Tagged: Film

Jan 27

The Power of Sending Emails

The most common way for people to find work in this industry, especially for those just breaking in, is to troll the popular job websites like realitystaff, media-match, mandy and craigslist.  These websites can be great, however,  you have to think about how many people are applying to these same positions.  With hundreds of people applying your resume can easily be lost in the shuffle.

With this thought in mind,  I decided to take a different approach to my daily job search.  I thought that if I send of my resume to companies that aren’t hiring right now, that maybe they would think of me in the future.

So I googled several production companies and started sending my cover letter and resume to them.  A few days later, I got an email response back asking me to come into their office for an interview (go me!).

The moral of this story is to break up your normal job website routine.  Try contacting companies directly to see if they are hiring, or hiring in the future.  You never know what may turn up from your efforts.

Happy job hunting!

 

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Posted in Job Hunting

Nov 29

Crew Member Spotlight

Loader

This is a interesting position because it can mean different things depending on what type of set you are on.

Originally, a loader  on a film set would load the film into the magazine for the camera.  They would also be responsible for the clapboard (slate or sticks) that describe the shot and helps the editor sync sound.

Today not all films are shot on 35mm, they use P2 cards or SD cards instead.  Because of this there isn’t really a need for anyone to be specifically in charge of loading the camera.  To keep up with the times the loader position has merged with other camera department positions.

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Posted in Crew Spotlight

Nov 23

Things I Learn From Set

Over this past weekend I donated my time acted as AD on a friend’s short film.  On this short our main actor was a 5 year old boy and as you can imagine things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Now if you have never shot with younger children then you better learn quickly that you need a whole lot of patience to get through the shoot.  Nothing will go as you planned because little kids are spontaneous and don’t always do what you want them to do.

After this weekend I have to say I have so much respect for the people that worked on The Little Rascals back in 1994.  The Director Penelope Spheeris has been quoted saying that the most difficult part about making The Little Rascals was working with the younger kids to get them to say their lines properly.  Penelope, after my short shoot this weekend I seriously feel your pain : )

So here is what I have learned from this weekend:  When shooting with young children ALWAYS plan more days and more time than you need.  Be patient, because they are just kids and most importantly have fun with them because the more fun they have the better their performances will be.

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Posted in Film Community, 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

Nov 02

Staffing Season

I have been super MIA lately so I decided to get back into the swing of things with answering Kristi’s reader question:

Hi Rachel,

I just found your blog and I thank you for putting all the information out here. I had a couple of questions I wanted to ask you about becoming a Production Assistant. I have completed several internships within the entertainment industry this past year, and my last internship was with Fox Broadcasting in the department that handles all the reality programming. So I’ve worked on the network side of the business, but I really want to begin working on set, and naturally start at the Production Assistant level.
I have names and contact information of people that are in charge of handling all the hiring of crews and PA’s, but I was wondering when the best time to start reaching out to them would be. For example, a couple of shows that I am interested in working on are on hiatus until January. Do I wait to contact the production managers until early January, or do I start contacting them now? My main question is when do shows start hiring PAs for the season? Do they do all the hiring at the beginning/pre-season, or do they also hire during mid-season?
Thank you so much for any help you can provide!
From what I have found in the past few years of working is that crew and staff hiring seasons for the entertainment industry varies depending on what type of project it is.
In general the staffing season for scripted tv is May-June.  In May is when all of the networks announce their fall schedules of what shows they are picking up and which ones are re-newed or cancelled.  During this time is when you should be sending your resume to everyone you know in the industry.  Some shows do come on mid-season so in January there is a small window of available work.  After that they will only hire when someone either is fired or promoted.
Reality tv works a little differently since they only air for half of a television season.  This means throughout the year more reality jobs can be found because they are constantly going into production.  There is a down-time though which is generally November to the end of December because of the holidays.
Films I have noticed go into production during seasons like Winter 2011 or  Spring 2012.  Your best bet for looking for film crew jobs is to start looking in November for the Winter ones and February for the Spring ones.  The best places to find out about movies going into production are usually subscription services.  My favorite ones I have found are productionweekly.com and mercuryreport.net.  You can also buy Variety magazine or The Hollywood Reporter which have a list of things going into production.
As for your contacts I would say that if they are starting production in January then they will probably begin to hire crew sometime in December.  I would suggest contacting them mid-December with your resume and let them know that you are available and would love to work with them.
If you are really interested in working for reality tv there are also a few websites that are good to constantly check to see who is hiring.  My favorite are realitystaff.com which is free and media-match.com which you have to pay a monthly fee for.
For more advice on finding work check out my older post “Ways To Find Your Next Gig“.
I hope this helps!  Happy job-hunting!

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Posted in Career Path, Job Hunting

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

Aug 15

48 Hour Film Project

The 48 hour film project is a festival where teams write, shoot and edit a short film all in 48 hours.  Now to those that aren’t that familiar with the filmmaking process you might think that 48 hours is a long time so it should be a pretty easy task to complete a 5-7 minute film.

I can assure you..it is not.

I was lucky enough to participate in this whirlwind of a festival two weekends ago and I have to say that I am now finally catching back up on my sleep. The screenings start to take place this week and I am so excited to see what the other teams accomplished.

I have to say that I highly recommend anyone and everyone to participate in the 48 hr film project.  The festival tours the country so I am certain there will be a one taking place near you.  As another incentive, if you win your city you get a chance to win the national competition to screen at Cannes Film Festival.

I love this festival because it forces you to do what everyone in this industry always talks about, making their own film.  I cannot tell you how much you will learn and how fun it is to create a concept and see it air on the big screen.

To find out more information about 48 hr film festival check out their website.

Good luck to all of those teams that are screening this week!

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Posted in Film Community, Production

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 27

Girl Power!

 

It is not a misconception that the film and tv industry is a mostly male dominated work place.  Each department has their exceptions however the camera department is usually the most male dominated area of them all.

That being said when I see a female DP, camera operator or a female AC I get super excited and happy.  I have so much respect for them because I know how hard it must have been for them to get where they are and to be taken seriously.

I am proud to say that on the show I am currently working on we have not one, but two amazing female camera operators and one amazing female AC.  To me this is a huge achievement because the cameras that we are using weigh about as much as a small child.

I can tell you from exprience that  carrying those things on your shoulder is not an easy task and it can get extremely tiring.  These three amazing women are working 10 hour shifts running up and down stairs in this oddly designed house we are shooting in and they are all holding their own compared to the other male operators and ac’s.

So to all of the women out there, do not let this male dominated industry scare you.  These three women are proof that you can hold your own with the boys club.  Do not get discouraged and give up.   They worked hard and are now out there shooting, so why can’t you?

 

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Posted in Career Path, My inspirations

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