Tim Newton gets to Build his Future in Film!

Tim Newton had his sights on learning film direction when he started researching his options on breaking into the film industry. “I was researching film schools and it looked like I was going to end up paying nearly $100,000 over a 25-year period. I didn’t want to put $100,000 into something that I was not 100% sure about, so I decided to search for other programs. That’s when I found Film Connection and decided to sign up.”

Shortly after joining the Film Connection, Tim was matched with LA-based mentor, Csaba Bereczky at Hollywood Sky Entertainment, located in Beverly Hills. As it turns out, getting hands-on filmmaking experience was exactly what Tim needed to refine his professional aspirations.

“I think that when anybody thinks of film, they think, ‘Oh, I want to work on a movie,’ you always hear about the director kind of thing…You don’t really get to ever hear about all the other jobs. As I started to work on-set and saw what each of those person’s lives entailed, I thought, ‘Yeah, directing would be cool, but it’s not something that I could see myself doing long term.”

While working on-set with his mentor, Csaba, on an AT&T commercial, Tim made a connection with a production designer. On first glance what may seem like just a random connection actually ended up leading Tim to discover his true calling. “I ended up meeting up with a production designer who asked me about my background, and I told him it was in construction,” says Tim. “He called me a couple of months later and asked if I would come to work. They saw that I was really good at building, and they said, ‘Hey, you want to continue to build stuff for the music videos and commercials that we do?’ And I said, ‘Yeah!’

Tim has continued getting steady work in the art department since graduating Film Connection and he’s thankful for the time he spent learning the ins-and-outs of filmmaking with Csaba. “Working with him was really, really fun. He would be honest with me and demand that I did the best that I could. I was just willing to work hard.” Showing up, working hard, and making connections with the very same pros who saw him in action has paid off. And Tim is still working hard, building the future he wants in film.

“The art department is not a lax job,” he says, but he likes the challenge and believes he’ll be doing it long-term. He also likes the fact that the art department logs more days. “Working on the construction side, you have five days of work,” he says, “it’s nice because you get more days of work rather than just working one day if you were camera department.”

His next goal: To get working on a union TV show.

So what’s Tom’s advice for other newcomers to the field? Work hard and make connections.

Tim says, “Get to know everyone. Just talk to every single person. Get their email, get their phone number, and continually email, text, or call them and let them know what you’re up to. Ask them what they’re up to, because when it comes time [to hire] then someone says, ‘Hey, we really need this. Do you know anybody?’, then you’re going to be the first name they think of.”

Spoken like a true pro. Congrats Tim! Keep on building that career one set at a time!