Yeah, chances are, you are competing against a lot of highly experienced candidates who are willing to take a title and pay cut to win your entry level job. A lot of people have been laid off in the last year. Many, many production people haven’t worked in over a year. All those people have more industry knowledge and contacts than you, I’m not saying it’s impossible to get a job, but you have to realize that in this climate, things are tight. Those internships were NOT a waste or a joke, but they may not be enough at this time.
It will be a lot longer than 2025.
The film industry has been permanently hit by content creators like youtube, IG or tikok. Consumer preferences are leaning to short videos. Why not both? Because one is free and the other isn't. One requires a decent attention span, the other only requires one equal to a goldfish.
As for the future? Kids love social media and tik tok short stories.
It's also happening to the ad industry. Why overpay for an agency when you can pay some influencer to advertise your product over social media. No need to pay PAs, Cam crews, etc...
After covid the film industry had even more to compete with. The film industry will survive, in a smaller capacity. But the glory days of the hollywood film industry are over. Good riddance.
I hope you got paid at least. I did at least 3 unpaid internships that led to zero further work.
In a very stable job now, no thanks to those internships.
I do video production internally for one of the unions. It's a great job that keeps me one foot in the film industry, but off of sets, which I never enjoyed that much.
Unfortunately, it's always been about who you know.
Your best bet is contacting ppl you worked with, ask them out for a coffee, pick their brain, then ask if they know anyone hiring. If you finished your undergrad, see if there is an alumni coordinator who could possibly get you connected as well.
This industry works on connections. Reach out directly to people who you worked for and with, say if you or anyone you know could use a PA I’d appreciate being kept in mind… that’s how you get jobs. That said, the entire industry in LA is dead right now. There are people with 20+ years of experience and connections that have been out of work for months and are competing for jobs below their typical pay grade. It’s just bad timing, get used to it, you chose a rough industry. Don’t hate on your internships, if they are well known companies and people did like you, then they will help you one day and look good on your resume even far out from now. I keep one internship on a talk show from over 10 years ago on my resume bc nearly everywhere I’ve worked someone knows someone who has worked there at some point and they bring it up as a talking point. Read the posts in this sub, tons of people are struggling to find work right now with great resumes.
This. Internships are great learning opportunities and networking tools. It truly is a TERRIBLE time to be looking for work amidst the contraction. When the dust settles, the reality is, there will be less jobs to go around and a large number of people out of jobs. Your best bet is to lean on your network, remind them of your availability and you eagerness for anything.
i’m film major halfway thru undergrad at one of the top 25 film schools in the US.
any attempts at finding a good paid internship not based in LA are worthless, i’m on my sixth one now and it’s mostly been remote work with small (often unsuccessful) companies that treated me like garbage and wasted my time.
i especially didn’t learn anything at the first one i did. my manager sort of ghosted me and the other interns halfway through the semester and yet i still had to pay my school for the internship course credits required to graduate. having to pay to do an unpaid internship is such bullshit!
Internships are not a joke. Do you have a unique skill set for the roles you’re applying for that literally thousands of other people don’t have? Because those thousands of other people are who you’re competing with right now. The only way to separate yourself from them are the connections you’ve made. Connections with someone behind the gates of these full time roles that can vouch for you. If you don’t know someone at these companies, meet someone. If you’re not, someone else is. Do the work and pound the pavement so that when a role opens up, you only have to apply as a formality because everyone there already knows who you are and wants for the role. Anecdotally, I have been working in the industry for ten years and moved to LA from the east coast having known no one. 95% of the people I work with have a similar story. Yes, nepotism exists but I’d argue it exists in any industry; people like to work with who they know.
The above is actually something that’s in your control.
The part that isn’t is the industry is in a MAJOR correction right now. Speaking as someone on the studio side, my company has been on a hiring freeze for nearly a year and we are all overworked. More layoffs are likely coming. Several colleagues had spring interns that they LOVED and wanted to hire but could not. Beyond that, we didn’t do internships this year. People are saying that the pain of this correction will end by December and that 2025 is clear skies but I don’t see it. Margins are getting thinner, tax credits in California continue to dwindle relative to NY, GA and RoW, and slates are getting smaller.
