Even today, after over 30 years working in the film industry, I still get people saying to me: Show me your resume. Can I see what film industry work you’ve done?
Fortunately, I have a body of work that can speak for itself. But what of the old conundrum: To get work you need experience. To get experience, you need work?
Young filmmakers, directors, screenwriters and actors have always faced this dilemma. And in today’s shrinking markets, established professionals like myself also face this on a daily basis. Whether it is to be laid off, or to be replaced by someone cheaper or simply made redundant by one of the new digital production technologies, older and younger film workers everywhere are constantly battling to make themselves marketable in a changing landscape.
My good friend Simon Hunter was waiting at his agent’s office in LA at the end of last year when in walked Frank Darabont asking if there were any commercials going. Imagine that! An award-winning director of feature films trying to earn a bit from a lowly commercial.
Whether you are starting out, or whether you are established and trying to strengthen your position in the job market, you can get around the Catch 22 of work and experience by using some creative action and energy.
Here’s how I got film industry work with no experience:
I went to art school in Toronto and then headed over to London without a single contact. I managed to get work at the BBC as a stage hand, during which time I applied for every single job I could at the Beeb: from Head of News to Scenic Artist. I never ever got promoted, and it wasn’t until years later that I found out from a career ‘Beeber’ that the rules of promotion are so strict and class-conscious that I didn’t have a chance of being promoted out of lowly stage hand into a so-called creative job.
However, life led me back to Canada where I ended up being interviewed for a job as a scenic artist. The questions I had been asked in my abortive BBC interviews, and the answers I was forced to give served me in good stead.
Then came the tricky part. Part of the interview was a skills test and I was asked to hang a fancy wallpaper on a set. Having hung wallpaper for my mum a few times I had a vague idea of how the job was done, so I asked: “I know how they hang it in London, England, but how do they do it here?” The examiner, a crusty scenic artist, sighed and demonstrated with me watching carefully. Fortunately, I was able to repeat the process and presto became a professional scenic artist without any previous experience.
After a few years of doing this, and wanting a change, I decided to use my organisational skills and get a job as a hi-tech project manager. In a film, you would call this the line producer. At the time I had no particular interest in working on another film – I had already painted on 68 features and over 700 commercials and couldn’t really see any other role for me in a film.
Imagine my surprise when no scientific or media company could see the relevance a successful scenic art career had in the world of hi-tech project development.
I met an entrepreneurial type character with a scientific research company with ‘numerous projects in various stages of development’ at a party and convinced him to hire me for a month. The pay was going to be a job title. My job was to find him new business. He couldn’t afford to hire anyone at the time. If I could get him just two appointments in a month, I would get a reference letter with Elliot Grove, Assistant Project Manager” on the card. Which is what happened.
With that reference and his recommendations, I landed a series of exciting jobs running R&D computer and scientific projects including early IBM computer clones, the Gnosis Medical Systems project which launched the Tens Pain Control devices and the Canada Space Arm Project.
The British Independent Film Awards were launched when a wanna-be-intern by the name of Fred Hogge pestered me to death to allow him to work at Raindance – he even threw himself to his knees at my feet until I relented. He had such excellent computer and communication skills that after a few weeks I could see he needed a new challenge, and he took my idea of the British Independent Film Awards and made it the premiere film event of the year in the UK.
Every single person working at Raindance has started off as a volunteer – and demonstrated their ability, and made themselves indispensable, followed by a salary.
How can you use my strategy and get out of the Catch 22 of no experience – no work – no experience?
Look for a company with a great idea and no money to make it happen
Or
Get a great idea for a company that can offer a unique service
Then
Approach the company and offer to work for the company until this idea starts generating cash hopefully to pay you.
Be very specific about what your boundaries are.
Be certain they realise you are not there as an intern or work experience person to fetch coffee or run errands – you are there in a position, equivalent in status to every other employee in every respect except salary.
Be very clear about the value that you need to receive in kind: it is for your resume, and be clear about the type of wording that you want on the resume. Compensation is about value received for value given – and you’re thinking too narrowly if you define value only in monetary terms.
Be clear about the length of your engagement. Make sure your commitment does not keep you from looking for other paid work. If you have another job, make very sure it doesn’t interfere with your commitments to this job.
Are you going to be too proud, or throw the rulebook at me for offering your services for no charge?
Get real and get a grip. This is the only way you can gain real film industry work that you can add to your resume, the experience you will need to get a job with a pay check.
About Elliot Grove
Photo Credit David Martinez / BIFA 2018
Few people know more filmmakers and screenwriters than Elliot Grove. Elliot is the founder of Raindance Film Festival (1993) and the British Independent Film Awards (1998). He has produced over 700 hundred short films and five feature films: the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead (2006), Deadly Virtues (2013), AMBER (2017), Love is Thicker Than Water (2018) and the SWSX Grand Jury Prize winner Alice (2019). He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.
Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).
In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.
the way it works best.
