Securing Jobs in Your Actual Concentration
There is a major difference between landing a generic industry paycheck and landing a job that actually aligns with your filmmaking goals. For this section of our survey, we tracked the crucial milestone where alumni transitioned into their primary areas of concentration.
Below, graduates recount the specific strategies that finally moved the needle for them.
Writer
Clinical Assistant Professor of Mass Communications
Office PA
Producer
Writer & Director
Temp Assistant to a Film Producer
I wanted to be a DP, I shot a lot of short films after graduation. I no longer do that now and am a Union Key Grip
Editor
Screenwriter
Did coursework in post while studying writing, worked as an AE
1st AD
Post PA
Producer
VFX artist
Research PA
Director
Post Production Technician
Screenwriter
Art Direction
Director / commercials
Creative Producer
Cinematographer
Producer
Showrunner's Assistant
DOP
Assistant Editor
Production Assistant
Assistant Editor
Writers Asst
Development Assistant
Post Production Assistant
Director of Photography
Gaffer
Online Editor
Assistant Editor
Assistant Editor Indie Doc feature
Production Assistant & Associate Producer
I wanted to do action sports video, and I got hired at a summer snowboard camp as a videographer
screenwriter
Editor
Director
Editor
Production Assistant
Counsel,Motion picture group
Production Secretary
Production Assistant
Just sending out emails
Old employer made a connection for me.
Classmate got a job and hired me
Got the job based on industry connections and proven track records of being competent and great to work with
Knew who was hiring before they put out the call
Recommended by professor.
Networking through film school helped me connect with professionals who were looking for assistants. I reached out to alumni and leveraged those connections, which eventually led to my first job as a production assistant.
Hustle. Made spec work. Got hired for small commercial
I met crew members through my job at a lighting house
Through connection with upm
This was another place I interned at during film school. After I graduated, I wrote my producer and she told me to apply for the gig
Friends from film school hired me
I had a peer that previously worked on a show and many of the office production team were also Towson University graduates, so I had significant alumni connection.
A peer from school worked here and recommended me to this job
Fellow alumni had to leave a job and got me an interview to take over the position
While working on set as G/E I approached a producer who owned the post production facility and asked if I could come and check out the office. I showed up and offered to help. Then I just kept coming back every day and helping until they started paying me.
As I previously mentioned, this was a position I received after working with one of my film professors in school before graduation and then essentially became titled "Producer" after graduation even though I had been more or less doing the work before that point. In school I wanted to focus on becoming a producer and after I did, I decided that I really just want to be able to produce my own work and also direct more films.
A friend referred me to a producer for another gig. I ended up working with that producer on a few projects and we became friends and collaborators. When the opportunity to direct a commercial popped up, I nominated myself and was given the opportunity. Did a great job and directed many more commercials for that company.
I “interned” on an independent film as a director’s assistant. (I was in college and this film was such a small budget, they didn’t have the money to pay me but said I was welcome to come to set each day to hang out and learn.) After that film wrapped- the Producer asked if I was open to work (for money) on a film she was the production accountant for.
Grad school Alumni network - friend of a friend
My editing professor knew the VP of post production at Boardwalk Pictures and got me in touch with him. He later hired me for one of their shows.
Pitched for and won a commercial bid
I won the Nicholl fellowship, which led to an exec reaching out and offering a chance to pitch on a project. They hired me to write the project I pitched on.
I was a teaching assistant while in school which prepared me well for a transition into academia. I also had an established body of work that was recognized with awards and at festivals.
I met a NYC crew who traveled to Rochester for a feature and found them when I graduated
Met VFX supervisor on my first film project
The internship coordinator at SCA referred me
Craig’s List posting turned out to be a major studio hiring anonymously
After working at Avid for 2 years I moved to Los Angeles. I sent out resumes to every post house in the LA411 (a production yellow pages in the 90s and early 2000s) - I probably sent around 50 resumes. Cold called many and one day I called a post house in Venice Beach and they asked if I could come in immediately. Had a good interview and noticed that they were having issues with their Avid DS. Since I knew the head of Avid DS support I put them in contact and they hired me, I found out later that they had fired their other Assitant Editor earlier the day I called for leaving master tapes on the top of their car and then driving off and destroying them.
