Week 02 – Job Reconnaissance
For this week’s assignment, I used a plethora of websites. My primary sources were Indeed, Glassdoor, and Facebook. Getting a foot in the door in the film industry can be daunting if you don’t have any prior connections, so I limited my search to terms like ‘production assistant’. I don’t have the funds to relocate myself at the moment, so I limited my search to Georgia and surrounding areas. The film industry has been growing here for the past couple of years, so I was able to get some results. Most of the ones I found were for news broadcasting or documentaries, which aren’t really the kind of stories or environments I’m interested in, if I’m being honest. Beggars can’t be choosers, though! I still looked at them as closely as the few fiction production assistant gigs I found.
Most of the positions weren’t looking for a lot of experience, per se, as much as they were looking for capability and a willingness to learn. Most of them highlighted ‘good attitude’ and ‘apt communication skills’, and that makes sense. Being a production assistant is a lot of being bossed around and told what to do. Some of the Warner Brother positions in Atlanta asked for Adobe licenses/experience, which, thankfully, I have. They asked that you be on time, which is a given. Some of the lesser-paying positions preferred that you have your own vehicle. Nothing was too specific in the realm of production design because production assistants are doing a plethora of things.
I do imagine, though, that if you demonstrated your interest in the industry for the long term, you would probably be favored over other candidates. They might see you as a potential rehire or just take more of an interest in you. I’ve started working on my portfolio for this class and beyond, trying to gather screenshots and items to use for it. I’ve worked as the Director of Photography, Production Designer, 2nd AC, and other positions in some short films, so I’m trying to get screen apps and pictures of sets to demonstrate my abilities. I’ve also written a pilot for another class and a pitch deck that I’m fond of, but I’m kind of scared to just put that out there on a website. I need to decide which website builder I’m going to use and get started on all of that shortly so I can hopefully get some feedback!
My experience doing this research just affirmed to me more than ever that I need to get my portfolio up and public for employers to see. Without it, they have no idea who you are or what you can do. It’s also reaffirmed for me that it’s going to be a long and hard road to get into the film industry, and I’m going to have to work for it if I want it. I think I’m a bit overwhelmed, as I’m sure most students are, but I’m also optimistic. The industry is only growing in Georgia, and I’m sure there’s somewhere for me to get my foot in the door!