How to break into the tight-knit circles in film and TV—turn one job into your next five, then into your next 50
This is my favorite subject. This is about getting IN!
Know this: There are people who are already doing the job you want to do.
If they are out there in the world, you can meet them on set and talk to them.
You can also help them set up, have their back during the day, troubleshoot problems that come up, and wrap out at the end of the day.
The relationships you make on set will be how you’ll make all your dreams happen.
It’s also cool to see people doing jobs at the professional level. Seeing the job for real on set helps you see if you really want to do that job in the future.
Most of us enter the film industry only knowing about directing, acting, writing, or camera. We have never been exposed to any other jobs. So, being on sets helps see a bunch of high paying jobs that could be a great fit for you.
Once you see all the jobs, you might find a job that is a slam dunk for you.
One of my students said, “I was on set and saw people in the art department that looked just like me. Some were musicians, some were artists, some were travelers. Their vibe was much like me. I knew that I’d do well in that department.”
You might love directing, but you might not want to always be working for free, pitching, writing treatments, and doing conference calls to compete for directing work.
You might love writing, but not want to be under pressure to write every day. You may find you just want to be on set, find people you want to work with, and turn great ideas into films.
You might love acting, but not want to be like an object. What I mean by that is you may not like everyone commenting on your hair, your expression, your voice, as if you were not even there. You may not like it when you do it professionally. You might like to do something else!
Chances are, once you get on professional-level sets, you may adjust what you want to do in the industry and that’s good!
One thing is for sure—once you work on a film set, you’ll want to keep doing film work.
Every day is different, and everyone there loves what they do. The people are super skilled, and you get to be part of making something amazing.
What if you want to make a TV show?
If you want to make a TV show, you’ll find many people on set who are currently working on TV shows. You might meet them on a commercial, and they may also work in the TV world. There you go, you’ve got your “in” to the TV world.
What if you’re an actor?
Want to act in big movies? Websites like Backstage, Actors Access, and Spotlight won’t get you there. Big-budget films don’t post their auditions there. Instead, they use a private casting system called The Breakdowns.
Producers give casting directors what roles they need actors for, the CDs post them in the Breakdowns and agents submit their actors. Only producers, CDs, and agents have access to these castings.
That’s OK that you don’t have access to these professional castings! You can get access another way.
When you’re on sets, you will meet the decision makers personally. They can get you into these auditions, no problem. In fact, they’d love to.
Since they know you from working with you, they would be very excited to hook you up and give you that opportunity.
Everyone you meet on set started just like you.
No matter what you want to do, people in the industry will want to see you succeed. Everyone started as a production assistant and used that job to move into a craft.
They know you are there to learn and move up too.
The biggest problem you run into is scams. Scams offer you a job that seems like an opportunity, to get producing experience, to get into SAG, or to connect you with top industry influencers and professionals.
Scams are why I started Friends In Film in the first place. I wanted people to be on sets so they could learn how productions really work. Then you’ll never fall for these scams.
Is there a pathway to direct?
Yes. Direct your own small projects while working on professional sets to meet people.
1. Be directing your own stuff all the time.
2. Work on sets and learn directing by observing. Be a director’s assistant.
3. Be around people who can hire you as a director. Soon they will.
What about being a cinematographer?
If you want to be a cinematographer, shoot everyday. Be composing shots all the time. Make the camera part of your arm.
And when you’re on sets, hang around the camera department.
They will see you watching them. They’ll start teaching you. Ask about accessories, lenses, and the settings on the camera. They’ll teach you everything. No film school needed. You’ll get paid while you learn.
Soon, you’ll be offered to be a camera PA from these same people. From there, you can get opportunities to AC (assistant camera) and camera operate.
That’s how other DPs did it!
They moved up from Camera PA → 2nd AC → 1st AC → Camera operator → DP.
Now you know that every job on set, acting, writing, directing, can be observed when you’re working on set.
You know that everyone doing those jobs didn’t start in those jobs.
They started in assistant jobs like production assistant.
But most of us are lost on how to even get production assistant jobs.
Most of us are feeling pretty defeated, even with getting those entry-level jobs, which is why we keep doing something somewhat related, hoping it leads us to film and TV.
We shoot films and submit them to festivals.
We become video producers or shooting events or photography.
We keep self-taping for low-level projects.
We might get into doing AV work, hoping it somehow leads us into film.
We feel like we have to do something.
The reason we are pursuing alternative pathways is because we’ve been disappointed with our progress.
Here’s what someone posted on one of my workshops:
“I have a sneaking suspicion that due to the current transformations the industry is going through, the old channels that allowed outsiders to enter the industry at the ground floor have been closed, and the industry has become a closed system for insiders and the friends and family of insiders.”
—Joseph
If you think that, you’re done.
You can think that all day and night long and be really depressed.
It can take over all your thoughts so you become bitter and lose your motivation.
When you talk to professionals, you can come across as desperate or too aggressive.
Look, the film industry has always run on relationships.
Which is exactly what Joseph is saying! He just wants it to be easier!
Friends hiring friends is the way of the world. Look at how you’ve gotten everything in your life, through people who know you.
Nobody is going to “take the leap” to work with you. They have to know you through other people.
Producers and production supervisors in film and TV will hear about you because you’re working with people they know.
Change the people you’re interfacing with and it will all happen.
If film runs on relationships, how are the people on film sets going to find you?
Imagine, you are on a Verizon job and work with someone who knows a coordinator. They like working with you and text their friends, “I’ve got a really great person you should hire…”
Or imagine you are on a low-budget set, and you’re so good, so smooth, and you have the back of the gaffer, who happens to also work as a PA on commercials. On one commercial, there are 15 PAs needed. It’s a huge UberEats job. You worked really well together and he knows you want to PA and he refers you!
Or imagine, you help out on a film, they find out you’re an actor, they need someone to run lines with the other actor, and you’re the obvious choice.
The producer has another lower-budget project they are doing and you get into a conversation about it, and ask them if they have their talent yet. They do not, so you offer to help them cast it. They have you act in it too!
Look. It’s all relationships! It always has been!
We need to get on our first 20 shoots. We need to put images of us on set working on those 20 shoots on our Instagram. We need to show this experience on a resume.
Most of us have a resume full of education.
But what we need are shoots!
School taught you filmmaking, but never how to get the work.
So learn how to play this film game.
Once you do it, you’ll be hired through friends too. Now and for the rest of your career.
And when you find out how straightforward it is, you’ll say, Geez! This is so obvious!
I’ll show you how I do it. Go there to learn the process to breaking into those professional circles.
We have to consistently get in proximity with people in film and TV so they know you and think of you for shoots.
Want to watch a video on the process? Go here.
If you want to see if I can help you, email me at janet@friendsinfilm.com and tell me what you want to do in the industry.
To your success!
Janet
