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9 Steps Novice Filmmakers Can Take to Get a Job on Set

by ScreenCraft on May 5, 2016

You’re not really in the “film business” until you have a job. “So how do I get a job in the film business?” That’s the question that I get asked the most at seminars, schools and social events.

There is no magic formula. Getting a job as a Production Assistant, a Craft Service Person, or an Extra Hammer in the grip department will be based on your experience, good word of mouth about your abilities, and your resume.

But what about jobs that we all really want — the creative power jobs in the business like the Director, the Director of Photography, the Art Director, the Costume Designer, etc.? How do you get these jobs?

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Step 1: The Showreel Is Your Prime Sales Tool

It’s a concrete demonstration of your abilities. You can talk a good game — and believe me you still have to, however good your reel is. You have to be able to pitch your vision of any given project. But without the all-important showreel, you have no way to prove that you can actually do the job.

And don’t underestimate how specific your reel needs to be for the particular job you are going up for. I remember a Creative Director saying to me, “We see ice-cream on your reel, Mr. Logan, but we’re selling frozen yogurt… so we’re not sure you’re right for the job.”

The only way you are going to get a showreel is to have material that you have created, in your possession, which you then need to cut into a compelling composition.

Step 2: Keep Your Work Close

Never do any job or project without getting a high quality copy of the work. Do this the moment the project is finished. You’ll find that trying to get footage a few months after the job is complete will be much more difficult — if not impossible. You may not be putting a reel together right now, but if you wait until you are you’ll spend weeks trying to get the footage from all the different producers that you have worked for.

Step 3: We Can’t All Be Spielberg

So what if you don’t have any work to show? Well, sometimes some people are so silver-tongued that they can talk themselves into a job with no qualifications or any work to show. I think Steven Spielberg is an example of this. He sneaked onto the lot at Universal Studios, found an empty office, and moved in. He then infiltrated various productions, made friends, and turned it into his first directing job. At least, that's how the legend goes. But for us mere mortals, we need to show our wares to get a paid job.

If you want to direct commercials, you need to have commercials on your reel. So if you can’t talk someone into paying you to shoot some, you need to do some Spec Spots.

Step 4: The Spec Spot

Spec spots have turned into a whole art form. There is a Vimeo channel dedicated to them. They even air spec spots during the Superbowl. I’m sure you’ve all seen the Doritos spots over the last few years. Here are a few they didn’t play.

If you want to make narrative film, make your own short film. I get in a lot of trouble for my opinion that $100k of film school is sometimes better spent making one or two really good short films — or even a feature. And you might even be able to sell it and get your money back. They teach a lot of great stuff at film school, but you can also learn a lot at the school of hard knocks. I did.

So let’s say you have enough material to put a reel together. In fact let's say you have too much material — a good problem to have. You need to structure the reel for maximum impact.

Step 5: You Need an Opener

Usually your best spot, because they may only watch the first one. Then pick your closing spot. You need to go out with a bang, because if they get through the whole reel, they’ll only remember the last spot.

Step 6: Keep Your Reel Short

… and don’t repeat types of spots that show a particular skill set. If you’ve shown them that you can light a large night exterior, you don’t need to show them again. Show them sweeping daytime landscapes or a beautiful interior. If you have shown a comedy food spot with kids, you don’t need to show them another. Unless of course that is your specialty. Then every spot should be funny kids with food.

Step 7: To Specialize or Not?

This is a decision you are going to have to make as a commercial filmmaker. Everyone you work for, and with — agencies, producers, creatives, your reps, and the production companies that represent your work — are going to try to cram you into a little box. And that’s fine if you are passionate about the direction they want you to take.

The need to specialize is primarily to make it easy for people to remember you. Because you shoot cars, or you direct emotional performances, or you shoot beautiful food and product shots — they think that is all you can do.

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I have fought against this specialization my whole career. I don’t like to wake up in the morning and do the same thing day after day, however much they want to pay me.

The first real filmmaker I worked with was Stanley Kubrick and I had been a fan long before I worked for him. And one of the things I liked about him was that he never made the same kind of film twice. I suppose I’ve used that as a model for my own career. So I’ve always been a generalist. But a lot of potential clients get confused: “I see actors giving great performances… I see cars… I see visual effects… I see beautiful pictures. I just don’t get it!”

I suppose when you see a Quentin Tarantino movie you know pretty much what you are in for. So you will have to decide which way you want to take your career.

Step 8: Make Custom Reels

These are useful for bidding on specific storyboards. If your rep or your production company is lucky enough to get hold of the creative content for which you are being considered, then you can put together a specialty reel targeting the kind of material you think they are looking for.

In a perfect world, the agency creatives would love to see their spot that they are going to make already on your reel.

That’s worked for me many times, but sometimes it backfires. They see the spot and no matter how good it is they say, “Noooo! Our spot is nothing like that.”

Here’s my custom reel for commercials:

Step 9: Keep Your Chin Up!

So you can’t win? But sometimes you do — and that has been enough for me to have a good career.


This blog was originally posted on zacuto.comZacuto creates production grade, filmmaking camera accessories designed by filmmakers for filmmakers. Zacuto’s blog is written by a wide variety of filmmakers and includes How To articles, production diaries, sneak peeks at new cameras, and more. Learn more about Zacuto by following them on TwitterInstagramFacebook, and Vimeo.

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