On Breaking into Film Production and Writing in General
Now more than ever, a bachelor’s degree is presented to youth as the most necessary step in securing future success while decreasing in value every minute. What was once a sure fire start to a career is now roughly as valuable as a high school diploma. While some fields infallibly require a degree, others do not. Particularly, in creative fields, the demand for degrees seems less inarguable. I interviewed and observed presentations by people active in the fields of film production, screenwriting, creative writing and publishing in the hopes of gaining knowledge and insight to how they got there, and what it was that they might have all had in common. What I found was not as clear and prescriptive as I had hoped, however there were a few things I found strikingly apparent amongst everyone working in the creative fields of my interest- they were all passionate, driven, hard-working and open-minded- aside from being educated.
Being a Radio Television Film major with a concentration in Creative Writing always sounded good to me. I was always taking classes that I was interested in and doing what I like, however it never occurred to me that there was a real purpose to the time I was spending in these classes until my senior year, when the “real world” made itself alarmingly apparent and began approaching increasingly fast. Before that point, I never really asked myself questions like, “what am I really doing here” and “what am I going to do when I leave”? Once I started asking myself those kinds of questions, I decided to question people who do jobs that I think I might like to see what their initial interests were and the paths that ultimately lead to their current careers. While I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, I was, in some ways, assuming that the path would be as simple as my undergraduate career was. I was mistaken.
Before really talking to writers and film producers, despite the realities that I’d heard existed outside the glamorous cultural walls that shape the assumptions about such occupations, I still harboured a glimmer of hope that those paths would be easy and carefree. I hoped that over the course of my interviews, someone would untie my boat and push me off of the undergrad dock where I’ve been stationed for the past four years, off to the land of smiling, relaxed, wine-holding, travel-savvy, financially stable, intellectual socialites. I’ll give you a moment to laugh at my naivety. Though probably less exciting, what I did learn was significantly more useful as far as reality and the business of creativity go. Because after all, creativity is a business.
In the field of film production, I had the privilege of speaking with a well-known assistant director/ production manager. She’s worked on numerous movies and HBO television series, including Kids, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Chapelle’s Show and most recently Being Flynn. My initial questions probed about how she started her career and whether she always knew that she wanted to work that position or if it was a strength she learned along the way. Most people starting out in film assume they are going to be a director or automatically fill an essential role and are sadly mistaken. What I learned from her was that virtually everyone starts out in the same place. As a production assistant, you have to be humble, take what you can get and have the drive to stick with it and find a way to really set yourself apart from your peers. We discussed the harsh reality that there are tons of production assistants looking for work right now who have experience, and the importance of not being picky. This kind of work is really not for everyone. One thing I found particularly amusing, though, was a tip that she shared. Essentially, she told me that the “shittier” you look, the better as far as finding production assistant jobs go. If you show up in a suit and tie, they know you have no experience.
I was also made more aware of the fact that on her end of production, it is very business oriented- probably the least related to writing and development, my other interests. After film school, which she admitted was irrelevant as far as what she’s doing now, she’d initially intended to work for a camera department, then wound up assistant directing, then was promoted to production managing and found that that specific job revolved too much around haggling with people over money, so she returned back to assistant directing, which she loves. This spoke to somewhat of a recurring theme I found amongst many of the people I spoke with and listened to- in these kinds of fields, the path is rarely a linear one.
My former screenwriting professor who has an MFA from Colombia University and is Creative Director at Belladonna Productions and a cofounder and producer at Bullet pictures spoke with me at length about the development end of production, which is primarily what he deals with, and how it works. I find myself gravitating toward this sort of work because it is essentially where production and the writing-centric elements of creativity meet. Before a production company makes a film, the script goes through tons of revisions before it is shot. The development department is where all of those kinds of things take place. Whether it’s revising or enhancing stories, doing research, sharpening dialogue, etc, the development department takes care of that kind of thing. Just like in any other sector of the business, though, getting the job you want isn’t a given. Degrees aren’t absolutely essential for this line of work, however they do help in that potential employers acknowledge the fact that with a degree in film you are probably already oriented to think about the kinds of jobs you’ll be doing such as working on sets or analysing stories; you might become acclimated faster than someone who has not had the same experience. It really just depends on the circumstances.
