Friday, June 13, 2014

A Guide To Entry Level Film Jobs NYC Students Can Get Hired For

By Sally Delacruz


Looking to get your foot in the door of the movie and television industry? These film jobs NYC students can qualify for can be competitive to win, but confidence goes a long way. If you've ever wanted to be part of the entertainment game, these jobs might be your first step to success.

Production assistant is a catch all title for the lowest rung on the ladder of a working film set. You might do anything from tape cables to get coffee. As long as you have a lot of energy and a winning smile, you probably qualify. You can learn almost everything else on the job.

If you can imagine being happy without doing much actual hands on film work, a great way to learn about daily life in the industry is as a personal assistant. By being the right hand man or woman to an entertainment power player, you'll make contacts that will serve you well for the rest of your career, and you'll see how things really work behind the scenes. For this role, you'll need excellent interpersonal skills, and a lot of patience under pressure.

Check out the possibility of an internship at one of NYC's many film festivals. You'll have the chance to gain exposure to a lot of interesting movies, and you'll rub elbows with industry leaders like critics and producers at parties and galas. Plus, your fellow interns could turn out to be the major powerhouses of tomorrow.

It might not be glamorous, but working at an arthouse or independent cinema is a ticket to a great education, as well as a steady paycheck. Between scooping popcorn, you'll have the chance to watch all the edgy new releases, and see what appeals to an elite Manhattan audience. Start your search in the village and SoHo neighborhoods of the city.

Did you know that directors sometimes pull talent from the extra or background group for last minute casting? Although it's difficult to make a living as an extra, since work isn't constant or steady, when jobs come along you do get paid to spend the day on a real film set. If you take a job as a supernumerary, you might just see yourself on the silver screen.

Of course, you might not need to get hired for a film job at all, in the age of internet distribution and digital technology. Why not find some other hungry young filmmakers, and collaborate on your own independent projects? You could shoot right to the top of the industry without having to climb the career ladder the old fashioned way.

Above all, keep learning. Add more skills to your portfolio, to make yourself a more attractive hire. Find out everything you can about different career paths in entertainment, and different niches where you might be suited to excel. Know your options, and know yourself. Be able to say what you're good at, and you're more likely to get the job that's really right for you.




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