Film is a creative avenue. And all creative people have a very unstable life. You don't have financial stability, and you really don't know what your schedule is going be in the future. Combine that with politics and business side of things, and it takes quite a bit of effort and persistence to survive in this world. So here are some tips on how to thread in the unpredictable world of the film business and survive.
1. Experience - the only way to really learn how to make movies is to actually do them. No matter how long you went to film school, no matter how many books you've read, without actually doing the movies, you won't learn how to do it. Helping out for free will help a lot with gaining experience.
2. Luck? - create luck. Seating in your room and waiting for the phone call with the right opportunity will probably not get you anywhere. The people who became an overnight success, have probably spent 20 years before that, making attempts.
3. Connections - film making is a collaborative process. It requires finding and building connections. This is the only way to make film work. People need to know you and what you can do before they can call you on a set.
4. Determination - you need to look confident in that you know what you're doing.
5. Creativity - we are all born with a special talent, what's yours? Film is a creative endeavor, there are no rules, you have to be able to come up with creative ideas and than adjust them. Learn what everybody's role is in film production. If you're a director or a producer, you need to understand what directions to give.
6. Business - learn how to run a business.
7. Marketing - starting building your audience now, not just for film, for yourself. Learn how social media works, how to show up in Google.
8. Politics - the higher you go in film, the bigger personalities you have to deal with.
9. Passion - if you don't absolutely love this, don't do it. There will be a lot of bad days ahead.
Sources:
"The Essentials of Film Directing", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdzzK9kf3cg, Published on Dec 19, 2012