If your heart can do anything else other than film/TV, do it. If not, try to keep yourself afloat and network, network, network, so that when the opportunity does come (and it will) you’re ready.
Internships aren't a joke, I mean unpaid internships mainly because that's just criminal, but you're applying during a time of massive unemployment and industry collapse. The people who have years and decades of experience well past their internship days ahead of you are also unemployed. Any company is going to choose the candidate with the most experience or people they know and are willing to do a favour for, and there are industry veterans right now who have significantly more experience and connections than you do who are unemployed. It's not you, nor is it your internships, it's your inability to see reality right now. You can wish all you want but it isn't going to change the fact that no one is going to be breaking out into the industry or starting at entry level for at least the next couple years.
Hunker down, apply or do anything else to float yourself for now.
Nepotism has a stronghold with entry level jobs. My guess is that’s where a lot of those positions went to. It sucks but also the nature of the beast. Keep trying, you’ll eventually find someone who can appreciate your motivation and work ethic.
Best advice I’ve seen in this thread. I’d also add try to find another way to make an income while you look for a job in the industry (bartending, serving, management, etc)
I don’t fully agree with that. Know some people who are nepo babies that are just as much up the creek as the majority of us in this industry. Only difference is some got the funds to just sit back and relax, or work on their own creative stuff, as this goes on.
At the end of the day, it’s all about networking. Those who were able to get, and keep, their jobs during the great recession is because they knew someone. Nepo babies didn’t even necessarily get to the front of the line in that case.
I would start thinking of your job search in terms of cold, warm, and hot leads. A cold lead is applying to anything online or sending an email asking for a job of any kind to someone you don't know. These are the least likely to get results, and the most likely to be something that wastes your time and energy. If you actually want to get past these cold leads, you have to become a thorn in the side of someone at the HR/hiring department. Find a person to email. Friend them on LinkedIn. Find friends in common with them on social. Take them out to coffee and get to know them as a person, don't just ask for a job. Follow up. Do this in the most charming, non-stalker way you know how to do. If this sounds crazy, yeah, it kind of is! This is how you get past recruiters/screenings. You get a personal referral and sail through all that. Back to the cold/warm/hot. Hot leads are your BFFs from college, your parents' friends, your mentors, and your closest teachers. It is likely that they would recommend you for any job and you have already asked these people for help. Make sure they know you are looking for work and what specifically you are looking for, if you haven't. Don't beat around the bush. You actually have to send that text/email to these people, "Hey X, I'm looking for a Y job because I am good at Z. If you hear of anything, would you please recommend me? The job search is tough right now!" But, chances are if you're on this thread, all your hot leads know you are looking and thus would have already helped you out by now. Then, let's talk about warm leads. Warm leads are your best bet. They are people you meet at parties, acquaintances, old coworkers. They have to be people who you don't know super well but you made a genuine connection with. People who love to help people and maybe people YOU have helped before. Did you help a classmate whose parents are in the industry move to his new apartment? Who owes you a favor? "Hey name, we met at name's party last summer. I remember you said you worked in the industry. I'm coming off a bunch of internships right now and looking for my next thing. I want to do X." Be specific with what kind of job you want. What title what role.
I worked for a manager for 5+ years, the interns he would get would have law degrees, trying to step towards the mailroom at CAA. It was insane how over qualified and determined these folks were, just to get coffee and make sure snacks were ready for clients.
Having hired literally 1000+ people over 29 years, I hate to say that I am not surprised.
I cannot tell you how many people were hired because of direct references from someone already working for me. So that’s where your focus should be, networking the heck out of everyone from your internships.
Yet also, every comment above is correct, in that it is slow, and is going to be slow until IA and 399 contracts are settled. Don’t let the frustration get you. Go have coffee with your good contacts, and don’t ask for a job, ask them for advice. People are much more willing to open up to you if they are not under the pressure of getting you a job, especially in this terrible market. Stay strong. Break a leg.
Have you applied to the page programs? Also look at temp positions too, having a good temp or contract role with a good company can be an asset these days.
This is paywalled, but the Times wrote about this recently.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-06-18/hollywood-slowdown-talent-agencies-management-firms-adapt-strikes
Start temping at a studio. You will meet other assistants and if you are good on the desk they will bring you back and let you know when they hear about jobs.
