Filmmaking / Directing : Looking for work. by Art Sotelo

Good luck Art.... Hope you find someone to take you on.... Go for it....

Where have you applied so far? What jobs have you applied for so far?

It is very hard with out experience. Depending on what your trying to do in the entertainment industry, look in your local area for volunteer work to get noticed. Also it never hurts to take a couple classes.

You're going to have to start somewhere. Location matters, simply because there are more positions available in some places.

I would check out the find work section I bet there are plenty of people on there that are looking. Good luck

I have applied for production assistant, executive assistant, crew, and any low level producer positions. And NOTHING!!! They all say I need experience, but I can't get any without them giving me a chance.

Have you joined other groups and clubs? Perhaps they could help.

This is where the " it's not what you do as much as who you know kicks in " expand your contacts ... Market yourself !

Also making shorts or features yourself helps get the experience.

Producer and executive assistant are NOT entry level jobs. How many volunteer gigs have you done so far in order to get the experience?

Oof. I just saw your 'list o skills' from your request. Assistant Director is a major, high stress, producer track position. The typical path is set pa, key set pa, 2nd 2nd AD, 2nd AD, AD. Similar with the rest of your claims. That might be part of the problem. All that stuff you worked on with your mates in college? It means nothing.

Okay. You say "crew". If you applied for a gaffer position without working your way up to that highly skilled job that's why you were not hired. If you applied for dolly grip without any previous experience working with the many different dollies, that's why you were not hired. That list goes on and on. "crew" is many, different, sometimes highly skilled, jobs - if you applied for "crew" that's why you weren't hired. Rachael is correct. If you apply for a job as a First you need experience as a Second and Second Second. If you apply for a job as a Second Second you need experience as a key set PA. Same with all other positions - even "low level producer". A paid "low level producer" will have a career path that includes the AD path then various assistants to the UPM, then the UPM and Line Producer before anyone will hire you as a "low level producer" I would advise you to stick to PA jobs for a while. Restrict yourself to applying to those jobs until you get a few gigs. Of if you want to specialize in a job you need to work your way up that, specific ladder. That was MY choice; I wanted to be in the camera department. I did a little grip work to understand the equipment, I did a lot of lighting/electric work to understand light and meet gaffers, I worked as a camera PA and utility to meet DITs and operators. I worked in a rental house to better understand the many digital cameras out there. It's a long road. Depending where you live the road is longer. People who live where there is a lot of production get more experience faster than those who live where there are fewer productions. Do you have specific long term goal of what job you want?

I can't like that enough, Parker. This seems to be an ongoing issue with recent grads - I'm wondering if the schools themselves are creating unrealistic expectations. Unless you're producing your own project, you don't get to start out as a producer, however 'low level' you may imagine the position to be.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I do have some experience, I have worked on to sets, a web series and a movie trailer. My titles have been Associate Producer, Production manager, Executive Producer, and screenwriter.

My advice would be to keep on keeping on, eventually you will land those jobs sometimes you just have to be patient.

So what did you mean by "I am having a difficult time finding anyone to hire me without experience"? You have plenty of experience. I offered advice for someone without experience. Now you tell us you have been a UPM and Executive Producer. Do I feel foolish....

My apologizes, I meant I am looking for a paid gig. My experience is only in volunteer work on those projects.

I don't. What happened to those productions? Did they ever get off the ground? Were there working pros on them? I still do a lot of free projects for friends - many of them never see the light of day and don't help. I'm often by far the most experienced person on them, and titles feel kind of arbitrary.

Paid gigs are hard to get you just need to keep on keeping on as I said and keep going for them. A lot of the paid gigs don't take the experience you have in the unpaid gigs. Perseverance is the key in this game.

2 of them are in production and 3 are in pre-production. Thanks everyone, I won´t stop till I reach my goals.

Good luck ... We have the same difficulty, sometimes ... We are new in the entertainment! But ... Never give up! Keep it up and you will find the right road! ;-))

look into staffmeup.com mandy.com craigslist if you haven't already. Best wishes.