How To Become A Film Critic? Detailed Guide

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A lot of people watch movies based on recommendations from their friends or family. You might have some friends who would ask you to watch a movie and vice versa. Although, have you ever wondered why people recommend movies? Just liking a movie and paying attention to every detail of a movie and recommending it are two very different things. 

If you are someone who has a passion for understanding how movies are made, what goes into making them, and then speaking about that movie, then you sure can consider a career in critiquing movies. But do you think it is going to be a job as easy as watching a movie? 

Absolutely not! It is going to be challenging yet very interesting and rewarding.

If you are interested in knowing whether this is possible, read this blog about how to become a Film Critic.

Who Is A Film Critic?

A film critic is someone who views and analyses various elements of a movie such as direction, acting, plot, cinematography, emotional impact, story, relevance, originality, proper flow of events, editing, and writing. Movie critics either write and publish their critiques in print or online publications, personal blogs, and websites or record and create a podcast or video and post it. Apart from critiquing films, film critics also vote on films during the award season. 

Learn more: How to become a Film Director

How To Become A Film Critic?

Step 1: Stream Selection

There is no particular stream that you need to pursue. Many people complete their bachelor’s and switch fields. Although, it is ideal if you choose Arts and focus more on the language. This will help you to improve your writing and speaking abilities if you want to become a Film Critic. 

Step 2: Certificate and Project Courses 

You can opt for Film Making Courses or Film Criticism Courses to enhance your knowledge about films. These courses will teach you the basics of filmmaking, cinematography, direction, and many other elements of a film that you need to know about in order to be a Film Critic. 

Step 3: Educational Qualifications

How To Become A Film Critic After 10th?

Once you complete your 10th-grade exams, opt for a stream that you like. Although, if you have made up your mind that you want to be a Film Critic, choose Arts in 11th and 12th. Take up film courses and improve your abilities. 

How To Become A Film Critic After 12th?

Choosing your undergraduate degree course is not something you need to be extremely particular about. If you want to know how to become a Film Critic, take a look at these undergraduate courses that you can consider taking in India.

  • Undergraduate courses in India for Film Critics
CoursesDuration
Bachelor of Journalism3 years
Bachelor of Mass Communication3 years
Bachelor of Film Studies 3 years
Bachelor of Arts (English)3 years
  • Top Colleges in India for Film Critics
  1. Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
  2. Vivekananda College, Kolkata
  3. National Academy of Media and Events, Kolkata
  4. Hindu College, New Delhi
  5. Miranda College, New Delhi
  6. Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
  7. University of Mumbai, Mumbai
  8. International Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi

If you want to know how to become a Film Critic, take a look at these undergraduate courses that you can consider taking abroad.

  • Undergraduate courses abroad for Film Critics
CoursesDuration
BA in Film Studies and Production3 years
Bachelor in International Film Making3 years
BA in Film Studies 3 years
BA in Film Studies and English Literature3 years
  • Top Colleges abroad for Film Critics
  1. American Film Institute (AFI)
  2. Toronto Film School
  3. London Film School
  4. Academy of Performing Arts Film and TV School (FAMU)
  5. Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)
  6. CalArts
  7. Los Angeles Film School
  8. Kanbar Institute of Film & USC School of Cinematic Arts
  9. Television, NYU
  10. National Film and Television School (NFTS)

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Step 4: Job Preparation

  1. Gain experience
    One can’t expect to land a film critiquing job just by getting a degree. Apart from knowledge, experience in writing reviews and critiquing films is a prerequisite a lot of employers look at before hiring a candidate. So, take up internships or create your own blog during your graduation years. This will prove to serve as a portfolio for you when you look for jobs. 
  2. Learn about films
    Whether or not you have completed your graduation, you need to keep learning about films. The nature of films keeps changing from time to time. Learning about the different styles of filmmaking and understanding them is an essential part of being a film critic. If you ever come across a small course or conference that talks about films, attend it. It’ll definitely help you to compare films.
  3. Look for roles where you can write about films
    You might not land a job as a film critic immediately after graduation. Try to look for roles at a small publishing company or even a website. These experiences will count for your future.

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Skills To Become A Film Critic

  1. Thorough understanding of the good and bad aspects of the film. 
  2. Analyze films and compare the storyline and plot 
  3. Excellent verbal as well as written communication skills.
  4. Knowledge about the different elements and styles of filming. 
  5. Analyze the good and bad aspects of a film and all the other elements such as acting, direction, cinematography, story, script, etc.

How Much Does A Film Critic Earn In India?

If a candidate joins a media house, he or she can easily earn ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per month after some initial experience. With experience and depending on the size of the organization, the remuneration rises, and an established critic may earn between ₹1,000,000 and ₹1,50,000 per month. The average salary of a movie critic in India is ₹5,48,119. 

How Much Does A Film Critic Earn abroad?

CountrySalary
USA$42876
UK£31,86
Canada$51454

Top Recruiters For Film Critics In India and abroad

If you are looking for a job as a film critic in India, you can start working independently by having your own blog. You can also work as a freelancer or apply for a job at different entertainment media companies. 

That’s all you need to know about being a film critic. We hope this blog helped you and answered all your questions about how to become a Film Critic, the skills you need, what you need to study, how much you can earn, and a lot more. Good luck! 

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FAQs about how to become a Film critic

What do film critics look for?

The artistic merit of the film is what most interests critics. This indicates that critics are seeking out aspects of the movie that are effective or ineffective. Both the information and the aesthetics are appealing to them. Additionally, they are not primarily interested in acting as a cinematic version of Consumer Reports.

Is Rotten Tomatoes a viewer or critic?

Whether you love it or hate it, the movie and TV review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has earned a bad reputation in Hollywood for aggregating user and reviewer reviews of a certain film and rating its quality as “fresh” or “rotten.”

Do film critics matter?

Fundamentally, the industry still values criticism. Film criticism continues to play a significant role in the ecosystem of the industry, even though it may not have a significant impact on how much money the big movies gross.

Why do we need critics?

First of all, feedback helps us see things from a different angle and opens our eyes to possibilities we might not have previously considered. Constructive criticism and feedback, whether it comes from a peer assessment of your work or a performance evaluation, can help you grow by illuminating areas for growth.

How much does a film critic make in India?

The average gross pay for film critics in India is 5,24,711, or $252 per hour. Additionally, they receive an average bonus of 10,389 dollars.

Is it hard to become a film critic?

It’s challenging to succeed as a well-known film critic. Many reviewers put up a lot of effort for years before seeing any compensation. In addition, many critics write movie reviews as a pastime because they adore movies. Passion is essential in film criticism because it requires a lot of time and effort and there is no promise of a stable income.

How to become a film critic without a degree?

While no prior schooling is necessary to work as a freelance movie reviewer, it is likely that you will need to have a substantial body of work on your portfolio. You can start small by submitting your film reviews to regional publications or other smaller businesses that publish film reviews in order to get your work published.

What do film critics look for?

The artistic merit of the film is what most interests critics. This indicates that critics are seeking out aspects of the movie that are effective or ineffective. Both the information and the aesthetics are appealing to them. Additionally, they are not primarily interested in acting as a cinematic version of Consumer Reports.

How do film critics rate movies?

The Rotten Tomatoes score calculates an overall fresh or rotten rating for a movie based on the ratio of positive to negative reviews as they are added up for a particular release. Scores of over 60% are deemed “fresh,” while those of 59 percent or less is “rotten.”

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Do you love watching movies? Do you want to know how you can make a living by watching films? Read this blog about how to become a film critic.
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