Tips for Succeeding in the Freelance Film Industry
I am NOT writing this post from the lofty position of Executive Producer. I’m still considered a young’un by my far more experienced peers — and I still learn something new each day. But after being freelance for 5+ years without having to file for bankruptcy, move in with mom, get a “real job”, OR live solely off ramen noodles (although I did have a period early on where I lived off of boxed noodles and off-brand Spaghetti-O’s), I’ve made up a list of semi-original tips that have helped me survive the freelance life thus far. It should be noted that these are golden standards that I strive for, and try to adopt with each project. The longer the hours, the more evil the boss, and the lower the pay, the harder it is… Love the project as if its your own. This mentality is key for any position on a film set, from the intern to the wardrobe assistant to the caterer to the director: Passion prevails. Somewhere, somehow, this project — what began as an idea and passion of one person — survived criticisms and traveled through enough channels to warrant the coveted green light, a budget, and the hiring of a crew. Even though it’s not your project, and even though you may find it dumb, respect the process: you’ve been hired to help see this idea to fruition. After all, on that day when it’s your dream project, you’ll want the crew to approach it with the same level of passion and care as you…right? Passion doesn’t notice long days or late nights, and passion hustles. Passion wants to make this commercial, music video, television show, or movie the best possible. Passion always gives 110%. Passion is contagious. It’s important to note: Good leaders have the ability to pull this out of their crew and make them care about the project. Sometimes, the idea will be stupid AND you’ll be working for jerks. Simply surviving the project becomes your chief concern. In these moments, remember your fellow crew members — continue to do a good job to make their lives easier. Remember that your crew are the people you’ll be in the trenches with time and again, not the jerks. Look out for them. Get a tired grip a cup of coffee; tell a transpo driver a silly joke. Take care of them, help them get through it. They’ll do the same for you. Be professional. This may be obvious, but because you’re working for a producer that’s known you for years and a crew that you’ve partied with numerous times — it can be a challenge to remain professional. Don’t...
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...
PAs that Act Like EPs: Can a Good Work Ethic Be Learned?
I watched him get out of his car, leather messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Hipster glasses, slicked back hair, tight jeans, and leather shoes. This must be a new executive producer, I thought to myself with surprise. They’re rarely the first ones to arrive at a film set — they usually shuffle in a few minutes before cameras roll. I watched as he hovered while the crew set up cameras and lights and took a seat while everyone around him hustled by with their hands full. Maybe he’s a supervising producer? I thought as I grabbed a stack of posters to art decorate a wall and he didn’t even lift his gaze from his iPhone. “Can I ask this guy to help?” I kept asking myself as I shlepped around tables and chairs for half an hour. My fear of offending an EP won me over, and so I continued to work alone. Later on that day, I learned that this hipster EP guy was, in fact, a brand-new intern/production assistant. I was floored. Not to sound like one of those “back in my day” types–but back in my day– I remember my first day on a film set. I was waiting tables at the time for cash, and I was so in awe that all the people around me got paid to be on a film set. They didn’t hate it, they loved it — AND it paid their bills. I was so eager to get into that club. I so badly wanted to get experience, prove my worth, leave an impression, and make a career. Sitting down was a cardinal sin, except at lunch — and half of the time, I only had half my butt on the chair so I could spring into action in a split second. When I see a new production assistant sitting around, clueless on their iPhone while the world around them is busting ass, I have a hard time holding my tongue. Is it possible to teach someone how to anticipate? Can a good work ethic be learned? In my experience, the answer is usually No — this line of work isn’t for everyone, and it’s best to let them down early. Day Two The following day, I was in charge of taking all shot media back to the post production house to begin the digitizing process. There were several boxes full of tapes and hard drives. On past shoots, I’d hauled and handled all the media by myself, but when my boss insisted I borrow a PA to help, I didn’t object. My assigned PA ended up being the hipster EP, much...
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...
