Ways to Make Money Without a Part Time Job
You want the dream job, but you need to make money in the interim. One of the tricks to finally landing a gig in production and film (or most creative fields) is to have wide open availability. If you need 100% availability, you cannot have a part-time job. Even waiting tables requires a set schedule and can be limiting. A lot of people trying to get into a competitive industry means not everyone will make it– at least, not at first. It saddens me to receive messages that read, “I read your blog, followed your advice, and I’ve been trying to get jobs for months, and still nothing. I have to make money. Now what?” I can’t give any kind of helpful answer other than one of sympathy. I don’t know why you aren’t getting hired, but it may be that you just need more time to meet the right people in the right situation. Looking back at my own long journey into the industry, trying to get a PA gig (and failing) for months wasn’t due to lack of effort at my part — there simply weren’t any gigs available. If that’s the case with your situation, this post is for you! How to Make Money Without a Part-Time Job Thanks to the internet and smartphones, there are a few solid options today for generating income in unique ways, and best of all, they don’t tie you down to a schedule. I’m in a mid-market town and work will slow to a crawl, sometimes for 2-3 months. When this happens, I’ve been able to make money in other ways. Become a Lyft or Uber driver. Perhaps the most flexible of all gigs! You set your own hours and turn on your app whenever you want to work. Do your research and make sure Lyft/Uber is offering a sizable signing bonus in your city. Become a Favor or Postmates driver. If you have an older car that doesn’t fit the parameters for Lyft/Uber, try shuttling goods instead! Download the Favor or Postmates app, set your own hours, and pick up and deliver items on demand in exchange for a percentage and tips. Work for Amazon Flex. Amazon is slowly taking over the world, and with Prime Now delivery offered in several cities, they’re hiring even more employees to be delivery drivers. I don’t know the details about how many hours per week you have to work, or if you have to sign up for shifts — but it’s worth looking into. Use Ebates. For whatever reason, I was an Ebates contrarian for years. “Cash back while shopping online? Pffft,” I always thought when I saw the commercials. Recently, a colleague explained how it...
It’s your first day on set? I couldn’t tell.
Being new to film or television — or “being green”, as it’s known — is hard to disguise. Film sets are a bizarre, fast-paced world with their own lingo and rules, and simply knowing where to be and where not to be are only learned with time and experience. In an attempt to help the PAs and interns of tomorrow, I asked my coworkers to complete this sentence: You can tell it’s someone’s first day on set when… “When they don’t silence their phone.” -Kimberly, coordinator. Rule #1. There are so many legitimate ways that a take can be ruined, and having someone’s cell phone go off is just plain stupid and avoidable. Put that sucker on vibrate before you even get out of your car. And if you have to run an errand and go off set, turn the ringer back on! (And, of course, put it back on vibrate when you get on set.) “They ask what time they’re going to be done.” -Neumann, 2nd AD. Want to act like there are a million places you’d rather be than working on a film set? Ask your boss what time wrap will be. Go ahead. I dare you! When you’re on a film set, work is your life until you’re sent home. Plans, the outside world…they don’t exist. Save yourself frustration and heartache in the beginning and don’t make plans on days you’re working. We’ve all had to miss dinners, nights out, concerts, and birthday parties — it’s an unfortunate sacrifice that comes with a cool yet demanding and unpredictable job. “When they wear all white. INSIDE!!” -Darryl, key grip. Evidence of crew members happens on camera more often than you’d think — especially in tight spaces with shiny surfaces, windows, mirrors, etc. White stands out and clearly identifies a person, whereas black looks like a shadow or an unidentifiable void. When in doubt, wear black. “They stand in a doorway.” -Brittany, producer. Mankind must be taught from birth that standing in a doorway is a safe place to be if you want to observe the action without getting in the way — because we all do this on the first day on set. It may work in real-civilian-life, but on a film set, it’s an absolute Hail! no. Dozens of people need to get through that doorway to move gear, props, extras, etc — get out of the way! “They don’t wear comfortable shoes.” – Sandy, makeup artist. Entire blogs could be written about film set fashion and the constant struggle of looking presentable vs. comfort. Most of the wiser ones err in favor of “practicality”: Converse may be cute, but you’re going to need arch support after a couple...
