Category: Being a Production Assistant

Feb 21

Pilot Season

 

Within the world of scripted television there are a few different “seasons”.  There is staffing season, where all the writers a hired to new shows, and then there is pilot season which is currently happening now.

What is pilot season you ask?  Well pilot season is where show pilots begin production and start to pitch to the big networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW) near the end of the season.  For those of you that don’t know a pilot is a either a full episode or a demo reel of the show being pitched to the network.

Normally you hear of actors flocking to LA and NY for pilot season because it could be their big break, but I got to say, pilot season should be just as important to us production assistants and other crew members as it is to actors.  Because of the high amount of pilots being shot there is a good chance you could land a network gig if the pilot you are working on gets picked up.

So instead of sitting around trolling craigslist for your next gig, purchase a copy of Variety or The Hollywood Reporter or even subscribe to email lists like The Mercury Report or Production Weekly.  In these publications they list several shows as well as movies that are in development or pre-production and they usually have some form of contact information.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear anything back because if the pilot has already been shot, then the production company is just in the fun waiting game with the network.  While some shows may get picked up right away others will have to wait until staffing season in April-June when networks start to officially announce and order their lineup for the next year.

So get those resumes polished up, and your interview clothes ready to go because who knows how many calls you could end up getting.

Happy pilot season everyone!

 

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path, Job Hunting, Los Angeles, Production

Jan 09

I’m Being Interviewed!

On Monday January 16, 2012 I will be interviewed by Hashim Warren on his blog Career Greenlight.  The interview is going to cover hiring season for the television industry and what you can do to get your feet in the door.  It is a live interview which will start at 4:00pm EST (1pm for those of you on the west coast).

Check out Hashim’s website at www.careergreenlight.com and make sure that you check out my interview!

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Posted in About Me, Being a Production Assistant, Blog, Film Community

Dec 07

Always Ask To Help

One thing that I think should be a no brainer when working on a set is to offer to help.  Apparently though while working on set this past week, I found that most PA’s that this particular company has hired have never offered to help out and had to be told to do so.

To me this is a huge rookie mistake that most green PA’s will tend to make.  When you are hired as a production assistant you have to do what your title says and assist the production.  This means helping with things like unloading the equipment van, taking out the garbage, and helping with lunch orders.

So instead of sitting around waiting for orders from your coordinator or production manager, get up and see who needs help.  This is will make you a great PA rather than just a PA.

 

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Things I've Learned From Set

Nov 07

Working For Free

Have you ever come across this type of job ad online?

SEEKING CREW FOR INDEPENDENT FILM

Looking for crew with own equipment for Independent Feature film. Filming will take place in New York.

Any film students who are looking to work on his/her reel are encouraged to apply ASAP.

Looking to shoot in early December and end early January. This is a non-paying job but all participants will receive credit on film and copy of finished film on DVD. Meals also provided. This film will be entered in film festivals upon completion. There will also be a red carpet premiere event in June.

During my job hunt I cannot tell you how many of these types of ads I have come across, and let me tell you it can be extremely frustrating.

I have debated with numerous PA’s on the pros and cons on working for free and I have to say that I am still on the fence about it depending on what type of project it is.  Here are a few scenarios:

Short Films

If you are asked by a good friend to work on a short film of theirs for free over the weekend then I would say yes work on the short film. As long as they offer to feed you for the day be a good friend and help your buddy out.  You never know when you will be working on your own short and realize you have no money and need to call in favors.

When they offer you a position you are trying to break into

Here is where it starts to get tricky.  Say you get asked to be a coordinator or a scripty on a short film for free.  The producers of said short decided to bring you on because you have tons of PA experience and you know how to be in this position even though you do not have any credits for it.  In this situation I would say to take the gig to get this credit on your resume.  That being said I would be super careful about how long the gig is and that you don’t spend any of your own money for it.

Indie Feature for free

Here is where I will draw the line.  Yes it takes money to make a feature film, however, you are now asking people to work for long periods of time for no money.  Shoot days are not easy days, they are usually 10+ hours and when you are working for free, those 10+ hours can start to become miserable for your crew.  A unhappy crew means an unhappy set which really means stress and bickering making it a very unpleasant filming experience.

These days because of things like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, it has gotten easier to begin to raise money for your film.  With all the resources available to producers today I think it is an insult to ask your crew to work for free for long periods of time.

What are your thoughts on working for free?

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path, Film Community

Sep 27

Job Hunting Questions

Sarah sent me a question about job hunting:

Hey Rachel,
I just want to say I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and have found your tips on cracking into the business very wise. I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind. I’m a recent college graduate and received my B.A. in TV Production this May. I have been an intern for different companies for over a year and have a decent amount of office experience and on-set experience thanks to my school projects. However, I have been sending out plenty of applications online through entertainmentcareers.net and have only had a few interviews but no luck yet on snagging a job. I have a couple of contacts from my previous interning, but definitely not alot. I’m feeling somewhat concerned that perhaps my cover letter or resume might be an issue. Any help or advice would help so much. Thank you for your help!

