You’re on your way to getting your degree or diploma in Film Studies or Television Production. Now, how do you go about getting a job?
It will be tough. The industry is incredibly competitive and tight-knit. People work long and hard to land a show or film, and once they do, they must staff it immediately with those who can deliver. This usually means choosing people they know or calling a friend for a recommendation on a hire. Other times, it means placing an ad in a newspaper or online at popular media job posting sites such as MediaJobSearchCanada.com, Playbackmag.com or Variety.com. It’s tough to stand out from the crowd. But don’t despair – there are ways to woo your future employers, such as talent, persistence, networking and the pursuit of excellence. But first, you have to get your foot in the door.
There are two main entry-level jobs into TV: Production Assistant and Production Secretary. Most companies will feel safe giving a new grad a try in these levels. Both jobs do not pay as much as you’re hoping, but if you excel, you’ll climb the ladder quickly. The easiest job to land is the Production Assistant, fondly known as PA or Go-fer (because you “go for” things). As an Executive Producer, I value the great importance of a good Go-fer. On a shoot, there are millions of things to do and the crew, producer, talent and director always need things, but can’t leave the set. Your duties will include hauling gear, helping to set up, getting food, cleaning up and standing in for talent for lighting, basically helping out in every way you’re asked to. The best PAs anticipate the needs of those on the set – nothing beats the sound of a Go-fer saying that they did something just before I was going to ask them to do it. So, why be a PA? If you have talent and you bury your ego, the talent will show itself quickly to producers who are constantly on the lookout. Before you know it, you will be rising the ladder (metaphorically, of course), training with the production coordinator and beyond. If you can’t get hired as a PA, which is often a daily job, then volunteer to intern and get in that way. Research the production company beforehand to ensure that it is a good company with a good reputation. Recently, we had a grad who asked if he could intern on a big shoot. We said sure. By the second day of the shoot, when we realized we needed extra hands, we looked to the guy who had hauled gear, got food and always had a smile on his face and hired him. The second entry-level position is Production Secretary or Office Production Assistant. This job is a little tougher to land because it is either a staff job or a long-term contract. Some companies will hire a new grad and then let them sit on the production desk for up to a year before they move them into the production crew as either a Coordinator or a Researcher. If you land this job, be humble. It’s hard to work as a Secretary when just a few months earlier you were producing one-hour shows for school. But suck it up and see it as an opportunity to learn the inner workings of a company and of a show. What will make you pop in this job is going the extra mile, paying attention to every detail, double-checking your work to avoid mistakes and asking for help when you don’t know something – in short, going above the call of duty in every way.
We made the untraditional choice and went with a male fresh out of Queen’s for the Office Production Assistant position. He worked extremely hard to learn the company and to anticipate the staff’s needs. He wasn’t perfectly organized, but one of the coordinators took him under her wing and taught him how to nail down the details and manage his time. What caught my eye as an owner, believe or not, was how he always took out the garbage, cleaned up the kitchen without asking or complaining, and how he pleasantly greeted anyone walking by. There was always a fresh pot of coffee brewed or an ice-cold jug of water at the ready. Also, when we had proposals to put out, he was always there helping to reduce the stress. He managed to show his talent because he was technically savvy and had an eye for detail, honed in film school. He jumped in to solve office IT problems, assisted in the edit suites and helped develop our websites. Before long, I asked him to join me at a network meeting to present new media ideas and his proposal was top notch. Eight months later, we had a Production Coordinator leave the job early for another gig. We gave him a try and his salary rose $200 a week. Two months later, when the television show was renewed, he got the job and his salary rose another $200 a week. He went from making $31,000 a year to $52,000 a year, all within 12 months. He used talent, persistence and hard work to make it, and is now a highly valued member of the company. So how do you get your foot in the door in the first place? You can write, call and send in an electronic résumé, but so do hundreds of other people. The thing is, very few ever send it a second or third time. My former Executive Assistant, who is now our Development Coordinator and soon will be producing her own show, sent her résumé to me three times. She waited a respectful time between sending it to me, but it kept popping up. Eventually I began to fully realize this girl’s persistence. So my plan was to let her come to my office and give her some advice on finding a job. She came in prepared. She knew everything about our company, our shows and me. She had a clear goal, she wanted to be a producer, and she was willing to take an entry-level job to get through the door and give it her all. Although we didn’t even have a position available for her, she was just too good to let go. She’s one of the best assistants I ever had and will soon be producing her first show. Time employed: two years. Your first position may be the hardest job of your life, but it may also be the one that will kick-start a career in a business where you will never be bored. Remember, if you are talented, educated, persistent (without being a pest) and then deliver in spades, you will have a long and exciting career in film/TV production. Best of luck and see you out on a shoot.
Kit Redmond is an Executive Producer/Partner for RTR MEDIA Inc., which produces high-quality reality, lifestyle and documentary programs for the international marketplace.
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