How to Get a Film or Production Internship
If you’re trying to get your foot in the door of the film and entertainment industry quickly, there’s a quick answer: Work for free, or get a production internship. A question several readers have asked is, “How do I get started?” I’ve answered that question here as well as here, but somehow haven’t posted tips focused on internships, even though that’s how I got started. So, if you’re in college (or even high school) and are open to the idea of spending time trading labor for knowledge, here are some ideas. If you’re looking for a summer internship, inquire and apply as soon as you can — most good summer internships are taken by May. There are three main ways to get an internship in production: Through your school (internship fairs or through a professor) Cold calling /e-mailing directly, introducing yourself and inquiring about “upcoming internship opportunities” Networking events in your city — This takes a lot of confidence as you’ll have to introduce yourself to strangers. It can be done, though! Where to Intern in Production Now that you have a rough idea how to get an internship, here are some ideas on the different kinds of companies that can provide valuable experience. Production companies. They’re the ones that produce the commercials, music videos, web series, etc. You’ll get a first-eye glimpse into the amount of work that goes into prepping a shoot, along with fetching the occasional lunch order or coffee. You’ll help the production coordinator, learn how a crew gets pieced together, pick up gear rentals and sometimes go on the hunt for additional props. Being a part of preproduction is a vital learning experience that basic on-set PA work won’t teach you. Look at the production company’s reel to see the types of projects they produce. You can’t be too picky when you don’t have a lot of experience, but there are a lot of tiny production companies out there that produce nothing but lawyer and car dealership ads. Yes, those folks have figured out a way to make a living using a camera, but interning for them won’t really help much if your goal is to work on The Walking Dead or a future Star Wars movie. Pros to interning at a production company: Work on a variety of projects. A great place to begin if you’re not sure where you fit. Cons: None, really — only that it’s overwhelming as you’re exposed to everything. Gear rental houses. If you’re an aspiring camera guy or gal, grip or electrician — a gear rental house is a fantastic place to intern. Of course, you won’t be trusted to clean Epics or C300s on your...
Should I Move to Find Work In the Film Industry?
Today’s question comes from a reader who isn’t sure how to get started– and I suspect her location has a lot to do with it! I live in upstate New York (really upstate) about 1 hour north of the capital Albany. I’m looking to see if I can get into this field. How would I go about getting initial jobs, and would the best way to start be a Production Assistant? I wrote a few tips not too long ago about how to get a job as a production assistant. But what do you do when there simply is NO semblance of a film community anywhere near you? (If the biggest production in your town is a local car dealership ad, you fall into this category.) As in this reader’s case, finding a film set an hour north of Albany may be impossible. Ask yourself: If I’m serious about this career, should I move to where the film work is? If you haven’t spent a lot of time in the bizarre world of set life, it can be a huge decision to move to a new city when you’re not even sure if you’ll like the work. First tip: Call the local state film commission, ask if there are any upcoming projects coming to upstate NY. Find out the name of the production company, offer to work for free. This can get your feet wet without taking the plunge, or maybe you can relocate for a few months. Unless the next hit AMC drama begins filming an hour north of Albany, you will need to move — at first at least, to get the experience, build a reputation, and establish a career. Since you’re from New York, NYC seems like the closest and logical choice, but it is one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Where Should I Move For Film Work? Let’s Begin with the Obvious: Los Angeles. While not as many movies are filmed there as in years past, it’s still slammed for scripted and reality television work, on both the production and post production ends. You’ll ascend the ladder faster than in a mid-market town. A major downside: Kiss your family and social life goodbye; work is the only thing that matters in Los Angeles. Also, the taxes are criminal. Atlanta. Nicknamed the “Hollywood of the South”, Atlanta should be a top choice for anyone considering getting into the business. Georgia has provided enormous tax incentives for out of town production companies, and the film community has blown up. Several movies have been filmed in the greater Atlanta area, plus several television...
