A life of stardom and fame appeals to people all over the world.
Maybe you’ve imagined yourself stepping onto the red carpet at a movie premiere, or thanking the academy as you pick up your “best actor” Oscar.
Perhaps you want to star in the next Game of Thrones on the small screen or the next Avengers movie on the big screen. Or maybe you watched Lin Manuel Miranda take the stage in Hamilton: An American Musical , and decided you’re not going to throw away your shot to be on Broadway.
This guide will help you find career resources, 37 in fact, to help you land your dream job for a life on the screen or
stage.
Table of Contents
In this interview with former Grey’s Anatomy writer Pete Nowalk from the Hollywood Reporter, you’ll find tips on how to get a job in “Shondaland,” or network television. His tips include information on creating high-quality television and offers anecdotes about what working with Shonda Rimes was like.
At The Balance, author Phil Breman shares how to overcome the difficult step of getting your first job in film or television. Some of his tips include assessing your skills and polishing your resume.
This article from The Guardian shares insight into what it is like to work in the entertainment industry. Included here are basic dos and don’ts, tips for getting your foot in the door, how to include volunteer work on your resume and how to network effectively.
Here, Creative Skillset shares a breakdown of ways to enter the world of television. Some suggestions include information on courses, volunteering and more.
The television director of mediacollege.com shares his ideas for working in the television industry. Some tips include how to decide between on the job training and a more formal education and how to develop a list of contacts in the industry.
In this article from the Los Angeles Times, readers can get a firsthand look at what it means to be a production assistant, and how working as a production assistant can help their future career goals.
So you are dreaming of a life on Broadway, and this webpage from Backstage will tell you how to get there. The website includes information on great people in the theater, industry trends, training opportunities and more.
File Stage shares a list of 17 entertainment industry jobs that may fit your preferences and talents. They break the industry down into three categories: film, advertising and television, and share career options in each category.
Some possible jobs included are: a screenwriter, producer, director, or visual effects artist.
For each job category, File Stage tells you the pros and cons, special training required, average salary, how many jobs of each type of typically available in television, film or advertising, alternative jobs in the same area, and the most common work situation.
For example, if most jobs are typically full time, part time or freelance positions.
This article from Playbill shares stories of three people who rose in the ranks of theater production, and what they learned about themselves along the paths to their current careers.
VelvetJobs Expert Tip
Broadway is for the most part, a very closed-door-industry.
So, how to get your foot in the door?
Think galas, conferences and opening nights. Scrap cold emails or phone calls (for the most part) instead network in person.
A face-to-face introduction speaks a thousand words.
At Creative Choices, you’ll find a question and answer piece from Lindsay, a 24-year-old who is “desperate” to work in the theater industry, and an answer from Cheryl Martin, a theater expert.
Some of the tips from include seeing local productions and working in youth theater projects.
Read this Huffington Post article and find tips and tricks for breaking into a career in film. You’ll find information on colleges that offer film-related programs and how to break into the industry without formal training.
Blogger Larissa, at Needle Girl Haystack World, shares her experience working in production, and offers insights to help a person decide if they need a degree from a film school in order to work in the industry.
If you’d prefer to work behind the spotlight instead of in front of it, this article from Get in Media shares information on how to land a job writing for a television program.
Some suggestions include taking classes, reading scripts, and purchasing scripting software to write a spec, or pretend prospect, script for your favorite show.
Based in Los Angeles, we specialise in jobs in the entertainment industry. Updated regularly.
Sony Pictures offers an internship program, called SPECTRUM, for those interested in a career in entertainment. Interns will be able to work in a sector of the company that matches their area of interest, such as production or technology.
Entertainment magazine Variety has a frequently-updated list of jobs for those looking to work in the film, television or theater industry. Recent postings included opportunities in production, morning news, and filmmaking.
Applicants can search for positions by keyword or location, as well as post their resume.
Media Match is one place to look for jobs in the production industry. Job seekers can search by type of job, such as crew, production, or makeup jobs, or by keyword or location.
Recent jobs posted included a camera operator in Tempe, AZ, a production assistant in Nashville, TN a puppet artist in Berkeley, CA and a costume designer for a sci-fi film in Riverside, CA.
