You’re going to hate hearing what I’m about to tell you, but administrative skills are where it’s at. Sounds like a strange thing to suggest, since the majority of you aren’t interested in becoming producers, but it’s true. Why do you ask? Because you have to figure out a way to pay the bills in between gigs so you’re not constantly eating up your vacation/retirement fund.
I’ve spent 20 years scratching my head trying to figure out if there’s a better way, and so far I haven’t managed to crack the code. I’ve always looked for something that I could do short term, and could walk away from at a moment’s notice when the next opportunity presented itself – and temping for agencies has been the solution to that problem.
If you’ve got other skill sets that can be marketed and you aren’t going to burn a bridge when you leave with barely any notice, more power to you. But if you’re at the beginning of your career take what I’m telling you seriously because it saved my bacon during many lulls in my production work.
It saved me from having to take jobs I didn’t want, and then sticking with them because I was fearful about what was going to happen after the next show ended. Once you’re ensconced in a 9 to 5 drudge job that pays the bills it’s hard to give it up for an unknown future. What if you get offered a film which is a month or two worth of work? Are you going to be willing to quit a secure position to throw the dice and see what happens? Most of us aren’t that brave!
Or will the company like you enough to give you a leave of absence? Not likely because this demonstrates to them your aspirations lay elsewhere, and you will want to leave again and again as your career grows. Businesses want someone who is reliable and committed – not someone whose dream it is to work in a different industry, and is waiting for their moment to make an escape.
And the thing with temping is you don’t have to put it on a resume. Nobody needs to know how you’ve managed to pay your rent. It’s your little secret.
It can take years before your career is sustaining you ,and even then the economy can take a nose dive, and with it goes a lot of work, which is what happened a few years ago. In Canada at least the only work that existed was doing reality television and I know a couple of colleagues who walked away from the industry instead of having to lower themselves from doing quality dramatic programming. I chose to stick it out instead, because I didn’t want to give up what I’d spent a couple of decades attempting to create.
Answering someone’s phones in the meantime became the only alternative. (I’m a writer also, but like most writers it likely isn’t going to make me wealthy. It’s just another way to supplement my income).
So learn Excel, learn Powerpoint, get good at word processing programs, increase your typing speed – because all that stuff makes you more marketable. Yes it’s not sexy, but either is slinging cappuccinos at Starbucks.
The hard part with our industry is the hours which are usually a 12 hour day. That makes it impossible to hang onto a second job: never mind the fact you’d be too exhausted to keep it up for long. You need something neat and tidy you can reactivate once your production has wrapped.
And don’t get me wrong I believe the benefits of working in our industry are there once you can get to the point of going from job to job with only a few months in between. The reality is that what I stand to make as a producer during a 6 month period equals what I would be receiving for a year’s work at a salaried position I’m qualified for. That frees us all up to do other things. (for me its writing scripts)
Yes your family and friends will consider you as being unemployed because you don’t have a regular job but that’s okay. You and I know there’s a method to the madness that will pay off one day in spades.
When I lived in Vancouver, which is where I built my career, I went from having big lulls to being constantly busy and in demand. I was never without work. It took me a few years to get there but it eventually worked as it should. You get to know people, you prove yourself, and they will want to keep using you because you’re good at what you do. The persistence and keeping at it is what counts.
I’ve since relocated and it’s proven to be a tough slog. I’m back to starting from stage one again because nobody knows me here, and I’m having to prove myself all over again. I feel like I’m back to where I started, so the plan had to be reactivated again. Do temping until the right things come along, and I know from experience the snow ball effect begins. One job leads to the next and the next and before you know it you’ve got a sustaining career on your hands. The first few jobs are the golden ticket and if you keep putting yourself out there they will eventually materialize.
And the trick is to be registered with several agencies at the same time. Don’t count on one to keep you busy. They want to spread the work around so they have a relatively large stable of people they can call upon. Don’t go to one and expect it’s going to keep you fed and a roof over your head because it won’t.
And yes retail is also another great option but I reserve that for Christmas time. It means you get two to three months’ worth of work, and then you’re done and you haven’t burned that bridge I was talking about when you want to leave. The job ends as the season comes to a close so you’ve always got the option of going back to the same store year after year and asking to be re-hired which they’ll only be too happy to do since you know their policies and how they operate.
Building a career in film and television can be a tricky proposition and it can be like walking through a mine field at first trying to figure out how to navigate it while not living like a pauper. Things are doubly difficult if you’re like me and don’t have a partner in your life to fall back on and to split expenses with. If you’re going it alone out in the big world you have to make sure your backside is covered because you don’t have someone there to cover you if no money is coming in this month. So if there is no man willing to come to your rescue, and your parents have gotten tired of writing you checks, you have to step up to the plate and do what you have to do in order to live an independent and enjoyable life – where you can afford to go out to dinner at a restaurant on the odd occasion.
You need to do what you need to do to not give up on your dreams. Because nothing sucks more than giving up on what brings passion, joy and excitement into your life. I know first-hand that it’s possible to do what you love to do and survive at it. It’s possible for your dedication and persistence to pay off and turn into the career you always dreamed of having. You just need to sort out how you’re going to avoid stepping on any mines, while staying on the right path…the one that leads to a lucrative and satisfying work life.