Pay
I thought I knew more than I did. Lol. Great to work on a whole variety of projects.
Loved working, didn’t like the content or executives.
Perks of working for a big studio were great; hours were long and crappy.
Fascinating/terrible hours.
I loved the opportunity to work on set and learn from experienced filmmakers. However, I disliked the long hours and the often hectic environment that could be overwhelming at times.
Stupid brand. Loved getting to pitch an idea and work with a team of people I picked up
I love being in production.
More consistent days needed
I like being the DP, I didn’t like how many favor jobs you had to do for little/no rate
I love that I was meeting like-minded industry professional both under me and those with more credits and experience. I disliked the working environment and how physically taxing the show was, I was at my worse health in my life despite being in seemingly perfect health before starting the show. My mental health was also extremely effected as the working environment was toxic and carried unnecessary pressure.I even had a coworker be checked into a mental hospital due to the stress causing her to breakdown.
Got to upgrade what cameras and lights I was working with and shoot in a different style than I had learned at school. Didn't always love the run and gun style and again very disconnected from real film sets that I wanted to be on.
Loved it was editing, did not love the content or how far I had to drive to get to the job location
I love post production. But the drive was too far.
It was great being given the opportunity to produce a feature film so green and fresh out of school. I've learned that it is a thankless job and I was criminally underpaid, alas. I know better now. I'm also learning that I only want to give that kind of bandwidth to people I really trust and care about - just taking the job for money is not worth it, especially since you work so many hours that you run down your hourly rate to almost nothing if you are being paid a stipend, etc. You've caught me at an interesting time in my career where I am trying to actively pivot from one place to another. I will continue to produce, but for things I care about 10000%. Not just jobs where I think, oh sure this would be an interesting opportunity - and then I get swept up in the nonsense so fast that I don't understand how I got where I was. I sort of blame some of that on the fact that I was still a student when I agreed to do it and I was under the impression that I would shadow another producer, but then I became the producer I was supposed to shadow. When I tell people this story, no one is surprised and almost everyone says that my experience is kind of common in the film industry.
Honestly, I love seeing the word Director next to my name on the call sheet. I didn’t love that the production was underfunded and understaffed and pretty stressful. But I learned that’s kind of always the case even on high budget projects.
Being on a real film set for the first time and being “boots on the ground” was a learning unlike anything a classroom can prepare you for. I was working 12 hour days in the production office and on set. I was being taught by industry veterans. And I was sent from dept. to dept. and was able to experience what the real world was like. It allowed me to gain a unique perspective and eventually realize that I would rather work in production than camera.At the time, the chaos seemed like disorganization. But in hindsight, it was eye opening from the safe classrooms I had only known up to that point.
Wish I was paid better, but the team was great and I learned a lot.
Creative opportunity! Lower rates
It was awesome to be getting paid to do what I love. The exec, however, kept changing the mandate and I did many unpaid rewrites.
I loved immediately having an income and teaching, I didn't like the location (Texas)
I liked it all
I like it so far, I like that its diverse and not just script coverage
I liked that I got to travel and had a lot of creative involvement along with coordination. Pay was low for the amount of work.
It was a music video house in Venice Beach. I was quickly thrown into the music video worked working with directors like Wayne Isham, artists like Cher, Madonna, Outkast, No Doubt, Linkin Park. I worked closely with the editors and they liked the work I did so eventually I was able to do changes for them and work with them eventually led to other jobs at other post houses and assisting on independent features and eventually editing independent features and music videos and eventually unscripted TV. Good work beget work beget work. Do good work and be conscientious and pleasant and the work will follow.