He advised me about the nonlinear tendency paths on this course tend to take, and the importance of jumping on opportunities and doing them well to network and prove yourself. He worked odd jobs loosely related to film and took several years off before returning to his graduate program for screenwriting. He talked about the difficulties of finding work, too, and the importance of leaving your ego out of it. If your job is getting someone coffee, you better get them the best cup of coffee they’ve ever had. Making friends with everyone you meet, making them like you and being open to trying various jobs and showing people that you can do whatever it is that they need you to do is what’s key to finding success. Ultimately, you have to be self-motivated. You’re not going to go straight where you want to, you’ll probably end up moving laterally across the grid for a while, but if you can keep your head up, work on your own writing and be proactive in seeking opportunities, eventually you’ll get where you need to be.
In addition to being self-motivated, as far as writing goes, it also helps to find an agent. After listening to Professor Jahn-Clough speak in class, I was exposed to some of the issues of publishing that I’d never really considered before. I know that I’d like to write and that, especially for longer work, getting published is not easy- you just have to keep working at it. After hearing her speak, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the publishing and agency end of writing. I was able to go to a presentation put on by the Writing Arts department given by a former Rowan graduate student who now works in publishing and is an established agent. He received his graduate degree in creative writing, interned and made no money for a while, and eventually wound up being an agent for other writers. I never really considered this path, but hearing about the details of his job made me start to consider it. His work is essentially the same as what development departments do for films, which I didn’t know before interning for a production company and listening to someone who works in publishing. I learned about the steps of publishing, how it’s a long, legal and arduous process, and the creative potential agents actually have in moulding stories and working with writers. This presentation opened my eyes to a new potential line of work. Again, though, I learned that the path is not easy, it’s one of persistence and passion.
In addition to my informative interviewees, I found some web sources that were really helpful with tips and tidbits about publishing, job searches and the importance/ method to creating an online presence. I’d never really considered how important my online presence might be, but after conducting an interview via email and hearing a few speakers talk about how effective Twitter and Facebook can be in communicating with other agents, writers, etc, I decided to seek out some information about that. Blogs are very helpful and certain ones that I found, especially on the Writer’s Digest website, gave advice on creating and maintaining a solid online presence, and how to properly submit works and queries both on and offline.
Overall, I learned a tremendous amount of information about how much potential for employment there is in both fields of my interest. Across the board, it tended to be a given that it’s not always easy and thick skin is a necessity, however I learned about many possibilities I hadn’t even considered exploring through talking to people who already have. As Professor Jahn-Clough said, if you’re a creative person who wants to live a creative lifestyle, you’ll creatively find ways to do it. While my goals and findings might not be cold and calculated, I’ve exposed myself to information that has changed how I formerly viewed life after my undergraduate degree.
Being a Radio Television Film major with a concentration in Creative Writing always sounded good to me. I was always taking classes that I was interested in and doing what I like, however it never occurred to me that there was a real purpose to the time I was spending in these classes until my senior year, when the “real world” made itself alarmingly apparent and began approaching increasingly fast. Before that point, I never really asked myself questions like, “what am I really doing here” and “what am I going to do when I leave”? Once I started asking myself those kinds of questions, I decided to question people who do jobs that I think I might like to see what their initial interests were and the paths that ultimately lead to their current careers. While I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, I was, in some ways, assuming that the path would be as simple as my undergraduate career was. I was mistaken.
Before really talking to writers and film producers, despite the realities that I’d heard existed outside the glamorous cultural walls that shape the assumptions about such occupations, I still harboured a glimmer of hope that those paths would be easy and carefree. I hoped that over the course of my interviews, someone would untie my boat and push me off of the undergrad dock where I’ve been stationed for the past four years, off to the land of smiling, relaxed, wine-holding, travel-savvy, financially stable, intellectual socialites. I’ll give you a moment to laugh at my naivety. Though probably less exciting, what I did learn was significantly more useful as far as reality and the business of creativity go. Because after all, creativity is a business.
In the field of film production, I had the privilege of speaking with a well-known assistant director/ production manager. She’s worked on numerous movies and HBO television series, including Kids, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Chapelle’s Show and most recently Being Flynn. My initial questions probed about how she started her career and whether she always knew that she wanted to work that position or if it was a strength she learned along the way. Most people starting out in film assume they are going to be a director or automatically fill an essential role and are sadly mistaken. What I learned from her was that virtually everyone starts out in the same place. As a production assistant, you have to be humble, take what you can get and have the drive to stick with it and find a way to really set yourself apart from your peers. We discussed the harsh reality that there are tons of production assistants looking for work right now who have experience, and the importance of not being picky. This kind of work is really not for everyone. One thing I found particularly amusing, though, was a tip that she shared. Essentially, she told me that the “shittier” you look, the better as far as finding production assistant jobs go. If you show up in a suit and tie, they know you have no experience.