  Fellow job hunter,
                                                                                                                             Sarah 

Well first congrats on graduating in May!  Welcome to the real world :)

Finding your first production or entertainment job after college can be very difficult, especially depending on what type of jobs you are looking for.  To find an assistant job you would go a completely different route than if you are looking to work on set as a production assistant.  I’ll explain both ways you can go, and then try to help you figure out why you aren’t hearing anything back after you apply.

Assistant Jobs

The assistant route is a good one to take if you are looking to be a talent agent, studio executive and sometimes a producer.   Assistant jobs, especially for big studios or producers are very cut throat and hard to get.  These are not easy jobs by any means think of The Devil Wears Prada.  However, if you stick with it and work your butt off it could get you to where you want to be.

Now how to find these jobs.  There are several websites you can go to which I mentioned before but you have to keep in mind that hundreds of people are applying to the same jobs that you are so you need to stand out (more on that in a minute).

Another good way to go is to also take a look at the websites of the studio or production company you want to work at and see if there are job listings on there or if you can find an HR contact.  For these jobs it is better to find out who exactly is hiring and get your resume to them rather than the random gmail account (for example assistantjob@gmail.com) where your email will get lost with the hundreds of others.

The best way I think to get jobs though is through referrals and networking.  Contact anyone and everyone that you know in the industry and let them know that you are looking for work.  If you don’t really know anyone then go to networking parties/events, which you can find information about online.

Production Jobs

The production route is good to take if you want to become a director, producer, editor, director of photography or any other production position.

These jobs you can also find online on those websites however it is the same as assistant jobs where hundreds of people are applying to the same four jobs.  I certainly would say to continue to apply to these jobs online but do not let this be your only avenue of finding work.

Networking I think is even more important for people looking for production jobs rather than those looking for assistant jobs, because most production jobs are not posted online.  You have to know someone that knows someone to send your resume to.  So again contact anyone and everyone you know and go to networking events.

Now back to your question as to why you might not be hearing anything back.

There are three reasons why people don’t hear back from jobs posted on entertainmentcareers.net or other websites.

First, your resume got lost in the hundreds of other resumes that got sent in.  The only way to help yourself in that situation is to send your resume in first.  That means you need to stay on top of the job websites and as soon as you see a job or a gig you want apply for it.  I actually have a saved draft of my resume/cover letter in my email so I can just add the email of who I need to send it to right away.  That way I can get an alert on my phone while I am away from home and still be able to apply to that position.

Second, you don’t have the qualifications that are needed for that job.  Are you applying to producer jobs when you have barely been a PA on set?  Or are you applying for assistant jobs that require 3 years experience?  Make sure you take a look at the qualifications before you apply, that way you will have a better chance.

Lastly, the reason why you might not be hearing back is because your resume sucks.  I don’t say that to be mean.  I just can’t tell you how many resumes that I have seen that are absolutely terrible.  Check out my other post about resumes and that should help you out.

If you still have questions about your resume after you re-worked it or if you just want another set of eyes on it I can take a look at it for you.  Email me at rachelmmarks@gmail.com

Hope this helps with your job hunt!  If you have anymore questions let me know.

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Being an Assistant, Job Hunting

Aug 16

The Find Work Panic

The current show I am on is completing production in about a month or so, and I am now entering what I like to call the find work panic.

It is always at this point in time when I start to hear other crew members already talking about their next gigs and unfortunately I have no idea what I am going to be doing after this yet.  I start to have minor panic attacks as I realize, well crap I have to find another gig too.

To ease this find work panic I start to email everyone, and I mean everyone I know in the industry letting them know my availability.  Most of these contacts are people I have worked with before and hopefully one of them will know of another show crewing up around the time that I am available.  I cannot stress enough oh important it is to keep up with people you have worked with before.  This entire industry runs by word of mouth and recommendations.

This time I thought I would utilize my blog as well, so starting mid-September/ October I will be available for work!  If anyone knows of anything please send the info on over :)

What do you do to find your next gig?

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path, Film Community

Jul 28

25 Best Film Schools

The Hollywood Reporter (THR) came out with their ranking of the top 25 film schools to attend, and I have to say I’m shocked that my alma mater, University of Miami, was not on the list.  I am even more shocked  that Florida State made the list instead of us.  When did FSU get a film program?

Side note: If you know anything about me personally then you know I hate Florida State.