It's great to hear your experiences and tips! But how about working at financing and/or distribution organisations? I think this sector is too overshadowed by the production line!
This approach can work for any industry. Great article. Xxxx
u are a great man I want to teach somthin first off all I will introduce my selaf my name dawit habtom I born in eritrea but now I live as a refuge in israel so I want to work a film I have no expreience so how I can work may u helped my adress dawit_habtom@yahoo.com at facebook.
My own advice as a film maker 5 top tips – http://amyclarkefilms.com/?p=3064.
yes, but how did you get the very first job at the BBC, THAT'S the hard part!
This article is very true. That's the ONLY way to make it. It's sad, but true. The wealthy make their coins on the backs of slaves. Always has been, and probably always will be.
His name is Frank Darabont, not Frank Durabont, and he hasn't won an Oscar.
The 'lowly commercial' can be the very high end of film making! Pro-rata some ads cost more than the average Feature film!
Short version: have rich parents who will pay your rent while you work for free.
Great advice, especially how important it is to volunteer and show-off your skills. We explored this very topic as well and had the pleasure of interviewing three professionals in this space, one of which stressed the importance of volunteering as well. http://ldig.it/1uymNPP
thanks for Best guide information.
Good story. When it works. For every success story there are thousands of fails. It should be simpler. You go to school learn and they should hook you up with work. But it doesn't work that way. It's go to school get a degree then on your own you are. I remember graduating with a pre law degree and the only job offers were pest control. Wtf. I went to a university to do a job a non high school graduate can do. This is what the white world does. Suppress minorities. Back to school I went to get a film degree. After graduating finding work was impossible. No one would hire a fresh faced kid out of school. I volunteered. After six months it was impossible to live with no money. What these ppl who say volunteer are leaving out is money. How did they live with no paycheck. Film is a cliche. 99% are family passings. I'm a director here son you can be a director. Leaving the film school grad out. Wanna make a movie let's use the same ppl over and over. It's a pipe dream for the very lucky. You have a better chance at becoming a star on YouTube. As a matter of fact that's where a lot of b and c actors went.
Great story! The "I need experience, but have no experience" catch 22 can be very frustrating for beginners. I wrote a similar article recently, where I interviewed industry veterans from NY, LA and the U.K. and tell the story of how each of them started out and how they found their first jobs.
"Getting Started in the Film and Video Production Industry"
https://medium.com/helioscene-blog/getting-started-in-the-film-and-video-production-industry-7471584e31ea
– The more you network with people who hire for free the less likely you will meet quality employers who pay professional wages.
-Any university or film school with pride and accreditation would not encourage this practice. You're educated. You have skills. Don't underestimate yourself because you're starting out. You deserve more then a free lunch.
– Do your research, find a good employer (a studio, a union, a production company with good references and promotional opportunities) and work towards a position. Network with THEIR circle.
– Don't trust anyone who claim to have the ability to make movies free or absurdly low cost. They'll convince you of all kinds of buzz. Making movies for free is the most common scam in "independent" film. These producers make low profits (maybe an award, minimum distribution) but its enough to keep for themselves. And since they don't have to pay anyone, they may make enough to do it again with another bunch of rookies. These "producers" look for ambitious outsiders looking for a foot in the door throwing their business cards around. The state of California Labor Board is packed to the brim with these cases of exploited film makers. I've seen too many talented people burn out early in their career because of these scams.
Working for free is a waste of your talent, time and worse yet, your energy. Energy feeds your passion. Don't let free work cloaked in Emperor's Clothing take that away from you. Plus DUH, IT'S ILLEGAL! Be patient, take pride in yourself, be smart, "if you're kind and work hard amazing things will happen."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/interns-win-huge-victory-labor-566360
I think you can apply this to working with many industries. From what I've learned, now-a-days you have to create the opportunity for yourself, be the one who is approaching, and network your heart out. Don't wait for opportunities to come to you!
http://www.theanchoragefilm.com/content.html
1. It is illegal to work for free
2. I cannot afford to work for free
3. I don’t have the connections to meet “entrepreneurial types” at parties who can give me work just because I asked for it
If you have any helpful advice for young filmmakers, I’d be glad to hear it, but this article is a boastful load of nonsense.
Hmmm Melanie!
Getting onto the ladder in any craft or skill requires starting at the bottom. And remember, at the bottom the only way is up! The alternative is to market the skills you already have to a filmmaker requiring, say, good organisational skills and see if then you get paid. Best wishes for your way up the ladder!
Okay but, like, how do I feed myself in the meantime?
Paying the landlady is the trick Alice -and there is no right way to do it. There is only your way – figuring out a part time job while you make movies full time, or a full time job when you are a filmmaker part time!
However, most of us need a survival job until we can get experience as a filmmaker in order to pay the bills and support ourselves. If you’re in the position of having to find a survival job, consider https://rizanproductionhouse.com/how-to-choose-a-survival-job-as-an-independent-filmmaker/