Hi guys,
I'm currently at a crossroads. I am not sure whether I should go to university to study Law or if I should pursue a career in film making. This confusion led me to writing my first ever script for a short.and making my decision depending on how it goes. I have no intention of selling the script ,as it's my first ever one, I'd rather just shoot it with a few friends.
As it stands, I have only written about half of it (which is 11 pages long) and have been hit by a sudden surge of disappointment as I think it's pretty shit and not engaging at all. I really need someone to read the little I've written and gauge from that whether it's worth risking it and diving into the creative world. I need brutal honesty above all else as I am at a critical point in my life and the wrong move could have me regretting it for a very long time. I have until the 10th of September to decide to go to university to study Law and be in all that debt or to take the plunge into the creative world.
If you're interested in having a read, please comment your email and I will share the draft with you on Amazon Storywriter.
Thanks,
Hamzah Al.
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Hi Hamzah. Do LAW! You can always come back to this if the passion still takes you. Even then, I find I can work during the day and still write. But please... don't listen to me. I'm sure if you're smart enough to get into Law, you'll make the right decision for yourself despite comments from the floor. Good Luck!
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Listen to Patricia.
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Most lawyers make money while most producers lose money. This should be an easy question to answer if you like to eat and pay your bills. You can always become a bankruptcy lawyer and represent filmmakers when they file bankruptcy.
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Do both...the law degree might be your ticket into the door working as an entertainment lawyer. Remember this business is 98% business and 2% creative...so knowing both will work best for you.
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Go talk to a counselor/advisor at your university. I''m the engineer in the family, with a dad, brother, sister, and sister-in-law all attorneys.
Why am I not an attorney? I prefer an honest profession. (Just kidding - maybe)
Here's an article that might be germane:
https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2018/03/30/seven-changes-in-the-l...
If you have a STEM background, patent law is a rational choice, but I am thinking you are just starting your undergrad program, so you would have to get your BS first, then law school, then pass the bar, then pass the patent bar (2 separate exams). What are your finances like?
In general, look for a field of study that affirmatively answers these 3 questions:
1. Do I like this?
2. Am I good at this?
3. Can I earn a living at this?
My 2 cents.
Good Luck!
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At the crossroad (with a deer-in-the-headlights look) eh?
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Hi Pam.
I'm the one on the right, though it's a rather old picture. I found out about Stage 32 after Google searching "Screenplay critiques" haha! And yes, my post is authentic. I'm just very confused right now and unsure which path to take in life. My heart tells me to put everything into film making while my head tells me to go to university. I just need someone to read my the little I've written in my screenplay so far and to gauge whether I could have a career in this godforsaken business or not.
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If you scroll down you see entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake introduce himself. Go talk to him...?
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Do you know how much money lawyers make! There's your answer...
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Why not both? Almost every writer have a day job anyway.
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PS: I’m a Lawyer and screenwriter. Easier to pay the bills.
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I would like to read it! Lambertbenjamin85@gmail.com
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Do what you have a passion for. If you don't have a passion for law, why do it? That said, you should go to University no matter what major you choose. Your career path opens up exponentially with a college degree. And it's harder to get that piece of paper and the experiences that come with it later in life. And I personally know plenty of Doctors and Lawyers who've successfully jumped from careers into series TV writing, starting as technical consultants then parlaying that into staff positions and then show running.
Just know, the odds of making a living in film and TV are incredibly stacked against you. You have a better chance of winning $10,000 in the lottery. Here's a litmus test: go buy a ticket for a draw before your deadline to decide and let that be your crystal ball. If you hit it big, go make a movie. If not, you're two dollars wiser about why staking your future on a career in the arts gives parents gray hairs.
Good luck!
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First, get out the damn road 'for a truck comes along. At your age; just pick a direction - any direction - and get going. You're young enough that you can easily change direction if that way don't suite your clothes.