As much as I loved college and the program I was in at University of Miami I have to say that I have learned more about the industry while actually working in it than I ever did while taking classes.  Film schools don’t offer a Production Assistant 101 or an Executive Assistant 101, and those positions are usually the first ones that aspiring filmmakers get right out of college.

That being said, don’t completely write off college if you want to work in Hollywood.  Despite their insane expenses and lack of classes focused on how to actually work in the industry,  college does help you learn and grow as a person.  And I think that is the most important part of it, no matter if your school is in the top 25 or not.

What schools do you think should be on the list?

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path, Film Community

Jul 12

Disgruntled Neighbors

 

I am currently working on reality show (or as production likes to put it, “a documentary style television show”) that is filming at a house in a very ritzy and secluded  neighborhood. Now when I say secluded I mean so damn secluded and conservative that having crew members walking around with tattoos freaks the neighbors out.

This morning I was walking from the production office around the house to the tech room.  As I am walking on the sidewalk I see an older woman riding her bicycle and like any other good samaritan I side-step out of her way so she can pass.  I smile at her and instead of a smile back she bitterly says “go back to hollywood!” as she lifts her arm and shakes her fist at me.

Now first of all I don’t live in Hollywood.  I am a local hire for the city that we are working in.  So going back to hollywood would not really make any sense for me to do.  Second what exactly does she think this is going to accomplish by this?  Does she think that since she said that we are all going to magically pack up and leave?  What ever happened to people being nice or maybe even just polite?

Now personally I do not see the big deal of a production filming in a neighborhood, but I am probably jaded since I work in the industry.  I mean it’s not as if all of us crew members are here specifically to make this woman’s life miserable.  We are here because we were hired and this is steady work for four months.

We honestly have no say of where or when we shoot and if they really have a huge problem with us being there then they should talk to the film commission that allowed us to be here in the first place.

Or they can just continue to yell angry remarks at random crew members since that will obviously get things accomplished.

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant

Jul 10

Making it outside of LA

It has usually been common knowledge that the way to make it in the entertainment industry is to move to one of the two big hubs, New York or Los Angeles.  Believe it or not though many people do live outside of these cities and are still able to work and thrive in this industry.  Take for example, yours truly.

I started out in this industry in Miami, FL.  After graduating from University of Miami I was too nervous to leave my comfort zone for the last 4 years and make the big move to LA like most of my fellow classmates did.  I started out at a talent agency and eventually moved on to freelance production.  Thanks to tax incentives created in Florida more productions started to move down there and I was able to step away from the talent and casting side to production.

After a few years I finally decided to make the move to the west coast but I was hesitant about moving to LA.  I visited LA a few times over the years and even considered going to college out there but to tell you the truth I actually despise LA.  It really is just not my scene.  So I decided to move to San Diego instead.

In San Diego I have been fortunate enough to find work in both places, especially with reality television shows because most of them are travel shows anyway.  Does this mean I will never move to LA?  Who knows.. but for now I am able to work in both places and I am extremely happy.

As for others that have made it outside of LA take for example Gabriel de Jesus who is a screenwriter living in Puerto Rico.  Gabriel made it to the finals of the Nicholl Fellowship competition.  Read an article about his exprience on John August’s blog here.

Is it easier to make in LA?  Yes, since the number of jobs available is higher.  However, that does not mean that you do not have a shot outside of the big city.  Look into your local film commissions, and check out various websites like craigslist, media-match and entertainmentcareers.net.

Keep at it and eventually you will be able to make it no matter where you live.

 

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Los Angeles

Jun 30

Courage to take that chance

 

TAPA has a blog post up yesterday that really made me sit back and think.  TAPA explained how he currently has a job as an office pa on a movie that will last him until the end of the year.  Recently he got an offer to work as a director’s assistant on a low budget horror film which he was ecstatic about.  When he went to the interview he found out that the job would only last him 8 weeks, and he sadly had to turn down this dream position because he couldn’t afford to have that job and he decided to stay in his current position as office pa.

I started to think what would I do if I were in this position?  It made me think of my predicament of being stuck on a hamster wheel and how I would love to be offered a different position.  Would I bite the bullet and take the job knowing it would help further my career or would I stay at the steady job so I could pay all of my bills?

This is such a tough decision that I feel that a lot of people in our industry have to make.  At what point do we need to start thinking about moving up in our careers and taking the gigs that don’t last that long over taking the steady ones in positions we have done countless times before?

I completely understand TAPA’s decision and I have to say I don’t blame him for staying in the longer gig, however, I think I may have taken the director’s assistant position and dealt with finding money to pay my bills afterwards.

Walt Disney said “All of our dreams can come true- if you have the courage to pursue them” and I agree with Mr. Disney 100%.  We have to have the courage to take the chance for our dream jobs to happen.  If we do not then we will remain in the dreaded hamster wheel and never truly get to where we want to be.

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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path

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