——— 7 ———

Starting Out

When first starting out in this business, many of your decisions will be based on your interests and goals. This chapter will provide some additional considerations to factor into your choices. In making a plan to achieve your goals, you want to be sure it’s realistic and feasible.

Moving to Tinseltown

If you’re moving to Los Angeles or New York or just getting out of school and trying to make it on your own for the first time, do you have enough seed money to pay for rent, utilities, phone, car maintenance, auto and health insurance, food and miscellaneous expenses for several months until you can generate an income? Can you afford to live alone or do you need to find a roommate? Do you know the lay of the land and how you’re going to be getting around? What are you going to do if you can’t find an industry job right away? What if you can’t find a job that pays enough to cover all your expenses or you have to work for free for a while just to get your foot in the door? Do you have other skills to fall back on? Do you even know what the job market is like? And even more basic, what type of lifestyle are you up for, and where would you be happy living? Before you make any move or strike out on your own, do your research, know what you’re up against and be prepared.

Here’s some advice from my friend Alison. She’s a writer/director who moved to Los Angeles from Maine about three and a half years ago, and these are her thoughts on just starting out:

Being a Big Fish in a Small Market or a Small Fish In a Large Market

Most major feature films and TV productions originate from either Los Angeles or New York, where thousands of people are capable of filling the same job and there are never enough jobs to go around. And while the actual locations for these shows could be just about anywhere in the world, when shooting remains in the U.S., the cast and most key crew positions are almost always hired from the show’s home base. In general, only support crew, bit acting parts and extras are hired locally. The only exception to that is when shooting in other countries, such as Canada, where a much larger percentage of the cast and crew is hired locally because of government restrictions protecting their industry jobs. But in terms of the U.S., it’s safe to say that once you get outside of the major metropolitan areas such as L.A., New York and Chicago, major feature film, network and cable TV production jobs are not as plentiful. But that doesn’t mean that these cities and towns don’t have their own (sometimes thriving) entertainment-based community. There are many areas all over the country where local TV, commercials, documentaries and corporate films are produced regularly and where local filmmakers produce their own projects as well as work on projects originating from elsewhere but shooting in their area. It may take a while to get established in a smaller market; but once entrenched in a local production community, the competition is less ferocious and your chances of staying employed are sometimes greater than they would be if you were to live in a larger market. The cost of living is generally less in smaller communities, and there are many benefits to not living in a big city. The type of projects produced in smaller markets may be less prestigious and smaller budgeted, and the salaries may be less, but there’s something to be said for being a big fish. You can find out how production-active each state is by contacting their film commission. State film commission officials will also let you know which of their cities have their own film offices.

The ability to live and raise your family in a smaller city or town has become more feasible than ever before, especially for those who can transmit their work (writing, visual effects, graphic design, etc.) over the Internet. Many others, besides being part of the local production community, make themselves available to travel and work on shows shooting in other locations. It’s generally easier to do this once you’re established and don’t have to be in L.A. or New York for frequent interviews. So many feature films are being shot on locations around the globe anyway, it rarely matters anymore where someone lives, as long as they’re willing to travel.

Skills to Fall Back On

It’s important to have a way to earn a living while you’re waiting for your big break or in between jobs. It’s something that those new to the industry don’t think enough about, because everyone wants to believe that once you land your first job—that’s it—you’re on your way. It works that way for some people, but not for all. It’s also easy to ignore the necessity of a back-up plan when you’re young, don’t have too many expenses, can live with roommates and share costs and you’re anticipating the career you’ve imagined for yourself. But as you’ll see and as you’ve been told, it’s an insecure and unstable industry, so as you get older, want to buy a house, get married, start a family (you get the picture), financial security becomes more of an issue. I don’t mean to come off as the voice of doom and gloom here, but I’ve seen this happen to so many people who counted on working more steadily, on being more successful or on being able to sustain their success. It’s not always enough to save money while you’re working to get you through the lean times. Sometimes you need a back-up plan to see you through. And the best time to figure that out is when you’re young and just getting started.

What other skills do you have? When I was just starting out, I typed scripts between projects, and when my husband, Ron, wasn’t on a show, he was building furniture. I know people who design websites, cater parties and write articles for magazines. One friend in the business works as a computer consultant when not on a show, and someone else makes and sells jewelry. If you don’t have other skills, you can always take a class or two and learn one. I know someone who has his contractor’s license to fall back on, another obtained a commercial license to drive big rig trucks and still another went to bartender school. Keep in mind, however, that you want something that’s going to give you some amount of flexibility. You’re still going to need time to pursue your career and be available for meetings and interviews. You’ll also need to be able to replace yourself should a new show or job come along.