If you’re looking for a job in film or video production, Production Hub is a good place to start. Prospective applicants can search for full and part-time jobs, or freelance or temporary contract positions.
You can also search by job category, such as post production or reality series production and by job location, with locations all throughout the United States, Canada, and some international postings.
Recent job postings included a director in Denver, a production assistant in Williamsburg, VA, and a social media videographer in Hong Kong.
TV Watercooler is a job feed site specifically for people who are interested in freelancing in the entertainment industry.
On their website, you can search 12 different job boards at once.
In addition to the job board, TV Watercooler also offers articles on how to write your CV and cover email to a prospective employer, question and answer pages about unpaid work experience and advice on what type of salary to expect.
The Beat shares an unusual source for finding your next job in television, film or theater: Twitter.
The website shares different companies and organizations that regularly post jobs on Twitter, such as @GetFilmJobs, @filmandtvpro and NYC Media Jobs, whose Twitter handle is @tmj_nyc_media1.
Jobs are listed in different categories, too, such as video production and post production jobs, and also organized by location, like New York City or Ontario.
Social Media Groups and Forums
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In this Facebook group, you’ll find advice and information for people who are just starting out in television.
Here, you can post your resume for potential employers to see, as well as a place to ask questions and share information. Anyone looking for TV work can join this group.
The Production Managers and Execs Network on Facebook is a group for production managers and executives to share contacts, get advice and get answers to unusual questions, like what to do when you need to find a local film crew in Nigeria.
The group is invite-only, so it's recommended that you “friend” or ask someone you know in the group to add you to it.
This group on Facebook is for people working in the television industry to share job postings and advice.
VelvetJobs Expert Tip
Networking is an art form.
Firstly, remember that it's a conversation. There's no need to be nervous, there's a good chance the person you're talking with has already been in your shoes.
Secondly, add value, even online. As Mae Ross says, "Do you know of an actor that fits a role your casting director friend is looking for? Make an introduction. Is your agent looking for a new nanny for her daughter? Send out a blast on Facebook."
Here, you’ll find a Facebook group for people looking to break into the entertainment industry as make-up artists. The group is for beginners to share advice and ask questions.
Chicago Acting calls itself Facebook’s “number one resource” for finding feature-role casting calls and auditions in Chicago.
This group on Facebook is for people looking for casting calls and auditions in and around New York City.
In his Write On podcast, host Scott Baxenbaum interviews working television and film writers on honing their craft, their advice for people who want to get into the industry, and more.
In Screen Talk, a podcast produced by Indie Wire, Indie Wire staffers discuss current film and entertainment industry news, share reports from local and national film festivals and share opinions on current films.
The Playlist bills itself as “the obsessive’s guide to contemporary cinema.” Podcast topics include film discussion, news, reviews, soundtracks and more.
Podcast host and Broadway hopeful Eryn Woo interviews playwrights, actors, directors, talent agents and more to get (and share) advice about how one can make their dreams of performing on the Great White Way come true.
In his book, author Jim Volz shares tips and advice for how to break into the regional theater industry.
Many actors get their start in regional theater productions, and this book shares information on theater houses across the country, personal marketing, and a guide to theater unions.
In this insider’s guide to working on Broadway, author and Broadway manager and producer Mitch Weiss tells job hunters how to find Broadway jobs, outlines 200 jobs that are vital to any Broadway show, and shares personal stories from Broadway actors, producers, managers and more.
Despite the fact that it was written in 1971, Les Brown’s look at television through the eyes of a Variety reporter, the information within is still relevant today. Brown embedded himself with television producers and executives and learned all about programming strategies, demographic research and more.
Dean Slivers has worked as a television producer for decades, and his book shares secrets for those looking to get their foot in the door.
In this book by Emmy winner and former Party of Five actress Sandra Gordon, she shares her tips and advice for how to break into the industry.
The book was written with recent college graduates and career changers in mind, and shares information on how to write a resume and where to send it, strategies to keep your job and how to climb the industry ladder.
In Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player, screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez shares his story.
Rodriguez directed Sin City and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and tells readers how to share their own ideas and story.
At times a production diary and a how-to guide, Rodriguez tells future filmmakers how to make their dreams come true on a shoestring budget. The book also includes “The Ten Minute Film Course,” a short guide to how to teach yourself the basics of film production, directing and screenwriting.
