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How I broke into the film industry ...

August 2021 | Gregg Mira

Gregg decided to move into the film industry from events management in October 2020. This is how he went from zero experience to a phone full of contacts ...

How I broke into the film industry ... Image

My journey with MyFirstJobinFilm.com started in September 2020 when I was made redundant after the covid outbreak in the UK. I was a creative & production assistant in the live event industry working for an award-winning immersive event company. After the dismissal from my job, I decided to move into the film and TV industry and use my event production background to try to find a production role in the film industry.

At first, I felt totally lost and did not even know where to look on the internet to find entry-level opportunities, and then I found MyFirstJobinFilm.com which honestly was life-changing for me. As soon as I signed up, I immediately knew it was the right place to find what I was looking for. I was impressed by the number of new job posts available every week on the website. You find at least 4 to 6 new openings every day or every other day for various departments. The educational content on the website was also very helpful, I went from knowing almost nothing about the film industry to understanding all the different departments, positions, and career paths you can undertake.

Then it was time for me to rework my CV with the advice and tips given on the website and start applying. I have to say at first, I wasn’t successful with my applications because I applied for roles that required 2 to 3 credits. So, I made the decision to focus on volunteering opportunities and work experiences. I managed to get a credit after I contacted a line producer and offered to work as a PA and runner for a reduced rate on set for a few weeks.

Once I’ve had that on my CV, I started applying for roles that required 1 or 2 credits and I found my first opportunity as a Production Assistant on a feature film…. 4 weeks of preparation, 6 weeks of shooting and 2 weeks of “wrap”, a 3-month project working on an indie feature film with a cast from L.A, London, and Edinburgh. This was an experience I would never forget, setting up a shoot for a crew of over 70 people in 4 different locations, there wasn’t a day without me learning something new…

At the end of this project, I had the phone number of every single person in the production, location, ADs and Art departments which helped me so much after to find more work.

Now I have about 5 credits in the Film & TV industry, and I have 3 to 6 people texting me every month on WhatsApp to check if I’m available. This industry is all about who you know!

So here are some of my tips for you to have the best start on the website and in the industry:

  • 1st read all the educational content on the website to have an idea of what you want to do
  • 2nd Rework your CV with the templates available on the website
  • 3rd Get work experience and volunteering opportunities, message employers to offer your help for free or for a reduced rate so you can get more credits appearing at the top of your CV
  • 4th Apply for your first role!

 

Once you start working, you need to make sure to have a can-do attitude and be as helpful as possible with whoever needs help on set or in the office. You kind of have to be a YES MAN at the beginning because you want people to know you are reliable and helpful at any time in the day. This is literally what will make people remember you and call you weeks later to give you more work…




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