Having skills you can fall back on will keep you busy, keep your mind active and some money coming in. It’ll save you from the agony of waiting for the phone to ring and from going nuts during dry spells. You’ll also feel more secure. I don’t know about you, but when things don’t go as planned or finances get tight, I always ask myself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” If you have a Plan B, the worst never seems so bad. Check out more about Plan B jobs in Chapter 17, Show Biz Survival Techniques.

The Merits of Working for Free

If you’re not having much luck landing a job, consider working as an intern. It may not sound terribly appealing, but if you can afford to do it even for a short period of time (like a day or two a week), it’s one of the very best ways to get your foot into any show biz door.

I once took a job as a second unit UPM and worked for a very astute line producer named Jonathan who, at the time, specialized in non-union features. My first day on the job, he took me on the set and pointed to an individual. “See that camera loader?” he asked. “He worked for free two shows ago. And the second AD over there, she worked for free three shows ago.” His routine was to hire interns and give them a chance to ask questions, learn and figure out what they were most interested in doing while working in PA positions. After working for free and proving themselves capable on an entire show, he’d hire them again on his next show, give them more responsibility and pay them a small salary. They’d learn more each time and get paid more on each show, until eventually, they’d be ready to assume an actual crew position. Voicing my astonishment, he said that’s how he had started. He knew no one when he first moved to L.A., had no connections and couldn’t get a job. But he did have a little money to hold him over. After doing some research, he approached the production executive at the company he most wanted to work for and volunteered to work for free. The exec politely turned down his offer, but he was persistent, and they eventually relented. He quickly proved his worth and was soon moving up and getting paid. When he left that company sometime later and started freelancing, he made it a point to help other newcomers in much the same way. When I mentioned to Jonathan that I’d feel uncomfortable hiring people to work for free, he explained that it was part of their education—just like going to school. And just like school, if you do well enough, there’s a paying job for you at the end of your term.

Then there was Billy. I had been working on a TV series, and this very energetic young man came to see me at the beginning of the season. He said he wanted to be my assistant, to which I promptly told him how sorry I was, but that there was no money in the budget for me to have an assistant. He then offered to work for me three mornings a week, for free, if I’d agree to train him. We worked out the details, and oh my, was he amazing—bright, fun to be around and quickly indispensable. It was the perfect arrangement until one day a few months later he told me he wasn’t making enough at his part-time job and would have to find something full-time and leave the show. I couldn’t lose Billy, so after practically begging my supervisors to some how, some way find the money in the budget, we were able to find enough to pay him to stay with the show on a full-time basis.

My friend Stephen lived in the midwest, and one day, a film came to shoot in his town. As soon as he could, he made a beeline for the production coordinator’s office and offered to work for free. She politely said they didn’t need any more help. But he came back every single day until she finally gave in.

Another colleague of mine suggests that if you want to start out as a script reader to look in the Hollywood Creative Directory and target production companies that don’t have studio deals, because those are generally the ones that could use the most help. Pick one or two of the companies you’d like to be associated with and offer to cover three scripts for them, for free. Certain agencies and management firms will also accept help with script coverage. No matter which company it is, however, they will most likely ask for coverage samples from you beforehand, just to make sure you know what you’re doing. If it’s something you enjoy, you have a good sense of story and are good at it, they’ll take notice and you’ll have a much better chance of landing some on-going (paid) reading assignments or perhaps even a full-time job.

These stories and examples are not unique. They happen all the time, and it’s a great way to start a career. The problem is, in the past few years, it’s become impossible to intern for a major studio or production company in California unless your internship is a direct placement from a college or university’s official internship program. Some states, such as California, mandate that you can’t have employees working for nothing unless they come through a sanctioned school program and are able to earn school credit.It also becomes a worker’s compensation issue should someone who’s not on your payroll get injured on the job. Some of the smaller, independent, non-union companies are still amenable to accepting interns to work on shows under certain circumstances, but there aren’t as many of them as there used to be (even though there’s always a need for extra help). And at the moment, these regulations don’t seem to affect script readers in quite the same way.

Since most shows shooting on distant location will hire local PAs, you might consider offering to travel to location at your own expense, assume the costs of your room and food and work as a local, preferably for a salary, but if not, then as an intern (if it’s allowed). If they agree but can’t afford to pay you, you will not only not make any money, but it will cost you to be there. If you can afford it though, and it’s a show you want to work on, it might be worth it. You can sometimes bunk in with someone else on the crew and can almost always take advantage of catered lunches on the set and craft service snacks.