![GoldFold Giveaway! [Ended]](https://needlegirlhaystackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/fold-collage-240x195.jpg)
GoldFold Giveaway! [Ended]
Update: Thank you all for entering, and congratulations to the winner: Ally from Victoria, Australia! Readers!! I’m so excited to give you the chance to win one of my all-time favorite items to have on set — the GoldFold AD Wallet! I remember the first time I saw a GoldFold. It was the summer of 2008, back when I was a naive, wide-eyed production assistant. I was constantly darting around set, moving things, grabbing things, running with things I probably shouldn’t have been. My hands were always full, but I knew I needed to have call sheet, sides, and spare paper with me at all times. I tried to fold the pieces of paper carefully in my pocket, but they’d always get crumpled up. It’s embarrassing when an executive asks you for an extra call sheet and it’s a wadded mess! And that was when I saw it. Sticking out of the back pocket of the 1st AD — the GoldFold. In it were the schedule, call sheet, and sides — and any other papers needed. The AD would calmly pull the call sheet wallet out of their back pocket for reference, and stick it back without worry. It was then that I knew I needed a GoldFold. What is the GoldFold? A beloved tool used by assistant directors on film, commercial, and television sets around the nation, the GoldFold stands alone as the original and highest quality call sheet wallet on the market. Designed by a DGA 1st AD, the GoldFold is the perfect tool for keeping your call sheets, schedules, and notes crisp– despite being folded in your pocket. Each GoldFold is individually hand crafted from leather and outfitted with strong magnets to keep your on set paperwork tidy. They normally retail for $150, but to celebrate this year’s re-release and the holiday season, Travis Gold himself has graciously agreed to share the GoldFold love with one lucky Needle Girl Haystack World reader! To Enter: Utilizing the nifty little Rafflecopter widget below, you can choose how you’d like to enter by doing one of the following: Sign up for the GoldFold newsletter at GoldFold.com (gets you the most amount of entries!) Tweet about the contest Like Needle Girl, Haystack World on Facebook Follow @needlegirlHW on Twitter Leave a comment below You can even do everything to maximize your number of entries, thereby giving you a higher probability of winning. You can also tweet about the contest every day for an additional +5 entries EVERY DAY until the contest ends on December 10th at 12am EST. Good luck!! a Rafflecopter...
An Ode of Gratitude to Production Assistants
Being a production assistant is often a thankless job, and the duties can seem mundane and not having much of an impact on the project — but PAs are the life blood of a smooth and successful shoot — whether it’s a 15-person reality crew or a $100 million motion picture. Most crew recognize the importance of a good production assistant team, but in the event they haven’t expressed it lately… To PAs everywhere, Thank You For: Handing out water and crafty to crew, it’s always appreciated since most don’t have time to step away to get it themselves. Picking up coffee, it’s a HUGE morale boost and keeps the crew awake in the post-lunch slump. It helps us move faster and wrap sooner. Setting up chairs and tables at lunch, it provides a few moments of comfort after running around on our feet for 6 hours and still have another 6 to go. Going on a run to pick up that replacement piece of gear, because the project couldn’t be completed without it! Locking up, it keeps us on schedule and prevents cars and pedestrians from “busting the shot” and forcing several additional takes. Picking up trash and restocking coolers without being asked, it helps the coordinator focus on problem-solving bigger issues and providing additional support for their boss. Providing fresh walkie batteries, you are keeping the channels of communication open! Always having a pen or Sharpie since I am always losing mine. Setting up pop-up tents, it keeps the gear dry and/or prevents the director from getting sunburned (and no one wants to deal with a cranky, sunburnt director.) Getting down and dirty, whether it’s clearing an alley of debris or shoveling horse manure — I know that sucked, but the shot now looks brilliant and beautiful. Keeping your eyes open and observing where various crew and cast members are, even though it may not be asked of you. (When a show has to waste 5-10 minutes tracking down someone, tensions get high… fast.) Picking up lunch, because six hours without a real meal is always a long time — seriously, THANK YOU. Filling the production vehicles with gas at the end of the day, it prevents the crew from having to make a pit-stop and waste precious minutes while on the clock. Picking the actor/DP/executive up at the airport, it frees up time for the coordinator/production manager to work on finalizing details for the shoot or address any concerns they may not have had time to think of had they had to go to the airport themselves. Keeping the background organized and happy, because cooperative background are essential to making a...
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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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