Your Future

Film schools and university majors in film and television can teach you a lot about the art and craft of visual storytelling. But, there is a big difference between an "academic" film/video set and a "professional" set. Until you are on a professional set and experience the daily 12-hour plus grind of making movies or television shows, knowing the craft and practicing the craft can seem like the difference between knowing how a camera works and building one from parts in a box! Fortunately, you will seldom be thrown in the deep-end of the production pool to sink or swim. In most cases, your first job will be as a Production Assistant1 (PA), providing support and assistance in almost all areas of the production or—if you are lucky—you could be seconded to a specific department where your skill-set and experience can be put to best use. Landing that first job takes perseverance. Sometimes an internship leads to that first paid job, other times you hear of positions by word-of-mouth from others working in the industry. Alternatively, you can find job postings through local film commissions, independent film groups or by searching industry specific job forums and “production hubs.”2 However you approach your career, you need a strong résumé and a good cover letter to get your foot in the door.

 

A résumé is a written compilation of your education, work experience, credentials and accomplishments used when applying for jobs or internship positions. The purpose of a résumé is to demonstrate that you meet the qualifications for the job/internship and to (hopefully) secure you an interview. There are several different styles of résumés and each serves the same function but presents your information in different ways. The most common is a chronological résumé that lists your details starting with your most recent work experiences and education first, followed by your other work and education experiences in reverse chronological order. Another type of résumé is the functional résumé that focuses on your skills and experience rather than a chronology of your work or educational history—this style is particularly useful if you are just starting to look for a job or internship in the industry and don’t have a lot of experience, or you have gaps in your work/education chronology, or you are looking for a career change. A combination résumé lists your skills and experience first, followed by your (reverse) chronological work/education history—this is probably the most popular style of résumé used in the film/video industry. Which ever style you choose to employ for your résumé, be sure to tailor the content to highlight those attributes of your skills, work experience and education that fit the duties and expected skill-set of the job/internship for which you are applying. Below are a couple of templates that you can use to help structure your own résumé:

If your résumé presents your credentials to a prospective employer or internship supervisor, your cover letter introduces who you are as a potential employee or intern. There are three general types of cover letters: an application letter responding to an advertised position, a prospecting letter which inquires about possible job/internship openings, and a networking letter that is seeking advice &/or assistance in your job/internship search. It is not considered “good practice” to develop one generic cover letter that you send out with a generic résumé; tailor your cover letter to match the intended purpose (i.e., application, prospecting or networking) as well as for each position you seek and your résumé should likewise compliment that purpose. Without advocating a “formulaic” approach to writing your cover letter, there should be a plan or structure to your cover letter that effectively communicates your intended purpose. Your first paragraph should identify what position you seek, how you learned of the position and why you are interested in the specific organization. In the following paragraph(s) you should identify those of your skills or experiences that are most relevant to the position (remember, you’ve included your résumé, so don’t just repeat what’s there… demonstrate that you have a high level of interest and knowledge about the position). Finally, your last paragraph should suggest that you are confident that you meet the expectations of the position, have the necessary skills &/or experience and welcome the opportunity to interview for the job/internship or request an informational interview at a mutually agreeable time—and don’t forget to follow-up! You may also want to indicate that your references are available on request and if you have a portfolio or demo reel that support your qualifications, you may want to state their availability as well. Unless requested, it is not a good idea to include reference letters or other material when initially applying for, or enquiring about, a job/internship. Below are a couple of sample cover letters that can serve as templates for your own cover letters:

Since your résumé presents your qualifications and your cover letter introduces who you are as a potential employee/intern, your portfolio &/or demo reel presents a showcase of your talents and the quality of your work. For the film & video industry, your demo reel (also called a show reel, clip reel or “sizzle” reel) is your calling card, it is who you are as a professional and you want it to illustrate your skill-set, experience and artistry as a visual storyteller. Just like your résumé and cover letter, your demo reel or portfolio should target the job/internship you are applying for and contain material that is relevant to that specific job/internship position. Depending on your area of experience and the position you are applying for, your demo reel may include examples of your camerawork, editing, graphics, sound mixing, directing or producing. A demo reel can also serve another purpose; if you are a freelance videographer or a self-employed media “jack-of-all-trades,” your demo reel is an advertisement of what you have done for past clients and what you can do for future clients—so make it sizzle! General advice for demo reels and portfolios is to only use your absolute best work. It is better to have a 2-minute demo reel or a portfolio with just a few sample scripts that are of high quality than a 5 to 6-minute demo reel or a 2-inch thick portfolio with an unfocused, eclectic mix of high quality, mediocre &/or poor samples of your work. Here are a couple of links that provide useful instruction on how to go about gathering your material, targeting your audience and compiling your demo reel:

How long should your demo reel be? That is a common concern, especially if you are a student without a lot of production experience under your belt. Never underestimate the power of a short demo reel!3 Recognize that the people reviewing applications and demo reels are very busy; so, you’ve got maybe 30-seconds to make an impression. That’s it. If you don’t impress in the first 30-seconds you will likely find your material in the “no thanks” pile! Consider the first 30 to 60-seconds of your demo reel a TV commercial advertising YOU through the best work that you’ve done. Make this “sizzle clip” self-contained so that the employer or internship supervisor gains a good understanding of your abilities and experience. At the conclusion of your self-promotional commercial, invite the reviewer to view other work on your demo reel and make sure that these examples are strong and provide details of your role/responsibility in the videos—never use clips of work you didn’t do or you don’t have permission to use and don’t add things just to fill space on the DVD. Finally, to really gain a good understanding of how to structure your demo reel, look at the work done by others and learn from their approach. Vimeo has an “official” demo reel channel with lots of great examples and, of course, learn from the best of them!

A student internship must be chosen carefully.4 In a film/video production situation, students—anxious to make a positive impression—seldom understand that observing can sometimes be as beneficial as doing. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the student's academic advisor to prepare the student for their internship experience and assist them in making an informed decision on what internship is right for them. Maintaining a positive attitude in high-stress situations, developing healthy interpersonal relationships with coworkers, and learning how—and most importantly, when—to ask questions represent important skills students need to develop if their internship experience is going to be successful. In some instances, however, even a negative experience can be beneficial. After a dose of reality, a student may reevaluate her/his career goals and simply realize s/he prefers one aspect of the industry to another. Here are three points to keep in mind when contemplating an internship experience:

  • An intern is often unpaid labor—according to U.S. national and state labor laws, it is illegal for a student who is not receiving financial compensation to work for a company (including independent film/video productions) unless s/he is also receiving academic credit. Many production companies require proof of registration for course credit prior to accepting an intern. The laws are designed to protect the company, the student and the academic institution, particularly if the student is injured at the workplace.
  • An internship is an educational experience—student interns should not be treated as “temps.” To a certain extent, students should prepare to perform some relatively menial administrative tasks, such as: photocopying, filing, answering phones, making “cold-calls” or logging (& sometimes transcribing) video. If they are an on-set intern or production assistant, they can expect to run errands, bring coffee and carry lots of stuff. If, however, this becomes an every-day routine, then a site visit by the faculty advisor may be in order and will serve as an important reminder for the student intern’s supervisor of the educational context of the internship.
  • An intern’s duties and learning outcomes must be determined in advance—before accepting an internship, the student and their faculty advisor should specifically request a listing of the type of work the intern is expected to do and determine how those duties link to specific learning outcomes for the internship experience. Receiving a list of responsibilities seems obvious, but if job expectations are unclear or undefined there is a potential the internship will not adhere to the expectations of an educational experience. Typically, academic institutions (and some production companies) require paperwork that formalizes a “contract” between all parties (supervisor, student and faculty advisor) that specifies student responsibilities and the educational expectations of the internship experience. Also, be cognizant that if a student is to intern on a union production, the kinds of tasks they will be allowed to perform will be severely limited.

When searching for an internship in your local area, the best resource is your state &/or city film commission. If the student is interested in seeking an internship with larger production companies, the daily editions of the two major trade publications put out film production “charts” reporting the various stages of development for major film projects: Variety5 (every Friday) and The Hollywood Reporter6 (every Tuesday). Note that THR typically contains a more extensive listing of independent films than Variety.

There is little doubt that a carefully chosen and well-supervised internship can be a valuable learning experience. Likewise, the practical aspects of an internship can also provide much needed “real-world” experience to supplement the academic training received in film school or from a broadcast television major and launch your career after graduation.

 

Hopefully, your studies in film school or university have prepared you well and if you were fortunate enough to have also completed a production internship you were also afforded a chance to see where you and your skill-set would likely “fit in” among the panoply of jobs that make up a film or video production team.7

Careers in Filmmaking: Where do You Fit In?
by GetInMedia.