Do I Need a Film Degree to Get a Job in the Film Industry?
I occasionally get emails seeking advice about the film industry. I’m by no means an expert — there is SO MUCH to learn in this industry and I’m still (somewhat) of a young’un myself! I will do my best to answer these questions, and if I’m not sure, I will seek for input from my more experienced cohorts and mentors and learn something too. So, for the maiden voyage — here’s the first question: I am a recent college graduate with a bachelors degree in speech therapy. I’ve always wanted to work in this field of work, but when i began the program I chickened out because I thought I would be unable to find a job, thus the reason i changed my major! But now I regret it so much and now I know this is what I want to do! Is it possible to obtain a job as a PA and be able to move up the ladder without a tv/film degree?? Congratulations on your graduation! As a gal with a business degree, I can answer this in a heartbeat: You absolutely do NOT need a film degree to make it in this business. People in tv/film come from all walks of life. Sure, you’ve got the die-hard movie buffs that lived, ate, and breathed film since they were kids — but there are equally as many people that got into the business without the “proper” degree. If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you know I enjoy teasing egotistical film school graduates, but there are advantages to film school. You learn a lot about theory, proper filming techniques; you have access to gear, access to cameras, and you get to stretch your creative muscles. You also get a jumpstart on networking, as there will probably be a few people you meet in film school that will cross your path for the rest of your career. But, I’m a firm believer that being on a real, non-film school set is the best way to learn — and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. There’s practical aspects of a film set that are missed in film school. A degree in speech therapy is NOT a waste! The timing of this question couldn’t be better. I’m currently working on a project with a therapist-turned-producer and she’s had an extremely successful television career. In the stressful moments when the crew or cast gets a little disgruntled, having an empathetic producer holding the reigns is a godsend. She’s a great motivator AND she gets the job gets done. Speech therapy is a little different, but I’m sure you could put your skills and...
Guide for Finding and Filming Locations (and How to Keep Them Happy)
The majority of film and television shoots are accomplished outside the comforts of a studio lot. These shoots happen on location — whether it be at a warehouse, apartment, restaurant, bar, or store. Someone has to make the initial contact with that location, nurture the relationship, and ultimately secure enough trust to accomplish a film shoot that keeps both parties happy until long after the film crew leaves. First of all, your priority should be ensuring the location has a positive experience — you don’t want to burn a bridge for the next film crew that wants to film there. There are four steps to establishing a relationship with a location, but if you can only remember two things, remember this: Be Honest and Be Genuine. NOTE: This post is written for smaller shoots, where the coordinators/producers usually do the location management and try to get locations for free. For larger scripted projects, there’s an entire department to handle the locations! 1) Learn How to Cold Call. Cold calling is scary and in the age of e-mail, it’s a skill that’s overlooked and not taught in school. When I first started as an associate producer, I was terrified of picking a phone number off of Google, cold calling, and trying to convince an unsuspecting stranger to let a 30-person film crew interfere with their business. I didn’t have a confident on-phone personality. To make things even more daunting, my very first assignment was to cold calls gigantic oil corporations in an attempt to find an offshore oil rig for us to film on. (Mind you, this was less than a year after the Deepwater Horizon incident.) Throughout my first season on that show, as I called numerous other locations (restaurants, bars, etc), I got a lot of confused reactions met with a lot of Hell No!s. But with guidance from a great mentor plus the practice of cold calling hundreds of businesses, I was able to craft a sales pitch with a high success rate. Once you’ve cleared 100 different locations in 20 different states, you’re bound to start remembering what works! The turning point was incredibly simple: I believed what I told them. This is a project you’re happy to be working on, and they should be excited you chose them, too! Your enthusiasm and belief in the project will sell the show better than any well-written sales pitch. When You’re Cold Calling, Make Sure You’re Speaking With the Right Person. This is simple, but key. Don’t unload your pitch on the first person that answers the phone – make sure you’re speaking to the owner/manager (or public relations if it’s a big company). My first line...
About
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
Recommended Gear
