Being a Film Major is Harder Than You’d Think — Here’s Why

When you tell people you’re a film major, the usual reaction is, “Wow that’s so cool,” or “That must be so much fun!” And while being a film major can be “cool” or “fun,” it’s actually a whole lot harder than most people think. Here’s why.

First off, from a schoolwork standpoint, film majors are often told they have it easy. However, just because we’re not writing 20-page lab reports or doing an hour-long presentation on the evolution of man, doesn’t mean the work we do isn’t hard. Being a film student means that your free time isn’t free. A lot of the work done for film classes is done outside of class. For example, film production classes require you to shoot for hours at a time in order to create several short film projects. In addition to that, you also have to edit those projects, which can take various amounts of days and hours. Additionally, the classes film majors are required to take often eat up an extensive amount of time. Classes can take between 3 to 5 hours and that’s in addition to the out-of-class workload. This goes to show that just because film isn’t exactly science and math-based, it’s coursework difficulty can still be extensive.

Creativity is another big aspect of being a film major. Why’ll some think creativity comes easily, it’s different when you’re surrounded by people with the exact same mindset. When you’re in class pitching ideas, in your head you’re constantly comparing your ideas to others or thinking that you’re not creative enough. Imagine sitting next to someone giving a film pitch that you can only wish you thought of first. Similarly, get ready to develop a thick skin because the ideas you do have will be under constant criticism from students and professors alike. Mentally, the film world can be challenging. You have to be able to take constructive criticism as well as be brave enough to pitch those ideas in the first place. Trust us, reading an original screenplay out loud in front of your peers can be nerve-racking. There’s nothing worse than someone not liking something that you made and were proud of. Then again, rejection is the major theme of the film industry. 

Speaking of rejection, it doesn’t stop after college. Getting a job as a film major is possibly the most difficult period of film major’s college career. The main struggle is competitiveness. There are tons of people out there who can do the same stuff you can, but better. Sure, you can try and make a living as an independent filmmaker, but just know you’ll probably be slumming it in an apartment the size of a shoebox and working at least 2 jobs. Therefore, the stress of being a film major doesn’t end after college, in fact, it gets even more difficult. Just think, we lugged around giant camera cases, that truthfully speaking look like they house nuclear bombs, around campus for four years risking the judgmental stares of business majors. All that, just to end up slumming it until we hopefully, one day, pray to god — make it big.

So, let’s think twice about judging the job of a film major because it’s a lot tougher than you think. We may not be studying to be a doctor or lawyer, but our work is important too. Think about it, one day you could go to the movie theater to see that year’s most popular film. When the credits roll in and you’re left cheering or sobbing in your seat; you may see the name of that film major you graduated with, who busted their ass to create the movie that made you feel something.