Like a Spider in the Web: How to Get a Job
What is the secret of success in the film industry?
As the image might have hinted at, it's networks and networking. In Germany, we call that 'Vitamin B'; 'B' standing for 'Beziehung', meaning relations. The more people you know, the better and the easier it becomes for you if you know your reliable go-to sources.
Putting yourself out there and getting to know people who might be interested in your personality and - most importantly - working with you, is a difficult endeavour altogether, especially for me. I don't quite like networking, as it seems somewhat shallow from the get-go: Everyone knows that everyone else is looking to get their foot into the door, being remembered, being taken on for a production. And as all roads lead to Rome, this leads to the all-encompassing topic of:
Likeability.
It's easier to get a job if you're liked and if people find you sympathic and reliable. Which, unlike many may think, does not mean to please everybody (even though manners and respect carry a long way, as always), but rather being natural and yourself.
On larger sets, you will oftentimes spend very long days working with people for weeks on end. If they don't like you at first sight (and adding the usual production pressure into the mixture here), it'll be unlikely you'd survive an entire project without any personal issues creeping up if you disliked or even distrusted a person initially. Which, in turn, means that intuition and word of mouth carry a lot of weight in networking.
Trust your instincts after all!
But how do you get to know likeminded people within the industry? And how do you make yourself noticed in an environment that is highly demanded and demanding at the same time? How do you sell your unique selling point?
I know that I will one day have to start out and network with people in various settings. And while I somewhat dread this day, it is necessary for me to know where I would be able to start finding these networking events.
One interesting option for me was the British BECTU. BECTU, as a filmmaker's union, offers a variety of services and support, ensuring correct payment and treatment in the industry, enforcing jurisdiction by paying and engaging lawyers if not, and acting as a mediator/negotiator in your interest. Furthermore, they are free for students and do offer information on networking events and workshops
With the variety they offer, I find their costs of about ten pound a month for a regular membership with all the benefits stated above a great deal and I am currently considering to enter BECTU via their student registry that is free of charge for students. If I need to network that much in order to secure my livelihood, I better start as early as possible growing accustomed to the thought and the entire process.
Which leads me to another option that I could pursue, and that is Northern Film and Media. This is a corporation based in the North East, specialised in attracting people to produce more films in our region, putting emphasis on the workforce that is located here. This organisation thus not only offers advertising and funding as a production service, but also acts as a talent developer.
For Northern Film and Media also offers a variety of workshops, networking events, bootcamps, masterclasses, and so on (read: networking event, networking event, networking event, networking event, and more networking events), for beginning and advanced filmmakers in their so-called NFM Academy.
For every offer of additional training is essentially an opportunity to get to know industry professionals, to get noticed, and - who knows? - even get liked well enough to get hired onto an upcoming production. I am a bit sceptical about that option still, since I mostly perceived them as seller of goods instead of distributors of knowledge, but I will try and give them a chance by my last year at the latest.
Since I am not regionally grown in England (haha), and especially not in the North East, I will have to focus on getting into the industry more aggressively than others might need to. While me being a foreigner is a unique feature without a doubt, it also means that I need to prove myself harder in order to establish myself.
But, well, at least I already established my very first network within my own course. That's off to a good start to building further networks.
Especially as a female cinematographer to be.
References:
BECTU - The Media and Entertainment Union [online] https://www.bectu.org.uk/home [Accessed on 26 February 2018]
Northern Film and Media [online] https://northernmedia.org [Accessed on 26 February 2018]
Anonymous (n.d.) Cobweb [online] Image taken from: from: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/79/6b/c2/796bc2c324b0a275da90434cc0d0c19a.jpg [Accessed on 26 February 2018]