When you’re a student and accept an internship through your school, you must adhere to very specific guidelines. In some schools, students are required to attend an internship course that helps prepare them for their upcoming assignment, sets strict guidelines as to the terms of their assignment and gives them access to an advisor who acts as both mentor and liaison between the student and the company. Because they are earning school credit for their work experience, students are generally required to prepare written and/or oral reports based on their internship experience. A company that wishes to recruit an intern must also agree to explicit guidelines that govern the intern’s days and hours of work and specific duties. In an effort to afford students the best possible learning experience and to prevent their job responsibilities from being nothing more than a steady stream of menial tasks, the company is typically required to guarantee that an intern will be exposed to a limited amount of company information, have some access to executives, be allowed to sit in on an occasional meeting, attend dailies, etc. The intern’s supervisor is also required to complete written evaluations on the intern’s performance. Each school varies, but two to four units of credit are typically afforded to a student participating in an internship program.

Whether or not you come through a school program, the goal of any internship is to make yourself useful, work hard, learn as much as you can while you’re there and show everyone how terrific you are. If you’re going to work for free, try to volunteer your time with a person or company you want to work for or on a specific show you want to work on. You may be able to exchange your time for free lunches, mileage money and a screen credit on the film. If nothing else, you’ll have the opportunity to make new contacts, gain some much-needed experience and add the show to your resume.

I’d like to suggest that if you do work as an intern, and it’s not through a school program, you get a deal memo (just like the rest of the crew) spelling out the details of your arrangement. In a fast-paced and frenzied environment, people can forget and misunderstandings do occasionally occur. But if you’ve been promised screen credit, mileage reimbursement or free lunches, and it’s in writing, chances are, you’ll receive what’s been agreed to.

The Mailroom

The mailroom is a great place from which to work your way up, and agency mailrooms are especially well known as starting points for agents, managers, producers and studio executives. Many extremely successful, well-known industry icons, such as Michael Ovitz, Barry Diller and David Geffen, started their careers in a mailroom.

Agency mailrooms can be grueling. The hours are long and the pay is rock-bottom. As in any other entry-level position, it’s a world in which the word “no” does not exist. It’s nonstop sorting and delivering of mail, photocopying scripts, distributing faxes, making deliveries and pick-ups, doing personal errands for agents, reading and covering scripts, filling in for assistants when they’re out, helping out at agency events and parties and so on, and so on, and so on. Your hope is to stand out, get noticed and get promoted to a “desk” (a job as an assistant to an agent) as soon as possible.

Most agencies require their trainees to have college degrees, and of the thousands of applications they receive each year, only a handful are chosen. They look for someone with a passion for the business and a certain level of professionalism. Knowing something about the industry and the terminology is helpful, and they’re always on the lookout for someone who’s going to hustle. Those who work in the mailroom together are generally friendly and supportive, but as can be expected, a certain competitiveness, overt or not, is endemic to this type of work environment. Stints in the mailroom can last from several months to a couple of years, and everyone’s jockeying for position.

Helen Roger runs the mailroom at CBS Studio Center. She has three people working under her supervision at any one time, and each commits to being there for a year. There’s a waiting list to get in, and her applicants aren’t required to have college degrees, although it certainly doesn’t hurt. She looks for people who show a willingness to work and the ability to be team players. She prefers the “doers” to the “talkers” and expects her crew to work hard when they’re there. In the course of their day, the mailroom staff has the opportunity to network with a multitude of people from various departments all over the lot, as well as those who are working on shows being shot there. Several are able to line up better jobs for themselves and leave before their year is up.

Politics often seep into the mailroom by way of nepotism, and it’s not uncommon for the children of those closely connected to agents, managers, high-ranking agency clients and executives to be preferentially hired before all other applicants, especially during the summer. But it’s no different when you’re on a production and the director’s son or the producer’s wife’s sister’s next door neighbor is suddenly given a job as a PA. Once in the job, however, they’re all expected to carry their own weight, the same as everyone else. A job in a mailroom doesn’t guarantee anyone a meteoric rise to Hollywood bigwigdom. Like any other entry-level job, it’s just a way in and a start. The rest is up to you.

I’d like to recommend a terrific book called The Mailroom—Hollywood’s History From The Bottom Up by David Rensin (Ballantine Books), which will give you more insight into the workings and politics of an agency mailroom than you’ll ever need to know. Rensin travels behind the scenes and through sixty-five years of show business history to tell the real stories of the marvelous careers that began—and in some cases ended—in the mailroom.