As already mentioned, whether your aspirations are to be a producer, director, cinematographer, audio engineer or any of the many other positions on a film or television production set, your first job is likely to be as a PA. Working as a PA is where you gain firsthand experience and learn about life on a professional set. A good attitude will get you noticed, so be respectful and show that you want to be there. Eventually, you will work your way up to one of the mid-level position in film and television and have PAs who work for you! In the meantime, here's a hard learned, experience based and battle-tested top ten list that will help you keep from feeling like a "newbie" when you walk on to your first professional set.

10. Not every female you see on a film/video shoot is a production assistant, script supervisor, wardrobe or make-up girl, works for craft services or is the talent. More and more women are working in key technical positions such as production design, cinematography, camera operator or directing. Don't assume or you will suffer the humiliating consequences.

9. You are only as good as your last film/video. Therefore, always bring your "A game" to the set—No Excuses!

8. Learn how to keyboard edit in any of the major non-linear editing systems. AVID may be the 800 lb. gorilla in the industry, but Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere are not far behind. Learning one really well—and being able to edit using keyboard shortcuts—will not only make you more efficient as an editor, but you will only ever be 3-hours of play away from learning how to edit on any of the other NLE systems. Trust me on this one!

7. Be professional and pleasant, even when others are not. Cast and crews work long hours on a set under high stress—tempers can flare, egos get bruised and set politics can be vicious. You will no doubt collect your share of production "war stories" as you gain experience. Just remember to always be professional, always be pleasant… Media production may be the 3rd largest industry in the world, but it's a small community—you may be working with these same people again on another production some day. In this industry, you NEVER burn a bridge!

6. Despite the best-laid plans of the production manager, the efficient management of the set by the 1st AD, the technical prowess of the DP and the promises of the director to "make the day," the first shot of a film/video production is never on time. Even if you plan for this inevitability, you will still start the first shot late. Crews take time to warm up and find their rhythm, so never plan the most important scene of the film/video as your first shot of the production unless you like being frustrated. Likewise, don’t push the most important scene(s) for the last day either—that’s a recipe for disaster!

5. Don't work with small children or animals if you don't have to! They can only work restricted hours on set, they seldom take direction well, their parents or wranglers are either angels or demons, and they are typically worthless just before or immediately after their nap (or meal)!

4. Don't skimp on craft services. Chances are the cast and crew are volunteers or working for minimum, so don't be cheap with the food. If an army marches on its stomach, a film/video cast and crew can't be expected to perform at their peak if their stomachs are constantly rumbling… besides, audio will pick it up and you'll have to shoot another take!

3. Caffeine. It's the life-blood of the crew; they run on it and can't work without it. Make sure there is plenty on hand at Craft Services!

2. When working a digital film/video production, always back up the footage! Make an archive copy that is vaulted, make a copy that the editor works with, keep an extra copy in the Cloud, whichever way you choose to do it—MAKE BACKUPS OF YOUR FOOTAGE—and then back those up too!

1. Production value does not come from high-end, expensive equipment; it comes from having a compelling story to tell and talented, dedicated cast and crew members that know how to use the equipment they have to communicate the story effectively. What’s the lesson here? Work with good people… okay, and good equipment… but mostly, good people!

Finally, here are a couple of links that list 100s of Internet resources (literally!) to help you along your way toward a successful career in the film/video production industry. Enjoy!

100 Great Resources for Cinematographers, Camera Assistants & Film Professionals, (2010), http://www.theblackandblue.com/2010/11/16/100-great-resources-for-cinematographers-camera-assistants-and-film-professionals/

100 Resources (Even More) for Filmmakers, Cinematographers & Crew, (2013), http://www.theblackandblue.com/2013/01/08/100-resources-even-more/

  1. So You Want To Be A Production Assistant? http://www.mafilm.org/so-you-want-to-be-a-production-assistant/.
  2. ProductionHUB: the Pro Video Marketplace, http://www.productionhub.com/jobs.
  3. Hulburt, Shane, The Power of a Short and Sweet Demo Reel (March 6, 2013), http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2013/03/the-power-of-a-short-and-sweet-demo-reel/.
  4. Tropiano, Stephen, "The Internship Experience: A Practical Guide," Cinema Journal, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Spring, 1997), pp. 122-126, http://www.jstor.org/stable/12.
  5. Variety, http://variety.com.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com.
  7. GetInMedia Entertainment Careers: Film & TV Careers, http://getinmedia.com/industry/film-tv.