|
| |
Student Self-Promotion
because nobody else is going to do it for
you!
where you are -
Negative Reality
no professional experience
no track record
no reputation
just enough knowledge to get in the door to play
on top of that........it's a terrible economy!
where you are -
Positive Reality
you’re smart: you have the ability to learn technical
gear far faster than your bosses
you have lots of energy
you're enthusiastic - excited about life
you're flexible - adaptable
you can exist on little money (given you don’t have a family yet, more likely
to take chances)
first steps out of college
Getting that first paying job in your field - major
hurdle
 | don’t be too picky |
| apply to many places |
| drop ego to be someone’s video 'slave' for the
experience |
| working for free on big projects - ticket to
impressive credits on resumes |
| soon enough you’ll have some seniority, relish
not being in the hot seat for the moment with crushing responsibility |
| watch & learn how & how not to handle
what one day you will be doing by watching your bosses. |
| yes it’s unfair so many things are against your
success...... get over it |
Entry level production jobs
| Production assistant |
| grip |
| electrician |
| A2 - assistant audio |
| studio camera |
contact manager
get one now!!
note every contact, place of business you run across.
establish a habit of going through your list every 3 to 4 months and making
calls.
try to add a person a week at the minimum
keep adding to it even when you do get a full time job or are busy
build & maintain business relationships with people, not companies
resume
Under 'documents' setup two directories on your
computer, each contact get their own file folder
| New Contacts - (when you
are hired for the first time move this file to Clients) |
| Clients |
stress experience relevant to the person
hiring you
| remember you are an entry level job applicant -
everyone starts at the bottom |
| tout jobs skills you’ll be hired for |
| don't tout what a great producer you are when a
producer is hiring you to be a grip or PA
|
list specific shoots and projects
stress not how great you are but what you can do for an employer to make them
look good or their life easier
credits / curriculum vitae
keep a running list of all productions you’ve worked
on
| dates, position, production titles, director |
| update this on your computer files and on your web
site |
| update on your computer at least every 6 months |
references
good references are gold
| don’t hand these out with every job |
| these people can get annoyed getting called
frequently |
letter of reference
| ask from very special people you’ve established a
working relationship with |
| only from people you know beyond doubt really like
your work |
| ask them outright first if they would give you a
GOOD reference, let them be honest |
| ask for a personal copy yourself |
business card
handing these out shows you are serious
get a nice glossy stock and print them out on your computer at the least
spray computer print outs with clear fixative so they hold up
| in your wallet |
| more importantly in your client's wallet or pocket |
web site
a simple one page is all you need to start include:
| all contact information |
| description of major productions worked |
| job positions you've worked |
| put some graphic styling to it to show your
creativity (or have someone do it for you-barter) |
server space
| if you have an e-mail account chances are you have
free server space |
| try to get a server with out advertising,
but any web site is better than none |
listing
| if you can afford a
domain name $14.95 a year do it -
very professional image |
| this is the 21st century get listed on search
engines!!! start with Google |
| anyone should be able to type your name and your
city and bring it up |
samples
production shots
take pictures of behind the scenes work you do on
productions
hand the camera over to friends so you have some shots of yourself as well
if friends take pictures on their cameras have them e-mail the files to you
put only the most flattering on your website
listing yourself in internet production
directories
spend a couple of hours filling out the internet
forms getting your name out there
a grip or entry level person is not likely to get hired off these but,
potential clients seeing your name show up will give you more credibility in
the long run.
Reel / DVD
keep a save reel of notable productions
| don’t save or show work that you have not had a
major hand in influencing |
| sad truth: 50% of what you work on you’ll never
have access to in reality |
| politely ask for access to getting dubs during
production |
| go after them as soon as they are done- provide a
save tape cued up |
| make it as easy as possible for those getting you
dubs, remember they are busy people |
archive on mini-DV - benefits
| already digitized |
| small sized cassettes easy/cheap to archive |
| easy to load via firewire onto a computer |
file prep for DVD
| trim ends - clean up before encoding - 1 sec black
before and after |
| encode to Mpeg 2 files |
| always encode at highest level of resolution |
| be consistent on audio settings - be safe select
mono |
find a good DVD program that you can be certain works
with your burner
| contact burner manufacturer and get a list of what
they know works
|
misc. advice
don’t worry about taking a job in the "wrong" area,
you can’t go wrong when you are starting out as long as you’re in your field
and learning.
Take on free / non-paying work with reputable people - essential to get high
end experience.
Shoot for getting exposed to the highest level of production possible at least
every now and then even if you have to run for coffee. Make contacts and watch
the process like a hawk.
You may need to put up with harsh, dictatorial, angry, severe bosses
| if you’re getting good experience do it as long as
you can, practice healthy behaviors but don’t take abuse |
Go for lots of different jobs within your field, many
times our ego aspirations are not what we will end up doing best
| listen to those around you for their feedback
about what you do best. |
| We are happiest doing those things we do best in
the long run |
Job opportunity reality:
| many of your best jobs will literally fall in your
lap - jump on them!!!! don’t discount them |
| the rest will require lots and lots of tedious
hard work - go for it! |
Resources:
SOFA join
WCET Fund drive
Rise production directory
Mandy’s
Shoots.com
Set Etiquette
Remember your
Positive Reality
don’t give up!!! Your enthusiasm & energy will see
you through!!!
|