Temp Agencies

If you have the necessary qualifications, a great way to explore various industry jobs is to sign up with one or more of the temporary employment agencies that specialize in entertainment-related jobs. Each agency varies slightly, but in general, most place individuals in jobs as receptionists, assistants, executive assistants and in technical, creative, accounting and legal positions. Some handle production-related jobs (from PAs to production coordinators), and one agency owner said she handles the full gamut, placing PAs and receptionists, all the way up to CFOs.

Most of these agencies are located and/or headquartered in Los Angeles. Their ratio of resumes received each month compared to the number of placements made is pretty lopsided, but if your skills are sharp, you have a personality to match and you’re patient, you have a shot at it. An agency will also look at where you’ve interned prior to taking the plunge into the work force. Having interned for a major studio or well-known industry company will set you apart from other entry-level applicants.

Once an agency sends you out on a temporary assignment and the client is pleased with your work, you’ll be called again; and many temp jobs lead to permanent positions. This gives you the opportunity to see where you’d like to work, and gives employers who like you the opportunity to request you on a full-time basis as soon as there’s an opening in their company or department. This was one of the ways I earned a living early on in my career. Whenever I wasn’t on a show, I’d call the temp agency I was signed with, and they’d put me on their availability list. It was never too long until I had a job, some of them lasting quite a while. At one point, they sent me to a well-known production company to work for a producer while his assistant was on a leave-of-absence. When that assignment was over, someone else’s assistant was going on vacation, so they asked if I’d work for him. Two weeks later, they found another position for me in their production department, and there I stayed until the company was sold two years later. You never know where you’re going to end up. Someone I know who had only worked in production (and only wanted to work in production) signed up with a temp agency when work slowed down for her, and she found herself working in the home video department at one of the studios. It wasn’t anything she had ever even thought of as a career possibility before, but here was a job she found creative and challenging—and it was steady. They liked her enough to offer her a permanent job, and she took it.

My friend Aubbie Beal moved to Los Angeles with the objective of temping until she found exactly what she was looking for. She held out, turning down several offers of good, permanent positions along the way, and last year, landed the job she wanted. Here’s some great advice on temp agencies and temp assignments from Aubbie (although it’s excellent advice for anyone who will be working as an assistant):

The following are some industry-related employment and temporary agencies:

Comar Agency (The)

9615 Brighton Way, #313

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Force One Entertainment

9663 Santa Monica Blvd., #714

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

310/248-2700 (fax: 310/288-0205)

www.comaragency.com

[email protected]

310/271-5217 (fax: 310/271-2439)

[email protected]

additional location in New York

Friedman Personnel Agency

9000 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1000

Los Angeles, CA 90069

Star Staffing Services

9250 Wilshire Blvd., #200

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

310/550-1002 (fax: 310/724-7222)

www.friedmanpersonnel.com

[email protected]

310/278-0520 (fax: 310/278-4269)

www.starstaffingservices.comBeverly

[email protected]

additional location in Torrance, CA

Agencies Affiliated With Specific Studios:

Adecco (Universal Studios)

801 N. Brand Blvd., #185

Glendale, CA 91203

Aquent (Disney)

6100 Wilshire Blvd., #410

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Co-Op Temporary Service

(Fox, UPN & Paramount)

8447 Wilshire Blvd., #210

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Spherion (Warner Brothers)

3400 Riverside Dr., 5th Floor

Burbank, CA 91522

Ultimate (20th Century-Fox,

MGM, E!/Style)

2121 Ave. of the Stars, 2nd Floor additional

Los Angeles, CA 90067

818/241-9909 (fax: 818/241-7697)

www.adecco.com

additional locations worldwide

323/634-7000 (fax: 323/634-7696)

www.aquent.com

main office in Boston, MA (617/535-5000)

additional locations worldwide

323/655-1009 (fax: 323/655-7201)

818/972-0044 (fax: 818/972-0099)

www.spherion.com

additional locations in U.S. & Canada

310/369-0295 (fax: 310/369-8585)

www.ultimatestaffing.com

additional U.S.locations

Network Opportunities

Major television networks in California and New York offer a variety of entry-level opportunities—internships and Page programs among them. Many local television stations throughout the country also offer various career opportunity programs for students and entry-level applicants.

