover another job in the industry that fulfills them financially and allows them to be a part of the movie-making process.
Film Connection offers no guarantee of success to anyone. Nor for that matter do the film schools at NYU or UCLA. Succeeding in the movie business takes talent, ambition and sometimes luck. If you have those traits and apply them, you may already be on your way to success. But even if you do have the talent, drive and ambition to make it in the movie business, Film Connection can certainly help you find a faster, more direct route to success.
Many of those who talk about a “Film Connection scam,” have perhaps signed up for the program with unrealistic expectations about what it could or would do for them. Others are likely misinformed about the nature of the program, while others may simply be bitter about their own lack of success in general.
But to label Film Connection a scam because you’re having a hard time in the business is tantamount to an unemployed lawyer saying law school was a scam. Success is down to the individual. Film Connection, or for that matter, any other kind of school or job training program cannot guarantee anyone of success. But what it can do is provide the tools, training and connections that will make success more likely to arrive. Where is the Film Connection scam in that?
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