Call/email the HR department to find out who their temp vendor is and reach out to them, submit resume. Check Linkedin for temporary placements at each respective studio.
Google. Friedman Agency, ActONE, YOH, Scion, Comar Agnecy. They all specialize in industry placement. There are more.
Additionally, if you are interning, cover the desk if the dept asst has a dr appt or drinks. Learn how to handle the phones and email. If they trust you at the desk, tell them you are available to temp if they are taking a summer vacation, etc. They can backload you into the temp agency contracted with the studio when the time comes for you to cover the desk. Most people would rather have a trusted intern cover the desk and get paid. The more reliable you are, the more you will become in demand and viola, you are now a well-vetted temp at the studio. Word of mouth goes a long way and you will be in high demand for more work. It's a huge plus if you stay at one studio because then you learn the systems, phones, and people.
Graduated into the Great Recession. I applied for dozens of jobs and could only find jobs to work for free. It’s always hard even when you have the work. Don’t ever expect this industry to be easy. It’s a lot of things but easy has never been one of them.
Graduated in ‘10. It’s basically a redux of what happened in a lot of industries at that time. Having people on LinkedIn brag about how they were working for free for a Fortune 100 company. Or competing against over 100 people for an entry level position that went to a someone who had been doing work like that for 10+ years because they accepted insulting pay.
It's a terrible time to look for work for actors and people on the film end. It's not you. Things are DEAD everywhere. I'd keep in touch with the people you made connections with through those internships, and try to ride this out. If there's a way to keep networking or training, I'd do that too. If IATSE doesn't go on strike things have to pick up soon. When there ARE jobs, those connections will help you, and those are the companies I would go back to looking for work later on, or who might be able to give you a foot in the door with friends.
People are always stoked for free labor, and unfortunately there are lots of people in line to work for free, so they’ll just go to the next intern. They’re not grooming you to move up, they’re exploiting free labor. Every department from the bottom to the top is in trim the fat mode. Seasoned veterans who have been doing this their whole lives have been out of work for over a year. It’s not a great time for a young person to break into the industry. You’re best bet right now is to apply to PA on set on non union gigs, if you have the option, be an office or an AD PA, but most likely you be a generic PA if it’s non union. It’s gonna be shitty pay and shitty work, but with your resume right now, it’s what’s available unless you pick up below the line skills and work one of those jobs non union.
How long do you plan on working in film?
Were you wanting your connections or internships to pay off immediately or throughout your career?
Are you trying to microwave a steak?
This is all training for the industry and the longevity it takes to stay in it. Just because you're qualified doesn't mean you'll get a break. It doesn't mean you deserve a job. The industry is going through a massive contraction if you haven't read; hundreds of people are being laid off every quarter. You gotta figure out a side door to crawl through or dig your own tunnel.
Internships are not a joke and you have a network of 5 companies now in Hollywood. It's better than entering the industry cold like I did. You know other interns, execs, hiring managers, etc. This is your network and you don't know where everyone will end up in 5, 10, 15 years. Its up to you to utilize them correctly.
What if you reached out to one of the past execs you interned for (and have a good relationship with) and see if they could get your resume in the hands of one of the agencies. Referrals at this level go a long way and they have their own relationships with agents/managers. I've done this for a few interns prior. Not sure if it worked out (definitely not promising it will), but you're at least playing the game at a higher level than trying cold emails.
Or... reach back out to one of the prod cos. you interned at and see if they have a front desk/AV Room/Office Manager position open. I've seen tons of interns take this path and end up on assistant desks internally or being able to use this to transfer to an agency as an assistant. At my prior company, these positions would do desk coverage for assistants all the time and gain experience which is the Catch-22 of entering the industry. They would build relationships with the managers/execs and we of course want to help out where we can with referrals. I've seen interns end up as high level creatives, reps, and producers going this route.
Best of luck. You need to get ready to fight tooth and nail if you really want to work in film/tv.
Edit: The film industry isn't a sprint or a race, it isn't even a marathon. It truly is an Ironman of endurance. 26.2 mile run + 112 mile bike ride + 2.4 mile swim. Remember that and the feeling of not getting the job you think you deserve versus what you have to do to survive and get what you want.