NBC’s page program in Burbank, California lasts a year, and those accepted work as part of the Guest Relations staff as a liaison between the network and the general public. Pages conduct tours, perform various audience services for network shows and are used as “floaters,” meaning they’re assigned to work in different departments within the network on either short- or long-term assignments. NBC requires candidates to have a four-year college or university degree with a preferred minimum 3.0 GPA. In addition, related broadcast experience (such as campus radio or television, newspaper or internship positions), computer proficiency, demonstrated leadership, a strong work ethic and an outgoing personality all play an important role in the application process. NBC offers other programs as well, among them an internship program, an Entertainment Associate Program (for those interested in the development and management of entertainment programming), a News Associate Program (providing opportunities for outstanding aspiring journalists) and a Sales Associate Program (giving accepted applicants the opportunity to explore all aspects of sales and marketing, including research, customer service, advertising, business development, technology, Internet and desk experience). Check their website at www.nbcjobs.com to see which programs you qualify for and when they’re accepting applications. They are not all for beginners.

CBS’ page program provides participants an entry-level opportunity on a part-time basis. Applicants must be able to work three full days a week at varying hours and handle a flexible work schedule, including morning, afternoon and evening hours. CBS pages are responsible for escorting audiences to various show tapings as well as assisting staff members of CBS’ leading daytime (soap opera) series and various other duties. To apply, you must be a senior-level college or university student or recent graduate, reliable, possess strong communication skills and have a positive attitude. CBS News offers internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate college students majoring in journalism, broadcasting and/or communications and other programs, too. For more information on what CBS has to offer, check out their website at www.cbsdiversity.com/internship.shtml.

Then there’s the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, which was established by the media industry to help increase access to permanent job opportunities for minority students. The foundation’s program is unlike other internship programs in that students work for a partner company (the networks among them) during summers and school breaks from the end of their junior year in high school until they graduate from college. During that five-year period, students learn many aspects of corporate operations and develop company-specific skills. Corporations guide and develop minority students with the option of permanent placement upon completion of their college degree. Students in the program receive an hourly wage, as well as matching compensation to help pay for college tuition and expenses. Mentoring from selected staff in the sponsoring company is also a key element of the program.

Partner companies and the foundation’s staff work together to recruit students through local high schools and colleges and academically-based pre-college enhancement programs. Student applications are provided to qualified candidates; minority students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and an interest in the media industry are eligible to apply. Student applications, teacher recommendations and academic records are reviewed by foundation staff and forwarded to the partner company. Approximately 40 to 45 new students are added to the program each year. The Foundation also maintains a talent bank for use by media companies recruiting minority employees. For more information on applying to this program, go to www.emmabowenfoundation.com.

Other Considerations

Another great way to start out in the biz is to work as a non-union extra. Whether you have acting aspirations or just want to see how a set operates, it will give you a good chance to get the lay of the land and to make some contacts.

If you’ve recently moved to a new town (like L.A. or New York) or just graduated from school, this is the best time for you to join a networking organization (and more than one if possible). The more people you meet, the sooner you can start connecting and building relationships. You’ll meet people who have been through exactly what you’re going through and will be able to pass on helpful tips as to where to look for work, who may be hiring, who’s offering the best workshops and who to meet if you want to get into a certain end of the business. It’s also nice to get suggestions on the best and most affordable places to eat, to live and to shop, on local doctors and even on things like how to go about finding a roommate. Just get involved and put it out there. You’ll be surprised how much help you’ll get back. You can’t survive in this business without it.

If you live outside of Los Angeles and New York, a great place to get connected is through your local film commission. The purpose of a film commission is to promote and aid film production in a particular city, region, state or country. Film commissions are government sanctioned and are found throughout the United States and in many other countries as well. Some film offices are independent entities, some operate as part of various governors’ offices, and others are divisions of tourism boards. Most are members of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), an international, nonprofit, educational organization of government employees serving as film commissioners. The association’s purpose is to act as a liaison between the visual communications industry and local public and private sectors to facilitate on-location production, and to stimulate economic benefit for member governments. You can find a full list of AFCI-member film commissions on their website at www.afci.org. Many individual film commissions have their own websites that can also be accessed through afci.org.

Stop by and meet the staff at your local film commission office. Maybe even offer to help out a day or two a week. Without being aggressive about it, make sure they know (and hopefully like) you. You want to be on their list of people they recommend when asked for crew suggestions, and you want to be listed in their production resource guide. Most film commission offices have hotlines or websites that announce upcoming productions scheduled to shoot in their region. If you’re there once in a while or make a habit of checking in, you might get a heads-up on a lead—you never know.

And being a friend of the film commission staff is also a way to entrench yourself in the local entertainment community. They’re a potential resource for meeting and connecting with other filmmakers in your area