I was also made more aware of the fact that on her end of production, it is very business oriented- probably the least related to writing and development, my other interests. After film school, which she admitted was irrelevant as far as what she’s doing now, she’d initially intended to work for a camera department, then wound up assistant directing, then was promoted to production managing and found that that specific job revolved too much around haggling with people over money, so she returned back to assistant directing, which she loves. This spoke to somewhat of a recurring theme I found amongst many of the people I spoke with and listened to- in these kinds of fields, the path is rarely a linear one.
My former screenwriting professor who has an MFA from Colombia University and is Creative Director at Belladonna Productions and a cofounder and producer at Bullet pictures spoke with me at length about the development end of production, which is primarily what he deals with, and how it works. I find myself gravitating toward this sort of work because it is essentially where production and the writing-centric elements of creativity meet. Before a production company makes a film, the script goes through tons of revisions before it is shot. The development department is where all of those kinds of things take place. Whether it’s revising or enhancing stories, doing research, sharpening dialogue, etc, the development department takes care of that kind of thing. Just like in any other sector of the business, though, getting the job you want isn’t a given. Degrees aren’t absolutely essential for this line of work, however they do help in that potential employers acknowledge the fact that with a degree in film you are probably already oriented to think about the kinds of jobs you’ll be doing such as working on sets or analysing stories; you might become acclimated faster than someone who has not had the same experience. It really just depends on the circumstances.
He advised me about the nonlinear tendency paths on this course tend to take, and the importance of jumping on opportunities and doing them well to network and prove yourself. He worked odd jobs loosely related to film and took several years off before returning to his graduate program for screenwriting. He talked about the difficulties of finding work, too, and the importance of leaving your ego out of it. If your job is getting someone coffee, you better get them the best cup of coffee they’ve ever had. Making friends with everyone you meet, making them like you and being open to trying various jobs and showing people that you can do whatever it is that they need you to do is what’s key to finding success. Ultimately, you have to be self-motivated. You’re not going to go straight where you want to, you’ll probably end up moving laterally across the grid for a while, but if you can keep your head up, work on your own writing and be proactive in seeking opportunities, eventually you’ll get where you need to be.
In addition to being self-motivated, as far as writing goes, it also helps to find an agent. After listening to Professor Jahn-Clough speak in class, I was exposed to some of the issues of publishing that I’d never really considered before. I know that I’d like to write and that, especially for longer work, getting published is not easy- you just have to keep working at it. After hearing her speak, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the publishing and agency end of writing. I was able to go to a presentation put on by the Writing Arts department given by a former Rowan graduate student who now works in publishing and is an established agent. He received his graduate degree in creative writing, interned and made no money for a while, and eventually wound up being an agent for other writers. I never really considered this path, but hearing about the details of his job made me start to consider it. His work is essentially the same as what development departments do for films, which I didn’t know before interning for a production company and listening to someone who works in publishing. I learned about the steps of publishing, how it’s a long, legal and arduous process, and the creative potential agents actually have in moulding stories and working with writers. This presentation opened my eyes to a new potential line of work. Again, though, I learned that the path is not easy, it’s one of persistence and passion.
In addition to my informative interviewees, I found some web sources that were really helpful with tips and tidbits about publishing, job searches and the importance/ method to creating an online presence. I’d never really considered how important my online presence might be, but after conducting an interview via email and hearing a few speakers talk about how effective Twitter and Facebook can be in communicating with other agents, writers, etc, I decided to seek out some information about that. Blogs are very helpful and certain ones that I found, especially on the Writer’s Digest website, gave advice on creating and maintaining a solid online presence, and how to properly submit works and queries both on and offline.
Overall, I learned a tremendous amount of information about how much potential for employment there is in both fields of my interest. Across the board, it tended to be a given that it’s not always easy and thick skin is a necessity, however I learned about many possibilities I hadn’t even considered exploring through talking to people who already have. As Professor Jahn-Clough said, if you’re a creative person who wants to live a creative lifestyle, you’ll creatively find ways to do it. While my goals and findings might not be cold and calculated, I’ve exposed myself to information that has changed how I formerly viewed life after my undergraduate degree.