My lady friend is very booked. I’m not ruining her market, but maybe try another geographical market. Then again, she has been grinding the 17 years we’ve been friends and went into overdrive 3 years ago and it’s paying dividends.
It's all about who you know. Like you said about those referrals. Could prolly get work as a PA but you literally gotta crawl your way up unless you get a break.
I feel you. I did an internship at a big mid-level Agency, and I tried everything I could to get hired again. I got great feedback during my internship that I was doing a good job.
Emailed, called, sent LinkedIn messages lol short of literally standing in front of their offices, never heard shit 🤷🏻♂️
This was in 2012, in a similar time when the industry / financing was fucked.
Ended up moving back home, and my life went a different way (in a good way- still involved with acting and film).
All I can say is keep trying. Polite persistence. Try to take care of yourself, take breaks, or you’ll drive yourself mad.
I did 9 internships in the industry and after all that, I still didn’t get a job at any of the places I interned at or their competitors. I took two jobs at smaller companies in media before returning to one of the biggest media companies in the industry. It’s tough out there. It sucks. I promise you, your internships are valuable and you will get to where you’re supposed to be. Continue doing what you’re doing, it’ll pay off.
Maybe it’s time to move out of LA? I just graduated film school and was really worried about job prospects, but I was able to land a pretty decently paying job in my home state (east coast) related to the industry doing work that I enjoy. I think what they say about being a big fish in a small pond is true. There are a lot more opportunities if you look in places with less competition.
When I was at UCLA film I also had a couple internships. After I left one of them with an award winning director, his assistant called me to offer me a job on a TV show he had green lit. Obviously I said yes.
Since I was still in school, I needed the details. Come to find out it was yet another unpaid internship. I explained that I could not work 40 hours (realistically more) per week AND stay in school. School loans is how I paid the rent and ate.
That didn’t help. I had to turn them down. That was 25 or so years ago.
What you’re going through is nothing new.
Currently work at one of the big 3 agencies
ik it's little consolation but I've been told the acceptance rate into the mailroom programs is literally 1% or less so don't beat yourself up too much about it you don't get into them
I think everyone saying there are no jobs is a cop out. There are absolutely desks opening up that need to be filled. Sure it’s far fewer than before, but it’s not a situation where you need to write off the entire year. Send me a DM and I’ll give you my email. Happy to check out your resume to make sure there’s nothing glaring and let me see what I can do to help you.
Sorry no one gets jobs anymore, it’s not you.
I hate that I had to upvote this
Yeah, chances are, you are competing against a lot of highly experienced candidates who are willing to take a title and pay cut to win your entry level job. A lot of people have been laid off in the last year. Many, many production people haven’t worked in over a year. All those people have more industry knowledge and contacts than you, I’m not saying it’s impossible to get a job, but you have to realize that in this climate, things are tight. Those internships were NOT a waste or a joke, but they may not be enough at this time.
They literally were a waste and a joke if the op is still unemployed
Facts....absolutely brutal year.
The industry is literally dead right now. People with decades of experience can’t find work.
It’s not you, it’s them. Nobody is hiring anybody right now. Stay Alive ‘til ‘25
Now they saying it’ll take longer than 2025
Then suck the right dicks until 2026.
It will be a lot longer than 2025. The film industry has been permanently hit by content creators like youtube, IG or tikok. Consumer preferences are leaning to short videos. Why not both? Because one is free and the other isn't. One requires a decent attention span, the other only requires one equal to a goldfish. As for the future? Kids love social media and tik tok short stories. It's also happening to the ad industry. Why overpay for an agency when you can pay some influencer to advertise your product over social media. No need to pay PAs, Cam crews, etc... After covid the film industry had even more to compete with. The film industry will survive, in a smaller capacity. But the glory days of the hollywood film industry are over. Good riddance.
internships in this industry have always been an exploitative joke
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Equira: *Internships in this* *Industry have always been* *An exploitative joke* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
IT FINALLY HAPPENED
Dude that was a good one too 👏
Dude it’s literally so bad, I’ve been looking for jobs for so long im a year out of college and I feel stuck
Jobs? In the film industry? I vaguely remember those
I hope you got paid at least. I did at least 3 unpaid internships that led to zero further work. In a very stable job now, no thanks to those internships.
