How to Become a Movie Critic

The ticket seller nods at you as you walk past the lines at the gate, displaying your pass. Because you are one of the first there, you are able to pick a good seat that allows you a perfect view of the screen. You pull out your notebook and make a few small notations. Then the just-released movie begins.

Rather than a night on the town, how about getting paid for watching movies? Movie critics do it, and it isn't all that difficult to become one.

Learn about the overall business

It does take some homework to become a good movie critic. You need to know something about writing, producing and acting in the business if you are going to review a movie with some sort of authority. Pay attention to the advertising movies get, and review what kind of correlation that exposure has to sales after the movie has been out for a while.

Review your material

Then, of course, you need to watch movies. Watch all genres from a number of different time periods. Take notes about actors, direction, story, all the aspects a critic might mention. Learn about particular directors and writers in order to learn their style. Become familiar with both popular and up-and-coming Hollywood. You can learn a lot by reading books from the industry such as William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade. My First Movie parts one and two edited by Stephen Lowenstein is also a good reference.

Read what others have done

Look for reviews online, in magazines and trade journals, and in your local newspaper. Decide which market is most appropriate for your situation. Look for similarities in style and content from those critics. This gives you an idea of what you should probably include in your own reviews.

Rehearse

After reading what critics have been writing, write your own reviews. Practice and revise until you feel you have created a review that is clear and sophisticated. Become comfortable with creating a good evaluation.

Distance yourself

As a critic, do think about your motivation as you review. If you didn't like the movie, then you can certainly say so, but don't give it a bad review because of it. A bad review should be based on faults in the creation of the movie rather than personal feelings about it. You need to become a bit detached from your attitude.

Checking to see what other critics say before deciding yourself is also a poor way to create a review. Viewers don't want to read yet another piece that says the same thing as ten others. Instead, you need to create your own style and attitude that is appropriate for your audience and a potential employer but also unique.

Find your dream role

Getting a paying job may take a while, but keep applying. Don't forget local sources as places to work for. If possible, consider working for free for a small town newspaper or a community bulletin. Getting published and having a bit of experience can help you become a critic with a paycheck. Be certain any work you submit with your application is the best you can produce and has been carefully proofread.

The payoff

Being a movie critic may not be a posh job, but it can certainly be a fun and rewarding job for those who enjoy movies. The time spent learning about the industry will be time well spent once you have achieved the job of your dreams.

References

William Golding. Adventures in the Screen Trade. Grand Central Publishing, 1989.

Internet Video Magazine. Internetvideomag.com.

Stephen Lowenstein, ed. My First Movie. Penguin, 2002.