Is it Worth Coming to America to Study Film?

"If you don't see me on the credits of a professional movie, I will not be returning!" Many people coming to the USA to study film see this as their end goal. They have this strong belief that they will be the next Angelina Jolie, Leonardo Di Caprio, or even Dwayne Johnson. I am going to the USA after all, right? That is where Hollywood is. What is limiting me now from achieving that which I want to pursue? Ambition is all everyone has when coming abroad. I will not deny, it is great to be ambitious. However, the moment you realize that there are hurdles even in the life of Tom Holland, then you may want to shift up your driving gear a little bit. 

To begin, the moment you get to America, and this is to those who come through F1 visa also known as the school visa, you join the school and realize that every other person in your faculty has the same dream as you. I was astonished when this 65-year-old professor during one of my consultations with him confessed how he wishes to get one of his books adapted into a Hollywood film. "You have been a film professor for close to 30 years, why have you not yet?" I could ask. "Exactly," he would say, then pull out this iconic photograph from one of his shelves and say, "when I went to submit my proposal one time, I was welcomed with this." Looking at the picture was a huge train of people all facing Hollywood. From 4yr old kids to 100yr olds lining up to get the opportunity that he too was looking for. Mark you, everyone on that photo, or rather most of them are American citizens. They have lived here their whole lives. And here we are, with a limited 5-year visa in the States to become the next Idris Elba

Well, do not be discouraged. Here is how to work it. First and foremost, do that which no one else is doing. Make your mark felt, create an impact, be visible. Create films and not just for the sake of class assignments but for the sake of your goals. Work on them perfectly and ensure they have the wow factor. One thing I really like about America is how they patent their ideas and allow for anyone to scale the ladder. Film festivals are held in every state. Submit your films to those regardless of how much faith you have in them. You will be astonished at how weird some films that make it to the festival look like. Once this is achieved, pray to God and repeat the process. Consistency is key. Do it over and over and over again and one day, you may just be noticed by Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple tv, Disney, I mean the list is endless here and you will have just skipped the line to your Hollywood journey. 

Remember, as an international student, the one thing you will struggle to find is time. Time to do all of the above, because the system will want you to work and study 24/7. There will be no room to enjoy leisure activities unless you plan for it accordingly. Bills will be chasing you with tuition being the peak of all. In this regard, I must confess it will be a challenging but doable process. You need to tighten your belt and discover what exactly you want to achieve. In the long run, you will lose contact with your friends from home, check on family occasionally as compared to daily, sacrifice stuffs you loved doing for leisure, and replace them with hours of work and study unless you are no longer interested in seeing your name on the credits of a professional movie!