Ask a Producer: Was I Just Fired?
I recently received a tricky question: How can you tell if you were fired from a film or tv job? I was supposed to work as a PA on a film set for the whole week, but after the first day, the line producer told me they only needed extra help on the first day. Should I tell them I’m willing to do anything else they need? Is this a sign I made a bad impression and they cut me off? Or should I just say “thank you for the opportunity” and look for a new job? Having a gig cut short unexpectedly sucks, but it does happen. I was recently signed on for a full 2-week gig, only to have it cut down to one week — and then cut down to 1.5 days. There are several reasons a job can be cut short. The production company may have run into bigger issues: They can’t get insurance, can’t get past final creative approvals from the network or ad agency, the talent is suddenly unavailable, etc, etc. But there is also the chance that your gig was cut short due to something you did. And very, very rarely will anyone explain to you why — especially if you’ve been fired. Trying to solve the riddle, I asked a few follow up questions: Sometimes, productions realize they don’t need the extra help and choose to save the money. And sometimes, it might be that they did let you go, whether due to some incident or because the director’s nephew suddenly needed to be added as a PA. Was it an out of town production company? Did anything seem amiss during the day? Either way, I wouldn’t beat yourself up. This has happened to me, as well. It’s the nature of the freelance beast and it’s unfortunate, but it’s their loss, in the end. People can be very fickle in this industry, and it’s very possible you did nothing wrong! He responded: Yes. It was an out of town production, and I should also mention this is a crowdfunded independent film. I was late and I was supposed to bring breakfast to the crew and failed to do so on time. Despite all this, I still want to network with these people. Ahhh. Let’s talk about breakfast on set first. Breakfast is a big morale boost for the crew before a long day of shooting begins, especially if the crew is already working for discounted rates. It’s a small morning ritual prior to every shoot: Everyone will take a quick minute to grab a coffee, eat a bite of a sandwich, and...
Is it Too Late for Me to Get a Job in Film?
Over the past few months, several of you have discovered this blog because you’re looking to make a career change into the film industry. Here are a few excerpts from emails I’ve received: Brittany asks: Currently, I am an Executive Assistant for a creative tech company in NYC. I have a background in Communication Design and find myself increasingly interested in moving my career towards media and entertainment. Do you think it’s too late in the game? Richard asks: Recently, I was reminded how quickly life goes by. I have always loved films and their storytelling process and in my younger years thought of getting involved but nothing ever came out of it. Now at my Mid 40’s I am feeling pulled to get involved in the film industry, I live in New York City and the productions in films have increased dramatically […] am I too old for going in as a production assistant in films/TV? Film as a Second Career — Is It Possible? YES! Almost a third of the people I’ve worked with in film and television had an entirely different career first. They were waitresses, accountants, insurance salesmen, employees at Blockbuster… Now, they’re DGA assistant directors, directors of photography, television producers, and electricians. Several of them didn’t even step onto a film set until they were in their late 20’s or 30’s. But Am I Too Old to Start Working in Production? I started my junior year in college, so I turned to my colleagues for their experience on starting in production later in life. As always, they provided great insight: “I started when I was 27 and I think it benefited me. I had a drive and sense of urgency that I felt some other people didn’t. I just think they need to know that they need to fully dedicate at lease 3 years where every waking day is about building contacts.” -Ian, DGA 1st AD. “I started as a PA in my thirties. I had a second job to keep money coming in & I was single. I had a huge advantage over some of the younger people in that I had a strong work ethic because life had taught me a few things. Life experiences can be valuable in developing set awareness!” -Maxx, electrician. “I started professionally in my thirties as well. I had a logistics management career before I got into production, and those skills, and adult work ethic moved me along more quickly than some of my contemporaries in production.” –James, assistant director. “Age isn’t so much a factor as your circumstances. Young people might not be at the place where you have to worry about a...
Production Assistant Resume Format
Just as working in production is quite different from the average 9-5, the resume format is also unique. The production resume — including the production assistant resume — is basic and utilitarian, which is good news for those of us that aren’t innate graphic designers. The credits speaks for themselves. Here’s a minimalistic example: Basic Rules for Your Production Assistant Resume Most importantly: Keep the resume to 1 page! Also, this is JUST a basic template — alter it to suit your needs and speak to your own abilities. Change the spacing, draw more lines, shrink the education section, add another column to fit more credits. The point of a production resume is that your experience is presented in an organized, coherent manner. I kept the “PROFILE” section concise for generality’s sake. Beef it up with jobs you’ve specifically done in the office or on set. For example: helping with casting, scouting locations, watching first team, managing walkies, etc. Under “EXPERIENCE”, this resume’s order is: Job Title, Format, Title, Network, Production Company, Year Released. This is the relevant information every resume should have. The order can be varied, and you can group your credits with job title headings. For “REFERENCES”, 2-3 references is the norm. Professors are fine to use to get that first internship, but try to stick to industry folks after graduating. Once you’ve worked on an array of projects, it’s important to tailor your resume to fit the job you’re applying for. I have an equal amount of field producing experience as I do in post production, but if I’m applying for a job in the field, I’ll make sure the resume reflects mostly similar jobs with a little bit of post mixed in. (You also don’t need to have a reel, but if your goal is to become a DP or director then you should put one together as soon as possible.) Student Film Credits on Professional Production Resumes Credits on student films can really make the difference in filling out a page, especially in the beginning of your career. In my opinion, it’s acceptable to include those on your professional resume at first — it shows you have interest and are pursuing the craft. However, list those credits at the bottom of your experience, beneath the paid gigs. Why? No one is impressed by a “Director” credit on a short film or a student film. And if your resume is comprised of all “Director” credits, why are you pursuing a production assistant job? LinkedIn / IMDB I’ve never gotten a job based on my profile on LinkedIn, but interviewers have checked it out beforehand to see what colleagues...
