Tagged: Television

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 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 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!

18
comments

Posted in Career Path, Job Hunting

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

Jul 26

Comic Con 2011 is not just for nerds anymore

 

This past week was the annual Comic Con in San Diego.  For years comic con has been solely for comic books and the nerds that love them, however, in the last few years video games, tv and movies have slowly been taking over the convention.

Comic con is now becoming an amazing networking opportunity for anyone in our industry.   Since pretty much every huge tv show and new blockbuster has either a panel or a booth for you to attend there are several opportunities for you to speak with some very important people.  Also you never know who you will meet while standing in the 5 hour line to see a sneak peek of Breaking Dawn.

So while you are getting your fill of geekiness while playing Uncharted 3 or looking at extremely expensive and rare comic books remember that anyone that you meet or run into could potentially help you with your career.  Make sure you have a ton of business cards to pass out in case the opportunity arises.

But Rachel, comic con is expensive to attend and the badges sell out in a matter of minutes on their website.  How do I even attend? Well if you have a respectable credit on your resume you can apply for an industry badge which from what I hear is free but don’t quote me on that.  Also if you want to bypass the craziness inside there are several things happening right outside the convention center.

Just remember to make friends, because as I’ve said before friends are going to get you your next gig, not someone you just hand your card to. I will see you all at comic con 2012!

 

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Posted in Networking

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.

3
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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 22

Ways to find your next gig

 

Lately I have been asked a lot about how I find my next gig.  From what I have seen over the years there really is no “right way” to get a job in this industry.   There are tons of stories out there of insert-big-celebrity-name-here’s brother-in-laws nephew getting a job because he is “close” to that big name celebrity.  But what about everyone else that doesn’t have the hook up from someone big?  How do they manage to break in?

Well honestly it takes a lot of work.  To break into the industry not knowing anyone is probably the toughest and most frustrating thing you will ever do.  Your best bet is to check out job lists and websites.

One of the biggest job lists is of course the UTA joblist which has all of the assistant jobs available in Hollywood.  I send it out through the film job google group so sign up to be a member to get the list. Keep in mind the the UTA joblist only has assistant jobs, not production jobs.  So if you want to work on set you will have to find jobs elsewhere.

Other job lists that are good to check out are Production Weekly and The Mercury Report.  Both of these can be found online, however, you do have to pay to receive them.  These two lists have everything that is going into production including contact information.  I have actually gotten a job by randomly emailing one of the companies, so it never hurts to just send an email.

You next best bet for job hunting if you don’t know anyone is to hit up the job websites such as realitystaff.com, media-match.com, mandy.com, craigslist.org and productionnotices.com.  These are all pretty great websites that post several job openings but keep in mind they, yes even craigslist..just really read when you apply to something.

Finally the most important place to find jobs is through networking and making friends.  Hollywood runs on who you know so networking is vitally important.  Make sure you always have your past coordinator’s emails or phone numbers because who knows what they could be working on next.   Websites like keypa.net (which is now apparently The Hollywood Ladder) hosts networking events a few times a year.  Also look into your local film commission or any other filmmaker group in your area.

How do you all find your next gigs?

5
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Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Job Hunting

Jun 01

Writing fellowships/Contest deadlines are upon us!

For those of you writers out there wanting a different way to break in rather than submitting query letters out to every agent and production company in town there are several fellowships and contests deadlines coming up.  Here are the links:

Warner Brothers Writers Workshop – Weds June 1

ABC/Disney TV Writing Fellowship – Weds June 1

NBC Writers on the Verge – Thurs June 30

Austin Film Festival – Weds June 1 (late screenplay deadline and teleplay deadline)

Final Draft Big Break Contest – Weds June 1 (late deadline Weds June 15)

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Posted in Screenwriting

Apr 15

For Those Aspiring Screenwriters

While reading through The Bitter Script Reader’s blog I came across his recommendation to check out Notes From A Hack.  Notes From A Hack goes into a detailed story about his writing career and how he got started.  This is a must read for any aspiring screenwriter.  Check it out:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

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Posted in Screenwriting

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