Below, graduates recount the specific strategies that finally moved the needle for them.
What was the formal title of your job directly related to your area of study/concentration?
Assistant EditorWriter
Clinical Assistant Professor of Mass Communications
Office PA
Producer
Writer & Director
Temp Assistant to a Film Producer
I wanted to be a DP, I shot a lot of short films after graduation. I no longer do that now and am a Union Key Grip
Editor
Screenwriter
Did coursework in post while studying writing, worked as an AE
1st AD
Post PA
Producer
VFX artist
Research PA
Director
Post Production Technician
Screenwriter
Art Direction
Director / commercials
Creative Producer
Cinematographer
Producer
Showrunner's Assistant
DOP
Assistant Editor
Production Assistant
Assistant Editor
Writers Asst
Development Assistant
Post Production Assistant
Director of Photography
Gaffer
Online Editor
Assistant Editor
Assistant Editor Indie Doc feature
Production Assistant & Associate Producer
I wanted to do action sports video, and I got hired at a summer snowboard camp as a videographer
screenwriter
Editor
Director
Editor
Production Assistant
Counsel,Motion picture group
Production Secretary
Production Assistant
Please go into detail on how you got this job related to your primary filmmaking goal(s):
I wanted to write and directJust sending out emails
Old employer made a connection for me.
Classmate got a job and hired me
Got the job based on industry connections and proven track records of being competent and great to work with
Knew who was hiring before they put out the call
Recommended by professor.
Networking through film school helped me connect with professionals who were looking for assistants. I reached out to alumni and leveraged those connections, which eventually led to my first job as a production assistant.
Hustle. Made spec work. Got hired for small commercial
I met crew members through my job at a lighting house
Through connection with upm
This was another place I interned at during film school. After I graduated, I wrote my producer and she told me to apply for the gig
Friends from film school hired me
I had a peer that previously worked on a show and many of the office production team were also Towson University graduates, so I had significant alumni connection.
A peer from school worked here and recommended me to this job
Fellow alumni had to leave a job and got me an interview to take over the position
While working on set as G/E I approached a producer who owned the post production facility and asked if I could come and check out the office. I showed up and offered to help. Then I just kept coming back every day and helping until they started paying me.
As I previously mentioned, this was a position I received after working with one of my film professors in school before graduation and then essentially became titled "Producer" after graduation even though I had been more or less doing the work before that point. In school I wanted to focus on becoming a producer and after I did, I decided that I really just want to be able to produce my own work and also direct more films.
A friend referred me to a producer for another gig. I ended up working with that producer on a few projects and we became friends and collaborators. When the opportunity to direct a commercial popped up, I nominated myself and was given the opportunity. Did a great job and directed many more commercials for that company.
I “interned” on an independent film as a director’s assistant. (I was in college and this film was such a small budget, they didn’t have the money to pay me but said I was welcome to come to set each day to hang out and learn.) After that film wrapped- the Producer asked if I was open to work (for money) on a film she was the production accountant for.
Grad school Alumni network - friend of a friend
My editing professor knew the VP of post production at Boardwalk Pictures and got me in touch with him. He later hired me for one of their shows.
Pitched for and won a commercial bid
I won the Nicholl fellowship, which led to an exec reaching out and offering a chance to pitch on a project. They hired me to write the project I pitched on.
I was a teaching assistant while in school which prepared me well for a transition into academia. I also had an established body of work that was recognized with awards and at festivals.
I met a NYC crew who traveled to Rochester for a feature and found them when I graduated
Met VFX supervisor on my first film project
The internship coordinator at SCA referred me
Craig’s List posting turned out to be a major studio hiring anonymously
After working at Avid for 2 years I moved to Los Angeles. I sent out resumes to every post house in the LA411 (a production yellow pages in the 90s and early 2000s) - I probably sent around 50 resumes. Cold called many and one day I called a post house in Venice Beach and they asked if I could come in immediately. Had a good interview and noticed that they were having issues with their Avid DS. Since I knew the head of Avid DS support I put them in contact and they hired me, I found out later that they had fired their other Assitant Editor earlier the day I called for leaving master tapes on the top of their car and then driving off and destroying them.