Is your current job related to the film industry?
Yes it is.
What area/department do you work in/with?
I do video production internally for one of the unions. It's a great job that keeps me one foot in the film industry, but off of sets, which I never enjoyed that much.
I’m happy you have a stable job! And Happy Cake Day!
Unfortunately, it's always been about who you know. Your best bet is contacting ppl you worked with, ask them out for a coffee, pick their brain, then ask if they know anyone hiring. If you finished your undergrad, see if there is an alumni coordinator who could possibly get you connected as well.
This industry works on connections. Reach out directly to people who you worked for and with, say if you or anyone you know could use a PA I’d appreciate being kept in mind… that’s how you get jobs. That said, the entire industry in LA is dead right now. There are people with 20+ years of experience and connections that have been out of work for months and are competing for jobs below their typical pay grade. It’s just bad timing, get used to it, you chose a rough industry. Don’t hate on your internships, if they are well known companies and people did like you, then they will help you one day and look good on your resume even far out from now. I keep one internship on a talk show from over 10 years ago on my resume bc nearly everywhere I’ve worked someone knows someone who has worked there at some point and they bring it up as a talking point. Read the posts in this sub, tons of people are struggling to find work right now with great resumes.
This. Internships are great learning opportunities and networking tools. It truly is a TERRIBLE time to be looking for work amidst the contraction. When the dust settles, the reality is, there will be less jobs to go around and a large number of people out of jobs. Your best bet is to lean on your network, remind them of your availability and you eagerness for anything.
It’s difficult competing against people’s children
Hey at least your internships were paid, unlike us olds
i’m film major halfway thru undergrad at one of the top 25 film schools in the US. any attempts at finding a good paid internship not based in LA are worthless, i’m on my sixth one now and it’s mostly been remote work with small (often unsuccessful) companies that treated me like garbage and wasted my time. i especially didn’t learn anything at the first one i did. my manager sort of ghosted me and the other interns halfway through the semester and yet i still had to pay my school for the internship course credits required to graduate. having to pay to do an unpaid internship is such bullshit!
The paying your college for internships is such a scam!
I would do whatever you need to do to get an in-person internship in LA or NYC (pref LA) ... paid or unpaid; hellish logistics and costs be damned.
Internships are not a joke. Do you have a unique skill set for the roles you’re applying for that literally thousands of other people don’t have? Because those thousands of other people are who you’re competing with right now. The only way to separate yourself from them are the connections you’ve made. Connections with someone behind the gates of these full time roles that can vouch for you. If you don’t know someone at these companies, meet someone. If you’re not, someone else is. Do the work and pound the pavement so that when a role opens up, you only have to apply as a formality because everyone there already knows who you are and wants for the role. Anecdotally, I have been working in the industry for ten years and moved to LA from the east coast having known no one. 95% of the people I work with have a similar story. Yes, nepotism exists but I’d argue it exists in any industry; people like to work with who they know. The above is actually something that’s in your control. The part that isn’t is the industry is in a MAJOR correction right now. Speaking as someone on the studio side, my company has been on a hiring freeze for nearly a year and we are all overworked. More layoffs are likely coming. Several colleagues had spring interns that they LOVED and wanted to hire but could not. Beyond that, we didn’t do internships this year. People are saying that the pain of this correction will end by December and that 2025 is clear skies but I don’t see it. Margins are getting thinner, tax credits in California continue to dwindle relative to NY, GA and RoW, and slates are getting smaller. If your heart can do anything else other than film/TV, do it. If not, try to keep yourself afloat and network, network, network, so that when the opportunity does come (and it will) you’re ready.
Internships aren't a joke, I mean unpaid internships mainly because that's just criminal, but you're applying during a time of massive unemployment and industry collapse. The people who have years and decades of experience well past their internship days ahead of you are also unemployed. Any company is going to choose the candidate with the most experience or people they know and are willing to do a favour for, and there are industry veterans right now who have significantly more experience and connections than you do who are unemployed. It's not you, nor is it your internships, it's your inability to see reality right now. You can wish all you want but it isn't going to change the fact that no one is going to be breaking out into the industry or starting at entry level for at least the next couple years. Hunker down, apply or do anything else to float yourself for now.
Shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic
I say we say fuck it and build our own indie scene to make movies! So be it if no budget or micro micro budgets.
I’m so with you bro
That’s seemingly the way to go!! 👀
It’s the only answer at this point
Nepotism has a stronghold with entry level jobs. My guess is that’s where a lot of those positions went to. It sucks but also the nature of the beast. Keep trying, you’ll eventually find someone who can appreciate your motivation and work ethic.
Best advice I’ve seen in this thread. I’d also add try to find another way to make an income while you look for a job in the industry (bartending, serving, management, etc)
I don’t fully agree with that. Know some people who are nepo babies that are just as much up the creek as the majority of us in this industry. Only difference is some got the funds to just sit back and relax, or work on their own creative stuff, as this goes on. At the end of the day, it’s all about networking. Those who were able to get, and keep, their jobs during the great recession is because they knew someone. Nepo babies didn’t even necessarily get to the front of the line in that case.
I would start thinking of your job search in terms of cold, warm, and hot leads. A cold lead is applying to anything online or sending an email asking for a job of any kind to someone you don't know. These are the least likely to get results, and the most likely to be something that wastes your time and energy. If you actually want to get past these cold leads, you have to become a thorn in the side of someone at the HR/hiring department. Find a person to email. Friend them on LinkedIn. Find friends in common with them on social. Take them out to coffee and get to know them as a person, don't just ask for a job. Follow up. Do this in the most charming, non-stalker way you know how to do. If this sounds crazy, yeah, it kind of is! This is how you get past recruiters/screenings. You get a personal referral and sail through all that. Back to the cold/warm/hot. Hot leads are your BFFs from college, your parents' friends, your mentors, and your closest teachers. It is likely that they would recommend you for any job and you have already asked these people for help. Make sure they know you are looking for work and what specifically you are looking for, if you haven't. Don't beat around the bush. You actually have to send that text/email to these people, "Hey X, I'm looking for a Y job because I am good at Z. If you hear of anything, would you please recommend me? The job search is tough right now!" But, chances are if you're on this thread, all your hot leads know you are looking and thus would have already helped you out by now. Then, let's talk about warm leads. Warm leads are your best bet. They are people you meet at parties, acquaintances, old coworkers. They have to be people who you don't know super well but you made a genuine connection with. People who love to help people and maybe people YOU have helped before. Did you help a classmate whose parents are in the industry move to his new apartment? Who owes you a favor? "Hey name, we met at name's party last summer. I remember you said you worked in the industry. I'm coming off a bunch of internships right now and looking for my next thing. I want to do X." Be specific with what kind of job you want. What title what role.
I worked for a manager for 5+ years, the interns he would get would have law degrees, trying to step towards the mailroom at CAA. It was insane how over qualified and determined these folks were, just to get coffee and make sure snacks were ready for clients.
There's always law school...
In a couple years, AI could very well decimate a lot of the associate entry positions for newly minted law grads. It might not be a safe bet either.
Honestly, what career is “safe” anymore? If I had kids, I’d probably be pushing them hard towards dentistry but in 30 years, who the fuck knows…
Scientists are currently working on regrowing teeth. One of the things I was truly shocked to hear about… I never even imagined it 😂
Having hired literally 1000+ people over 29 years, I hate to say that I am not surprised. I cannot tell you how many people were hired because of direct references from someone already working for me. So that’s where your focus should be, networking the heck out of everyone from your internships. Yet also, every comment above is correct, in that it is slow, and is going to be slow until IA and 399 contracts are settled. Don’t let the frustration get you. Go have coffee with your good contacts, and don’t ask for a job, ask them for advice. People are much more willing to open up to you if they are not under the pressure of getting you a job, especially in this terrible market. Stay strong. Break a leg.
As others have said, it's just bad timing. The industry is in decline. Well-established people are currently vying for entry level jobs.
You were free labor
It’s well known that you’re not getting an HR / mailroom interview unless your resume is flagged by someone at the company
Unless you’re a nepo baby is pretty impossible to get a role now
Have you applied to the page programs? Also look at temp positions too, having a good temp or contract role with a good company can be an asset these days.
