#FemaleFilmmakerFriday – Taking Advantage of Loved Ones

What can you do to network and hone skills without COMPLETELY taking advantage of friends and family?— Meg

Thank you so much to my supporters at patreon.com/katehackettwho help make videos like these possible. If you’d like to join me on patreon, I’d love to have you: you get BTS, weekly posts about the industry, and way more. 

Let’s do this as a LISTICLE. Also known as a fucking list. 

1. Take classes, take classes, take classes. You are a work in progress, always. You have things to learn, forever. So get your ass in a class. I’m currently taking voice lessons, horseback riding lessons, and scene study once a week. I also do workshops periodically for direct feedback from casting directors (I aim for 2-4 a month). I’ve previously maxed out improv at UCB, done comedy study and scene study with a whole LOT of teachers in LA, worked on different methods / styles of acting, and probably a lot more I’m forgetting. Don’t shirk. Do the work.
2. Make your own stuff. You learn so much by grabbing a camera and pointing it, so do that. Photography helps hone your eye, so practice that too. You aren’t taking advantage of anyone if they want to help! 
3. Grab books from the library about every disciple of filmmaking you might touch. If you want to be a director, you need to learn about acting, writing, editing, cinematography, etc. If you want to edit, you need to learn about acting, writing, IMPROV AND COMEDY for pacing. If you want… You get the idea. Study it all. Know who everyone else is and what they do, that way you can talk to them in their terms. 
4. Shadow people. Find a mentor, even if it’s online, and try to connect once a month or so. Get their feedback; if you can show them work, do it. 
5. Find an online community. Stareable has wonderful forums that are available for people to connect, ask questions, and learn. 
6. Balance yourself. Allow yourself to be more than just filmmaking too. Have other interests that overlap with your friends’ and family’s interests. This is one piece of you, not the whole thing! Make your balance and protect that.