What did you love the most and dislike the most about your first filmmaking job related to your concentration?
Projects take forever (late notes, things get dragged out)Pay
I thought I knew more than I did. Lol. Great to work on a whole variety of projects.
Loved working, didn’t like the content or executives.
Perks of working for a big studio were great; hours were long and crappy.
Fascinating/terrible hours.
I loved the opportunity to work on set and learn from experienced filmmakers. However, I disliked the long hours and the often hectic environment that could be overwhelming at times.
Stupid brand. Loved getting to pitch an idea and work with a team of people I picked up
I love being in production.
More consistent days needed
I like being the DP, I didn’t like how many favor jobs you had to do for little/no rate
I love that I was meeting like-minded industry professional both under me and those with more credits and experience. I disliked the working environment and how physically taxing the show was, I was at my worse health in my life despite being in seemingly perfect health before starting the show. My mental health was also extremely effected as the working environment was toxic and carried unnecessary pressure.I even had a coworker be checked into a mental hospital due to the stress causing her to breakdown.
Got to upgrade what cameras and lights I was working with and shoot in a different style than I had learned at school. Didn't always love the run and gun style and again very disconnected from real film sets that I wanted to be on.
Loved it was editing, did not love the content or how far I had to drive to get to the job location
I love post production. But the drive was too far.
It was great being given the opportunity to produce a feature film so green and fresh out of school. I've learned that it is a thankless job and I was criminally underpaid, alas. I know better now. I'm also learning that I only want to give that kind of bandwidth to people I really trust and care about - just taking the job for money is not worth it, especially since you work so many hours that you run down your hourly rate to almost nothing if you are being paid a stipend, etc. You've caught me at an interesting time in my career where I am trying to actively pivot from one place to another. I will continue to produce, but for things I care about 10000%. Not just jobs where I think, oh sure this would be an interesting opportunity - and then I get swept up in the nonsense so fast that I don't understand how I got where I was. I sort of blame some of that on the fact that I was still a student when I agreed to do it and I was under the impression that I would shadow another producer, but then I became the producer I was supposed to shadow. When I tell people this story, no one is surprised and almost everyone says that my experience is kind of common in the film industry.
Honestly, I love seeing the word Director next to my name on the call sheet. I didn’t love that the production was underfunded and understaffed and pretty stressful. But I learned that’s kind of always the case even on high budget projects.
Being on a real film set for the first time and being “boots on the ground” was a learning unlike anything a classroom can prepare you for. I was working 12 hour days in the production office and on set. I was being taught by industry veterans. And I was sent from dept. to dept. and was able to experience what the real world was like. It allowed me to gain a unique perspective and eventually realize that I would rather work in production than camera.At the time, the chaos seemed like disorganization. But in hindsight, it was eye opening from the safe classrooms I had only known up to that point.
Wish I was paid better, but the team was great and I learned a lot.
Creative opportunity! Lower rates
It was awesome to be getting paid to do what I love. The exec, however, kept changing the mandate and I did many unpaid rewrites.
I loved immediately having an income and teaching, I didn't like the location (Texas)
I liked it all
I like it so far, I like that its diverse and not just script coverage
I liked that I got to travel and had a lot of creative involvement along with coordination. Pay was low for the amount of work.
It was a music video house in Venice Beach. I was quickly thrown into the music video worked working with directors like Wayne Isham, artists like Cher, Madonna, Outkast, No Doubt, Linkin Park. I worked closely with the editors and they liked the work I did so eventually I was able to do changes for them and work with them eventually led to other jobs at other post houses and assisting on independent features and eventually editing independent features and music videos and eventually unscripted TV. Good work beget work beget work. Do good work and be conscientious and pleasant and the work will follow.
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