Film School Career Training: Top 5 Careers After Film School
Five entry-level jobs for film school graduates.
Getting Your Foot in the Door in the Film Industry
The road to a career in the film industry may feature many unlikely off-ramps, unmarked streets and dead ends, but some of the best in-roads to the biz can be found at the entry level, where many opportunities are waiting for enterprising film school graduates.
Quentin Tarantino began his Hollywood journey as a clerk at a video store. Kevin Smith, whose indie movie Clerks put him on the road to stardom, supposedly sold his comic book collection to help underwrite his projects. In other words, innovation is key, as is a willingness to do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door. Keep in mind that every movie project at every level needs a vast array of workers, and almost nobody starts at the top.
Jobs for Recent Film School Graduates
The following jobs in the film industry are great places to start. Using these jobs as learning and networking opportunities can help you build a great foundation for the career you want.
1. Film Intern
Whether you specialize in crunching numbers, designing clothes, nailing two-by-fours or making music, there's an internship out there with your name on it. While it always helps to know somebody, the web is making the task of networking a whole lot easier. Most major companies have websites with internship listings. For example, the Fox studio has a helpful career site - http://www.foxcareers.com/, as does Universal - http://corpinfo.universalstudios.com/jobs_faqs.asp.
The internships listed on these sites may not be where the glory's at, but they'll earn you business cred that's impossible to come by otherwise. Case in point: Stephen Spielberg got his start as an intern – so the sky really is the limit.
2. Personal Assistant to a Film Professional
The bosses can't do everything themselves, and that's where personal assistants come in. What better way to learn the ins and outs of the field than by watching a pro at work? But don't worry—it's not all fetching coffee and carrying scripts. You'll be making valuable connections while learning your way around the industry. If you spend a little time with a search engine, you'll turn up a variety of sites that can help you find a personal assistant position.
3. Film Promoter
The promotions department is a great launching pad for driven, intelligent people who want to know what makes a movie successful. Everything from designing advertisements to hanging posters falls under promotions, so you'll find a wide variety of opportunities. Do you have a "radio voice" or a knack for slogans? Are you a whiz with web marketing, or itching to canvass the city with a folder full of flyers? Promotions people are always happy to accept enthusiastic hands for street crew work, and they often advertise in local newspapers or on web classifieds sites.
4. Set Construction Crew
A great set happens with the help of skilled, creative people who have a working knowledge of movies or television – or with those willing to take direction. Even when production takes place outside a typical sound stage, on-location shoots often require modifications to accommodate the project. And if you're more interested in the artistic side of set-making, ask about working with the prop masters or painters.
5. Movie Travel Coordinator
Sometimes a sound stage just won't do, and the production has to hit the road. Though it's the task of location managers and scouts to secure the new shooting site, it's up to travel coordinators to help get everyone – and everything – to the scene safe and sound.
Taking the First Steps
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These are just a few of the avenues that pave the way from your film school program to the film industry. And don't slight the "non-film" experience that you may have under your belt. Animal trainers, nurses and medics, photographers, beauticians, stylists and tailors all have a place on set, so keep your options open.
And remember, you don't have to trek to Hollywood to get important production experience. Other North American locations where the film industry is thriving include Vancouver, BC and Florida – where Walt Disney, Nickelodeon, MGM and Universal all have campuses teeming with opportunities.
With a boost from film school programs, all it takes is legwork and persistence to get your career underway.