Anyone can be a movie critic. Simply see a film, voice an opinion and voila -- you're a critic. However, becoming the kind of critic who gets invited by studios to attend advance screenings is harder. Before a film is released to the general public, it is usually screened for a number of critics. This allows them time to write their reviews of the film before it comes out. To be invited to these screenings, a critic must be a person of some stature, whose reviews have a strong likelihood of being read. The process of getting to this point is challenging.
Instructions
1. Watch a lot of movies. All film critics are movie buffs, steeped in film history, be it recent or classic. To get an idea of what makes a good film, critics should watch as many movies as they can. The best critics have an appreciation for films of all genres.
2. Read other critics. To know what constitutes a good film review, read the best. As of October 2010, Roger Ebert is the only film critic to have been awarded a Pulitzer Prize for criticism. His reviews have done much to popularize film criticism among the general public.
3. Write your own reviews. After you feel you've gotten a hang on what makes a good movie and what makes a good review, start churning out your own. Write reviews of everything you see and then edit them. Get friends or other critics to read them and offer criticism.
4. Get published. After you've honed your writing skills, it's time to find a publisher for your work. You can either self publish, such as through a blog, or you can offer your reviews to a print publication, such as a newspaper or magazine, on a freelance basis.
5. Get an audience. To be invited to movie screenings, you must first develop a readership. If you have a blog, update its content frequently to attract more visitors. If you're providing copy to a local paper, keep sending them more stories. As your name gets better known, your chances of an invitation improve.
6. Call the studio's press office. Screenings are usually held in major cities several days to several weeks in advance of the film's release and are coordinated by each studio's press department. To receive an invitation, you must call the press department and cite your credentials. If they're good enough, you will be presented with a pass.
Tags: makes good, what makes, what makes good, film critics, general public, good film