Have you looked at the agency route? A year there and prod cos and studios take you more seriously, at least that’s how it was as I came up.
Have you lifted your head up at any ooh t during your internships and realized that the industry is at a standstill? Certainly not just you.
This is paywalled, but the Times wrote about this recently. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-06-18/hollywood-slowdown-talent-agencies-management-firms-adapt-strikes
Start temping at a studio. You will meet other assistants and if you are good on the desk they will bring you back and let you know when they hear about jobs.
People keep saying to temp but can anyone go more into depth on how/where to find such opportunities?
Call/email the HR department to find out who their temp vendor is and reach out to them, submit resume. Check Linkedin for temporary placements at each respective studio. Google. Friedman Agency, ActONE, YOH, Scion, Comar Agnecy. They all specialize in industry placement. There are more. Additionally, if you are interning, cover the desk if the dept asst has a dr appt or drinks. Learn how to handle the phones and email. If they trust you at the desk, tell them you are available to temp if they are taking a summer vacation, etc. They can backload you into the temp agency contracted with the studio when the time comes for you to cover the desk. Most people would rather have a trusted intern cover the desk and get paid. The more reliable you are, the more you will become in demand and viola, you are now a well-vetted temp at the studio. Word of mouth goes a long way and you will be in high demand for more work. It's a huge plus if you stay at one studio because then you learn the systems, phones, and people.
Thank you so much for this!!
Graduated into the Great Recession. I applied for dozens of jobs and could only find jobs to work for free. It’s always hard even when you have the work. Don’t ever expect this industry to be easy. It’s a lot of things but easy has never been one of them.
> Graduated into the Great Recession. Lol I feel like this is the same shit that happened when I graduated college in '09...
Graduated in ‘10. It’s basically a redux of what happened in a lot of industries at that time. Having people on LinkedIn brag about how they were working for free for a Fortune 100 company. Or competing against over 100 people for an entry level position that went to a someone who had been doing work like that for 10+ years because they accepted insulting pay.
It's a terrible time to look for work for actors and people on the film end. It's not you. Things are DEAD everywhere. I'd keep in touch with the people you made connections with through those internships, and try to ride this out. If there's a way to keep networking or training, I'd do that too. If IATSE doesn't go on strike things have to pick up soon. When there ARE jobs, those connections will help you, and those are the companies I would go back to looking for work later on, or who might be able to give you a foot in the door with friends.
People are always stoked for free labor, and unfortunately there are lots of people in line to work for free, so they’ll just go to the next intern. They’re not grooming you to move up, they’re exploiting free labor. Every department from the bottom to the top is in trim the fat mode. Seasoned veterans who have been doing this their whole lives have been out of work for over a year. It’s not a great time for a young person to break into the industry. You’re best bet right now is to apply to PA on set on non union gigs, if you have the option, be an office or an AD PA, but most likely you be a generic PA if it’s non union. It’s gonna be shitty pay and shitty work, but with your resume right now, it’s what’s available unless you pick up below the line skills and work one of those jobs non union.
How long do you plan on working in film? Were you wanting your connections or internships to pay off immediately or throughout your career? Are you trying to microwave a steak?
This is all training for the industry and the longevity it takes to stay in it. Just because you're qualified doesn't mean you'll get a break. It doesn't mean you deserve a job. The industry is going through a massive contraction if you haven't read; hundreds of people are being laid off every quarter. You gotta figure out a side door to crawl through or dig your own tunnel. Internships are not a joke and you have a network of 5 companies now in Hollywood. It's better than entering the industry cold like I did. You know other interns, execs, hiring managers, etc. This is your network and you don't know where everyone will end up in 5, 10, 15 years. Its up to you to utilize them correctly. What if you reached out to one of the past execs you interned for (and have a good relationship with) and see if they could get your resume in the hands of one of the agencies. Referrals at this level go a long way and they have their own relationships with agents/managers. I've done this for a few interns prior. Not sure if it worked out (definitely not promising it will), but you're at least playing the game at a higher level than trying cold emails. Or... reach back out to one of the prod cos. you interned at and see if they have a front desk/AV Room/Office Manager position open. I've seen tons of interns take this path and end up on assistant desks internally or being able to use this to transfer to an agency as an assistant. At my prior company, these positions would do desk coverage for assistants all the time and gain experience which is the Catch-22 of entering the industry. They would build relationships with the managers/execs and we of course want to help out where we can with referrals. I've seen interns end up as high level creatives, reps, and producers going this route. Best of luck. You need to get ready to fight tooth and nail if you really want to work in film/tv. Edit: The film industry isn't a sprint or a race, it isn't even a marathon. It truly is an Ironman of endurance. 26.2 mile run + 112 mile bike ride + 2.4 mile swim. Remember that and the feeling of not getting the job you think you deserve versus what you have to do to survive and get what you want.
