Getting into film can be a difficult business; in this special feature Niamh Nic Raois and Esther Terradas present a practical guide to assist aspiring filmmakers. An overview for beginners is followed by words of advice form industry professionals, and a listing of the third level film courses available in Ireland.

It's a really tough industry... it's very hard to get work... it takes over your life... you'll have no social life, no long term relationships... if you're married you'll be divorced... you'll be a bitter and twisted shadow of your former self. Such are the prophetic visions of doom and gloom that many film students are subjected to at some point in their college years. These encouraging thoughts come from visiting speakers, who you hope might tell you what it's really like, but when they do it's all too disillusioning to accept. It's not that they're lying and – let's get this straight – the film industry is not glamorous: If you make it onto a red carpet you've either nearly killed yourself to be there or you're there by mistake and will shortly be thrown off it by a large man in black. But really, the future needn't be that bleak.

There are so many different jobs within the glorious world of the 'film industry' that the many choruses of 'I wanna be a director/actor/insert-what-job-will-get-me-famous-here,' seem incredibly short sighted. Film is a highly collaborative process involving people with many different talents, and the paths to get into filmmaking are as diverse as films themselves.

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 105.