Can You Have a Life and Work In Film/Television?
Randi is a new production assistant, and wondering if there’s time to recuperate between gigs. As I launch more full time into this career, I want to be prepared for the demand it will put on the rest of my life. I know that, while working, the hours are crazy and there is no time left for anything else, but my question is what do you do between gigs? Do you go straight from production to production to production? Or do you make a conscious effort to take time off (and if so, how long) between gigs? Because I can deal with a month or two of 60-90hr work weeks, but will there be time afterward for family, friends, travel, recovery? What do you recommend? My ideal is that I can eventually work for 3 months, take a month off, work for a month, take a week off, work for 5 months, take 2 months off – that kinda of thing. Is this realistic? The short answer: Yes, but it’s impossible to predict. Wrestling with time has been the biggest challenge I’ve had with this career. One day, you’ll be “unemployed forever”, then the phone rings and you’ll be gainfully employed for 3-6 months with little room to breathe. My Struggle with a Television Career vs. Life and Travel In the few remaining weeks of a project, I’ll put my ear to the ground to see if there are any prospective jobs on the horizon. If there isn’t, once my job wraps, I pack the car and make my rounds visiting my family, boyfriend, etc — or, I buy a plane ticket to Australia or Ukraine. Generally, I have as little as 0-5 days off between gigs– or as much as two weeks to six weeks off. In a perfect world, I’d be able to foresee exactly how much time I’ll have off and when, which would allow me to perfectly plan time to spend with family and travel — but that has rarely been the case. It’s usually been, “Well, I’m off now, let me take my chances and go.” I’ve lost work because of it. But to me, memories from travel are far richer than money — and there isn’t one job I wish I’d taken instead of exploring the world. The amount of time off will probably depend on three things: Where you live The types of projects you work on Your priorities Do you live in Los Angeles or New York? You’ll work 24/7 unless you make a point to turn something down. There are so many projects in Los Angeles, once you get in the groove of working, getting...
Should I Get a Degree in Journalism or Film?
Today’s question comes from a reader who wants to maximize their education in preparation for a career in production. “I am currently a freshman in college, working in television, and film is my dream endeavor. I would love to pursue working in the behind the scenes of the industry. Currently, I am applying to transfer to a larger school with a Cinema Studies major available. I just was wondering if you knew if either being a Journalism major with a film studies minor, or a Cinema Studies major with no minor, would be more useful. I want to enter the world of production with as many useful skills under my belt as possible, I am just unsure of which route would be best?” I had a similar question when I started, and so I interned at a news station (that was one-fourth-of-a-score and a-few-hair-colors ago), but I’ll get to that later. Journalism and and Film are two entirely different realms, with two basic and distinct purposes: Journalism provides information, Film provides entertainment. Most people that work in news and the film industry, even in small markets, are in entirely different circles and the two rarely intermingle. Do you know what projects do you want to work on? Journalism’s emphasis is more about the art of crafting stories for a variety of mediums, and creativity is kept in check. If you want to work on creativity-fused projects such as feature films and long form television, I would advise against journalism and look more towards a media studies degree (or film studies, as you stated). Also, in my experience, most people working on the tech side of news have Broadcast, Communications, or Media Studies degrees. If the tech side is what interests you, news broadcasts are produced in an entirely different way. Yes, they use cameras and it goes on TV, but the manner in which they obtain the footage, edit it, and broadcast it is very different from how a reality show would do the same, for example. This is due in part to the strict timetable and deadlines reporters and news crews have. Pursuing a journalism degree would be beneficial if you want to make a career as a reporter or news producer and “getting the story” and supplying the masses with that information is your focus. To make an informed decision, get experience. What should you do? I think Cinema Studies will give you everything you need, but don’t write off news and journalism completely: work on getting hands on experience ASAP. I didn’t know anything about the difference or what I’d like when I first started, so I got internships in both...
Starting a career in Film and Television — is Film Connection legit?
Today’s question is from a reader about to graduate from high school and is looking for guidance on launching their career. They also are asking about a specific film program. I’m a senior in high school and I’ve been looking into colleges that have film classes and degrees. I want to learn to write screenplays, produce, work the cameras, lighting, directing, etc. While looking at schools in Atlanta, Georgia, I found a school called Film Connection. They claim to be different in their approach to teaching their students and make interesting claims about what they have to offer for prospective students. I’ve read a few reviews that support Film Connection’s claims, but they still come off as a little sketchy to me and my teacher who has been helping me look into school. I would like to know what your advice would be in regards to what would be best for my career, what I should be looking for in a school in regards to what they have to offer in film, and if you believe it would be best for me to focus on getting a degree or getting on the job training. I’d also like to know your opinion on the school I mentioned, Film Connection, and whether you think it would be a good idea for me to further explore them as an option. So many great questions here! Firstly, let’s tackle the Film Connection question. I’ve never heard of Film Connection, nor have I worked with any of their graduates (but that doesn’t mean anything), so I took a look at their website. While they do have a few legitimate points, there were a couple of red flags for me: They appear to be a “chain”. To me, this means they’re focused on the quantity of students they can obtain instead of the quality of the education. There are a myriad of ways to get into the film industry. No one school holds the key, and if that’s one of their selling points, I would be wary. It reminds me of music producers that charge parents money to turn their kid into a star. If only it were so easy as to drop a few thousand dollars on seminars and be guaranteed connections and a job upon graduation! Sadly, that’s not the case. I could be off base, but those are my first impressions. Go with your gut on this one! Film Degree vs. On the Job Training There are so many options for someone about to embark on their college adventure, there is not one right paththat will guarantee a career in television or film....
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I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. Read more Elsewhere on the internets
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