If you are dreaming of a job in the film industry, you share a dream with millions of other young hopefuls whether you want to stand before or behind the camera.. The problem is that there are too many people chasing too few posts. This means that the film industry has the luxury of being able to pick and choose who works in it.
With so much competition for even the lowliest of lowly entrance level jobs, you need an edge over your competition. This edge is education at degree degree for most young people, but for others it is previous experience or, even better, a degree in film-making and previous experience.
This is where it gets problematic. How can you get previous experience, if you require previous experience to get a job? It is the Catch 22 that discourages most beginners from making that final hurdle into the film-making industry. The solution is to offer your services free of charge as a volunteer - what is frequently called as an intern.
In the bad old Victorian days and before, it was normal for apprentices to pay their master for their education. Well, those days are back again in the film industry, if they ever went away. These days, you pay by working for nothing for a year or two.
This is not so bad in countries where school leavers may rely on social security payments, otherwise you have to have wealthy parents who can support you. A personal recommendation from someone already in the industry is very helpful as well.
This is why the sons and daughters of famous media personalities seem to be cropping up everywhere in the industry. Nepotism is alive and well.
However, acquiring that first job, paid or not, is a great thrill and fills the volunteer with hope of a new job in the glittering world of the film industry, although you may not find it so glittering once you see the industry from the inside. The hours are long and the money is not fantastic at the bottom of the pile.
The happy news is that the experience of your first job, paid or not, will go on your resume and establish your entry into the film industry.
For the remainder of your life. you will always be able to say: "I first went into films in 2011" and the second and subsequent jobs will come more easily if you were good at it.
You will not merely have a resume proving experience but you will have names and private phone numbers in your address book. This is worth as much or more than the experience. Networking and making friends is crucial in small, tightly-knit industries like filming. Everybody in the business knows everybody else.
This procedure of gaining a foothold in the film industry is built-into numerous university courses nowadays, because it is recognized as one of the only ways in, if your parents were not in it first.
With so much competition for even the lowliest of lowly entrance level jobs, you need an edge over your competition. This edge is education at degree degree for most young people, but for others it is previous experience or, even better, a degree in film-making and previous experience.
This is where it gets problematic. How can you get previous experience, if you require previous experience to get a job? It is the Catch 22 that discourages most beginners from making that final hurdle into the film-making industry. The solution is to offer your services free of charge as a volunteer - what is frequently called as an intern.
In the bad old Victorian days and before, it was normal for apprentices to pay their master for their education. Well, those days are back again in the film industry, if they ever went away. These days, you pay by working for nothing for a year or two.
This is not so bad in countries where school leavers may rely on social security payments, otherwise you have to have wealthy parents who can support you. A personal recommendation from someone already in the industry is very helpful as well.
This is why the sons and daughters of famous media personalities seem to be cropping up everywhere in the industry. Nepotism is alive and well.
However, acquiring that first job, paid or not, is a great thrill and fills the volunteer with hope of a new job in the glittering world of the film industry, although you may not find it so glittering once you see the industry from the inside. The hours are long and the money is not fantastic at the bottom of the pile.
The happy news is that the experience of your first job, paid or not, will go on your resume and establish your entry into the film industry.
For the remainder of your life. you will always be able to say: "I first went into films in 2011" and the second and subsequent jobs will come more easily if you were good at it.
You will not merely have a resume proving experience but you will have names and private phone numbers in your address book. This is worth as much or more than the experience. Networking and making friends is crucial in small, tightly-knit industries like filming. Everybody in the business knows everybody else.
This procedure of gaining a foothold in the film industry is built-into numerous university courses nowadays, because it is recognized as one of the only ways in, if your parents were not in it first.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on lots of subjects, but is at present concerned with professional studio photographers. If you have an interest in photography, please go over to our website now at Photography Studio Cameras
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