Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 952: What if I don't have a lot of credits for a resume, is it better not to have one?

If you have at least two, put together a resume because it's the professional thing to do. It would look a little something like this (the formatting of this blog will move everything to the left, but imagine neat columns)

Joe Camera

CAMERA OPERATOR

555-555-5555

www.joecamera.com

SHOWS PRODUCTION CO DoP

Chuck (D camera) Warner Bros. Television Buzz Feitshans IV

SAW VI (C camera) Twisted Pictures David A Armstrong

SPECIAL SKILLS

Stunts; skiing, horseback riding, extreme sports, own an AG-3DA1 and a Canon 7D

EDUCATION

USC Film School

[Then to fill up space, get some testimonials from people you've worked with; DPs, OPs, 1st ACs, producers, directors, name actors]

Again, your resume doesn't get you the job, it gives you the credibility to be considered for the job. So, to cold-submit this resume may not be very effective. However, if you're taking meetings and are asked for a resume, you're handing them something that is professional, they're already getting to know you, and perhaps they'll comment on some of the testimonials and that will deepen the conversation.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 951:On Buzz radio you said no dates on resumes. Can you elaborate?

I was talking about the mistakes people make on their resumes and one of them is to model a "corporate business resume." These types of resumes are done in more of a paragraph format and have the dates the person worked at each company.

As I said on The BuZz, your resume doesn't get you work, it gives you credibility. So with each word or number you put on your resume you have to ask yourself, is this something that they could say "no" to? And obviously if it may make them say no, you don't want it on your resume.

Dates can give a lot of information that people can say "no" to. For example:

1. If your first credit was in 1963, and the director looking at your resume was born in 1983, you may get passed over because the young director doesn't want an "old guy" telling him what to do.

2. If your first 10 credits are all in 2009, clearly, you just started last year. While you have ten credits, you may still be viewed as lacking experience because you've only been working for a year.

3. If your most recent credit is 2010 but before that your last credit was 2001, the person reading it may wonder, "why wasn't this person being hired?" You may have a great answer, like you left the business to care for a parent, but you may never get the chance to explain.

4. If your most recent credit is 2001, people will really wonder, why hasn't anyone hired you and a major red flag goes up.

You don't want to raise any flags, red, yellow, or otherwise. It's just safer to keep your resume simple and date free, in my opinion. Besides, if they really want to know dates, they can check IMDB.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 950: how many movies do I have to watch of someone's before I ask them to mentor me?

There is no magic number. While I HIGHLY encourage you to do your research on people before asking them to mentor you, my concern with this question is to make sure that you're not using it as a procrastination method. Watch at least two, for a business and guidance mentorship. If it's a creative mentorship you'd want to watch as many as possible because if the person refers to something pertinent to the craft in a specific movie, you want to be able to say you saw it.

Never lie about seeing a movie that you haven't. Use it as an opportunity to say that you were waiting to watch it until after you spoke so you could get directions on what specifically to look for.

Back to the business and guidance mentorship. Because it's more about business advice and guidance, you won't really be talking about the films, you'll be talking about how the person got the jobs and maintained a career.

Most people will tell you that it was luck meaning they had talent and an opportunity. Don't fall for it. Dig deeper. Successful people aren't always aware of or are too humble to admit, that they are doing something right. I know PLENTY of talented people who got a "lucky opportunity" and then went straight back to the struggle grind. There is more to it than talent. They are doing something right that has to do with their work ethic, attitude, and more than likely going the EXTRA mile. Find out what they did on that extra mile... that's where the gold is.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 949: I'm on a roll dayplaying on 1 show, how do I turn it into more work?

The best time to seek out work is when you're working. If you're working a few days a week on a show, the best way to turn it into more days is to call people (either from set, on your way there, or on your way home) and share your passion about what you're working on. People get caught up in your excitement and passion and want to be around people who are so positive.

If you've had mentors or champions in the past, call them to tell them you're working and thank them for their contribution. If they are working on a show, perhaps ask for a set visit on an off day to maintain the momentum of being on set.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 948: How do you make money in this business?!?!?

He went on to discuss that he is the "King of the freebies." Well, there is lots of money to be made in this business, and the industry is also ever-changing which means that less money is being divvied here and more is being taken over there...

What this means to you, King, is that you have to be creating relationships with people who can hire you for money in conjunction with doing the freebies. In a past post I listed reasons why freebies are right for some people. What's important to remember is while you are working on freebies you MUST be building relationships with people who HAVE money, otherwise you get dubbed "The King of the Freebies."

This is what coaching does. You learn the strategies to target the right people, get in the door, make a great impression, maintain the the relationships, get first paid job, market it, get hired for paying jobs from that point forward.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 947: How do I make it as a filmmaker in NY?

The same way you make it anywhere else, including Los Angeles. The difference is, you have to work harder to find the entertainment community. When I lived in NY, I could be walking down the street next to an investment banker, an accountant, a magazine editor, a shoe designer, a PR person, a florist, a hotel manager, a taxi driver, and on and on...

In LA, you can be walking next to the same people BUT, the people are ALL 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. NY is big, and not revolving around the entertainment industry the way LA revolves around it.

So what that means for you, is that to be a filmmaker, you need to:

1. work on your craft

2. build your resume and reel

3. join entertainment industry networking groups

4. get mentors

Plenty of amazing filmmakers come out of NY, so take advantage of the fact that you are in a city where incredible talent is accessible.

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 946: What is a blog?

This was asked of me from an older generation of camera operators, who were interested in the topic I was presenting on, yet, unclear on what a blog actually is. Here is the definition of a blog:

blog (a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies) "postings on a blog are usually in chronological order"

I'd like to add "professional experiences" to that definition because it ties into the topic I was discussing. This blog for example, I have answered an entertainment industry question every day for 946 days. My Greenlight Coach blog is filled with articles and rants I have written, also on getting jobs in the entertainment industry. Blogging useful information establishes me as an authority in my niche.

Free resources for setting up blogs are www.blogger.com & www.wordpress.com (there are more, those are just the two I use)

Do your research before starting a blog, with the end in mind. While it was easy for me to set up this blog on blogger, many of the marketing strategies I have access to are only compatible with Wordpress.

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