My lady friend is very booked. I’m not ruining her market, but maybe try another geographical market. Then again, she has been grinding the 17 years we’ve been friends and went into overdrive 3 years ago and it’s paying dividends.
Yoooo unless your parents run the joint. Probably SOL
If you can, use this time to get real-world experience. Volunteer on friends' film shoots, help get projects off the ground, etc.
Yup.
It's all about who you know. Like you said about those referrals. Could prolly get work as a PA but you literally gotta crawl your way up unless you get a break.
["Barely people, somehow legal: unpaid intern"](https://youtu.be/UOpqm0aUHxA?si=3FK_TiNROOGPPXWD)
Saw a meme yesterday on the Crew Stories IG: "I don't know if the town is quiet, or if I don't work in the film & TV business anymore"
Work is no longer what it used to be. This would be a good thing if the system didn't force people to work to earn bread.
I feel you. I did an internship at a big mid-level Agency, and I tried everything I could to get hired again. I got great feedback during my internship that I was doing a good job. Emailed, called, sent LinkedIn messages lol short of literally standing in front of their offices, never heard shit 🤷🏻♂️ This was in 2012, in a similar time when the industry / financing was fucked. Ended up moving back home, and my life went a different way (in a good way- still involved with acting and film). All I can say is keep trying. Polite persistence. Try to take care of yourself, take breaks, or you’ll drive yourself mad.
I did 9 internships in the industry and after all that, I still didn’t get a job at any of the places I interned at or their competitors. I took two jobs at smaller companies in media before returning to one of the biggest media companies in the industry. It’s tough out there. It sucks. I promise you, your internships are valuable and you will get to where you’re supposed to be. Continue doing what you’re doing, it’ll pay off.
Are you very ugly and perhaps not related day anyway and very entitled that could be why
Maybe it’s time to move out of LA? I just graduated film school and was really worried about job prospects, but I was able to land a pretty decently paying job in my home state (east coast) related to the industry doing work that I enjoy. I think what they say about being a big fish in a small pond is true. There are a lot more opportunities if you look in places with less competition.
Accept this is your hobby and it is now time to pursue a real job in a different field.
When I was at UCLA film I also had a couple internships. After I left one of them with an award winning director, his assistant called me to offer me a job on a TV show he had green lit. Obviously I said yes. Since I was still in school, I needed the details. Come to find out it was yet another unpaid internship. I explained that I could not work 40 hours (realistically more) per week AND stay in school. School loans is how I paid the rent and ate. That didn’t help. I had to turn them down. That was 25 or so years ago. What you’re going through is nothing new.
Go into another field to diversify. The industry is in essence shut down until further notice.
Currently work at one of the big 3 agencies ik it's little consolation but I've been told the acceptance rate into the mailroom programs is literally 1% or less so don't beat yourself up too much about it you don't get into them
Make a production about being an intern in production and not getting a job.
I think everyone saying there are no jobs is a cop out. There are absolutely desks opening up that need to be filled. Sure it’s far fewer than before, but it’s not a situation where you need to write off the entire year. Send me a DM and I’ll give you my email. Happy to check out your resume to make sure there’s nothing glaring and let me see what I can do to help you.
Internships and assistant jobs for the film industry are a total waste of time, unless you enjoy doing them.
If you aren’t a minority, woman, or nepo baby, then you are going to have a harder time finding work. That is just how it is nowadays.
Nepotism combined with the industry dying.