Saturday, June 14, 2014

The Entry Level Film Jobs NYC Students Can Do

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.

Although scooping popcorn kernels at a neighborhood cinema might not seem like a glamorous job, there's a lot to be said for starting out as a staff member at a small independent cinema. You'll get a steady paycheck along with the priceless education of seeing all the latest arthouse movies, plus you'll start to gain a feel for what trendy NYC audiences like. Check out the small theaters in lower Manhattan, especially the Soho and village theaters, to see who is hiring.

Doing extra or background work is another way to get a job on a working movie set. Although these occasional gigs aren't a reliable income source, they might get your face onto the silver screen. Sometimes, last minute casting for bit parts happens on set, so a director may even pull you out of the background and give you a line.

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.

The more you know about possible entertainment careers, and the more skills you can claim as your own, the better your chances of finding a film job where you can flourish. There are dozens of entry level film jobs on all sides of the field. Choose the side of the business where your personality will excel.




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