And...Action!

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1131: How should I prepare for an informational meeting with someone I've been referred to?

Preparing for an informational meeting with a referral is similar to preparing for a job interview. The differences being:

1. The person is meeting with you because of your connection to the person who referred you

2. It's not for a specific job

Therefore, in your preparation, you want to:

1. Know your objective(s) for the meeting

2. Research the person you're meeting with (seems obvious, but SO many people don't)

3. Design at least 5 questions that you really want to know the answers to

4. Compile a package that shows you in your best light

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Friday, April 13, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1130: Should you “settle” for work that may not be exactly what you want to pursue?

Never settle- Always strategize!

If you are going to take a job that is not ideal, strategically it should fall into one of the following categories:

1. It pays a tremendous amount of money (or the money that you need to survive)

2. There are new people you can meet, who can potentially hire/refer you to jobs you want, and/or people you want to meet

3. There are new "toys to play with" aka an opportunity to learn new equipment or sharpen your skills

4. There's an opportunity to get a piece of footage that is necessary for or missing from your reel

When a job is offered to you that is not "what you want", consider the possibilities of how you can use your business skills to turn it into an opportunity that will lead to jobs you DO want.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1129: Why is it important to BCC my mass emails?

Because thanks to my cousin I can now email Judd Apatow, which I'm sure Judd would be pretty pissed about.

Let me start by explaining BCC (Blind CC) for those of you who are unfamiliar with it. In an email that you are sending to more than one person, you have 3 choices of how to send it:

1. To: specifically to whom you're sending your email

2. Cc: carbon copy- others whom it may relate to, so you feel they should read it

3: Bcc: blind carbon copy- NO ONE you send it to sees who else you sent it to.

What happens if you send to more than one person via "To" or "Cc?"Everyone receiving that email now has all of the email addresses of your colleagues.

In business, this has the potential to create privacy issues. If you violate someone's privacy they may become very ANGRY with you. This may cost you:

1. a relationship

2. jobs

3. money

Be aware of proper email etiquette. Beware you "Reply-all" people. Bcc!!! I don't need everyone in the internet ether knowing my email addresses. Neither do your valued clients, business relationships, mentors, and friends.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1128: How important is it for me to separate the different things I do (act, direct, produce, write, edit)?

It depends on the conversation you're having. If you're talking to a casting director whom you don't know very well, you want to present yourself as an actor. It's not important to them that you edit because that's not what they're hiring you for.

If you're talking to a producer as a writer/director, be careful about mentioning that you're an actor because the first thing they'll be concerned about is that you want to connect yourself to the project and it will be a deal breaker.

If you are talking to someone about partnering on an independent film that you've written, want to direct, and have a small acting role in, it would be advantages to mention that you edit because so many projects fall apart in post.

The bottom line is, you have to assess the circumstances and the relationship with the person, before revealing all of your hats.

Whatever you do, make sure you have separate marketing materials. Any business card that has all of those slashes can make someone think that you do a little of everything but don't have fabulous talent in one area.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1127: Do you have to be in a union to take pictures on set?

Not only do you have to be in a union but there's an actual name for the classification: Still Photographer.

In some cases they let cameras on the set for continuity and wardrobe, but to take stills of the production you must be a still photographer.

Now if you are a still photographer and you're not in the union you can accrue your days toward getting into the union by working on non-union productions. And be sure to check with Contract Services to make sure you are saving the important paperwork like pay stubs, etc. so your days will qualify.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Monday, April 9, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1126: Why is it such a Catch 22 to get into a Union?

Because being a union member means that you have a level of experience that you have to prove. Producers who hire union members expect that level of expertise. Therefore you have to work a certain number of days to get the experience to be allowed into the union.

In most cases, the people that get their days to qualify for union membership have gone the extra mile to get those days. People who are wiling to go the extra mile are the ones who people want to hire. Evaluate what you're doing to go the extra mile. And if you're not going the extra mile and can't figure out how, that's what coaching is for.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1125: Does the camera I use to shoot my short film matter? Some people use cell phones.

It depends on your objective for making the film (Don't kill me camera friends). When you're looking to create a calling card, content is king, so if it's a really well written and well acted short, you can get recognition even if it's not shot on 35.

On the flip side, if it looks terrible, it can take away from the acting and writing. So see what you can do. There are so many talented people out there with equipment looking to build their reels.

Now, if you are a DP/Director, then ABSOLUTELY the look matters, obviously. Technology is always changing and becoming more accessible. Do you plan to go to NAB? It's important to stay up to date and educated on the advances.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1124: Should I go to film school?

First, let me say that this person gave me no history, so I have no idea where he/she is coming from. Having coached as many people as I have, I know this could be:

A: someone who isn't in the industry yet, and wants to be

B: someone in the industry who is not a head of a department, and wants to be

C: neither of the above

I will not be addressing "C," unless the person is neither A nor B, and writes to give me the specifics.

Let's be realistic, I can't answer this question because you have to answer it for yourself. I can advise you on what to ask yourself in order to make your decision. So, here goes...

On numerous occasions I've had clients come to me and say, "I want to move up and no one's giving me the chance. Should I go to film school?" I ask them how they see that as a solution. Here are some of the responses I get:

1. I would be forced to build up a reel (and variations that don't include force)

2. I could create relationships with other students and teachers

3. I could get mentors

4. I would hone my skills & perfect my craft

These are all good reasons to go to film school. However, you can do all of those things without film school. My old boss, a Producer, and at the time, head of the producer program at a prestigious film school, once said to me that the students could take all the money they spend on school and make a film. It would teach them everything and more.

On the other hand, when I was working with clients who made the decision to go to film school and we created a 2-3 year business plan, they had outstanding results.

For those of you not in the industry and interested, it's the same question: what do you want to get out of film school that you can't get from real world experience? If your answer is worth the time and investment, go to film school.

If you do choose to go to film school, my advice is to make the most out of it. Film school can be so much more than what you learn in class.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Friday, April 6, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1123: What do I do if my boss won't move me up?

There are many reasons why a boss or head of a department won't move you up. I could list some of the reasons, but really, you'll never know the true answer unless your boss tells you.

The bottom line is, if you don't have a boss willing to move you up, you have to:

1. Build up your credits, in the "next-level" position, outside of your workplace/crew

2. Create relationships with people as your "new-position" so that's how they perceive you

My sister is in a completely different field, advertising sales. She started as an assistant in a large company that didn't promote assistants. She had to leave her company to get a sales job for another company. After that, she was able to return to her original company as a sales person.

It happens all over, not just in the entertainment industry.