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What are some skills that can really help a new film student stand out in the industry? #Spring26

I am currently a high school senior and will be attending college in the Fall majoring in film. I am looking to expand my film making and story telling skills. Any advice on how to best prepare for this journey would be great.

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Steve’s Answer

There may not be specific skills that make you "stand out," but if you're a good writer, keep crafting stories that captivate people. Focus on your strengths and work on areas where you can improve.

Generative AI is just one of many tools you can use. Try making your own films with live action, AI, and anything else that helps bring your stories to life. Learn from your experiences, take feedback seriously, and always keep growing. Remember, it's the original ideas and stories that truly touch people. Aim to be one of those inspiring creators!

Connect with other filmmakers using these technologies. See what you enjoy or dislike about their films and learn from that. If you can, find a mentor to help guide you.

Enjoy this exciting journey!
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Kelly’s Answer

Hi Caden,

This is a great question, and it’s awesome that you’re thinking about this before you even start college.

If you want to stand out as a film student (and later in the industry), I’d focus on a few key skills that really make a difference:

1. STORYTELLING (THIS IS THE FOUNDATION)
At the end of the day, everything comes back to story.

Work on:
- Understanding characters and their motivations
- Why a scene exists ( who wants what)
- What you’re trying to make the audience feel

Anyone can learn how to use a camera, what matters is whether you have something to say and how clearly you can say it.

2. YOUR INTERPRETATION
Two people can shoot the exact same script and end up with completely different films. What makes you stand out is:
- Your point of view
- How you interpret the material
- The choices you make

3. SOUND (THIS IS HUGE AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED)
This is one of the biggest things that separates beginners from professionals.

If people can’t:
- Hear the dialogue clearly
- Understand what’s being said

They will 100% stop watching.

Learn:
- How to record clean production sound
- How to use a boom mic
- How to capture good audio on set (including room tone, wild sound and atmospheres)

Also important:
There are often MORE jobs in post-production sound than in picture editing. That includes:
- Dialogue editing
- Sound effects
- Foley
- Backgrounds/atmospheres
- Mixing

If you’re good at sound, you will always be in demand.

4. LEARN THE SOFTWARE
Start getting comfortable with industry tools early:

- DaVinci Resolve 21 (free)
- You can edit, color, do visual effects, audio, and master, all in one program

- Adobe Creative Cloud (especially Premiere + After Effects)
- This workflow has been used on industry projects such as Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Social Network among others
- You can move projects between programs (called “round-tripping”)
- Frame.io (for feedback and collaboration)
- Lets people leave comments directly on your edits

You don’t have to master everything right away, just start learning.

5. COLLABORATION
Filmmaking is a team effort. The people who get asked back are the ones who:
- Communicate well
- Show up prepared AND ready to work hard
- Support the team
- Are good to work with

6. RELIABILITY
This is underrated, but huge. Be the person who:
- Shows up EARLY to work, especially when working on a crew
- Follows through
- Delivers what you said you would

That alone will set you apart.

HOW TO START NOW
- Make things as often as you can (don’t wait for perfect conditions)
- Work with other people and try different roles
- Take sound seriously from the beginning
- Start learning editing software now

FINAL THOUGHT
You don’t need to be perfect starting out. Focus on building strong fundamentals, developing your voice, and being someone people want to work with. That’s what will make you stand out

One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, and you’ll get to your goal. And when you get there, it's going to be wonderful 😊

Kelly recommends the following next steps:

DaVinci Resolve | Blackmagic Design https://share.google/FMSQ8LuR31nbS8pld
Adobe Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachers | Adobe Creative Cloud https://share.google/4dqZ8AsA3HSV4zGmj
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Hrafnkell’s Answer

Try to squeeze everything you can out the experience as you can. It's going to go by fast.

I think the same applies for the industry just like school. Show up, be there to work and learn, and be a person that can be counted on and is easy to work with.

Practice your skills (whatever your speciality is) any chance you get. There is going to be a lot of new tech, but you are going to need those core skills to use it well.

Listen to your teachers, even when you think they are wrong. If they give you feedback, which you think is not valid, try giving is a couple of days and then re-consider. I call this my f-you reflex, for notes, and have learned to give it a moment. I might be wrong.

And when you make films, don't look for inspiration inside a streaming platform. Look for inspiration in your surrounding, experience, something that's real a unique to you.
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Patrick’s Answer

Hi, Caden. Some skills to stand out? Hm. I don't think there's one or two specific "silver bullet" skills that a young person needs to learn as they chase the industry. Obviously, AI is a major factor now and can replace the standard CGI and VFX approaches for "those" types of shot and sequences. And now drones can capture action and views that were impossible or too expensive before.

Good screenwriting hasn't changed; just the access and the tools available now. Neither has good acting; it's still all about emotion and believability. Costumes, hair and makeup haven't really changed. Except for new materials, maybe 3D printing of prosthetics, etc. - the need is the same - it must look great and be as real-looking as possible. And the essence of good editing hasn't changed; just the software. Producing and managing the money and the crew hasn't changed -- producers still want as much as they can get, and for as little as they have to pay! Grip, Camera, Electric, Transpo, Sound, Locations = also more tech involved but those jobs also remain the same. Financing, overall, is the same - just more complicated distribution and pay structures with streaming now and current AI/NIL issues.

I think a young person starting out in film should be aware of all the changes and tech that's now involved but... keep the core goals of storytelling and filmmaking. Make it connect with audiences but make it cheap (ha!). If you think a specific skill might put you ahead of the others, then I would suggest looking into drone photography because it's new and not so accessible for everyone - it requires at least one level of FAA Pilot's License, and more training and certs for the bigger $$$. And I think AI is going to continue to displace a lot of previous VFX and CGI work, so consider AI filmmaking - but just be aware that AI is changing faster than anything; today's Seedance was yesterday's Sora. And then XXXXX will be yesterday's Seedance, and so on. Don't commit entirely to any one thing: instead "surf" the current AI tools and work with them but then be ready to catch the next wave. Right?

Good luck, Caden!
Best,
Patrick
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