Hi All!
I've been emailed a few times for advice on how to get into the industry... So I decided it might be helpful to write this blog for people to take a look at! Don't take all I say as gospel, this is just my personal experiences and peoples around me, I certainly don't claim to know it all :) just thought this may be useful.
What people often forget to ask is, once you're in, how do you stay in the industry? I still don't fully know the answer and I probably haven't secured my place within the industry 100% yet... But I've built up a pretty good picture from others so I'll try an touch on that too!
Firstly. Getting into the industry relies on quite a lot of luck. Either speaking to the right person, knowing the right person or just getting your work seen by the right person... It is luck. However it's how you go about this that makes a difference!
Have a route, or a few routes in mind before u start contacting people. I'm quite lucky in that I want to be a production manager / producer, so contacting people within these roles was a really easy way for me to make contacts. Production, organise the shoot, so they can have you on as work experience if they want. Which is how it worked for me. However if you want to be in camera you'd have to get in touch with focus pullers, and DOP's, camera houses and smaller kit hire places... Or contact someone in production who might be able to get you on shoot as a runner, and when there, stick to the camera team as much as you can and make some contacts that way.
The thing is, you can always get in touch with the person who can get you in on something. But it's how you approach them. One sentence in an email, one time is pretty much never going to get you anywhere. Anyone you are contacting, are working in the industry because they love it. They wouldn't do the hours or put up with it if they didn't, so you Have to come across keen and interested. Dont ask them straight out for work experience, ask them for advice. Show them you're going to the effort of contacting them because you know they've been on some interesting projects (and look these up and name them).
Keep in contact with them. If you're leaving Uni soon, contact them now. Again when you leave. And again when you are ready to start working. Then they'll know you're committed.
Once you get the first break in... Use you're common sense a little. I heard a story just today about a work experience girl who was on set, got a bit offended by how one of the other girls on set was swearing a lot... And then spoke about it and was a little rude about her at lunch time. BIG mistake!!!! EVERYONE is connected in the industry. I'm talking from a commercials perspective, but I'm sure it's similar in TV and film... Never, ever talk about a person, a company or anyone at all, until you feel totally secure in your surroundings or who you are talking to.
Chances are, people you've come into contact with, know each other, if you're talking about a company, you might be talking to the managing directors brother... So be careful!
From there on, as long as you're keen, work hard and listen to advice from others, you're set! If you're on set as a work experience runner, listen to the runners. Running isnt as easy as most people assume... It's not rocket science of course, but there are things to learn and ways things are done, and the best runners in the industry are very well known, incredibly busy and make up to £45,000 per year (freelance... Not full time). So don't knock it. :-) it's a job that production see as importantly as everything else, they have the power to speed up, or slow down an entire shoot!
From there, all I can say is, keep in touch with people, and know your industry well! If you're in commercials, read 'creative review' and the advertising websites. Know what films are coming out, know who the big directors are, everything you can find out really!
