4 minute read
WHAT INDUSTRY PROS LOOK FOR WHEN THEY’RE HIRING
How to go from wanting to work behind the scenes to actually doing it
By Matthew Nerber
THE CREW IS THE BACKBONE OF ANY PRODUCTION. BEHIND THE
scenes—and below the line—they make everything work like a well-oiled machine. And like any job in the entertainment industry, the road to making crew work your career is a winding one.
So how can you make the jump from wanting to work in production to actually doing it? We’ve got you covered with advice from industry pros on what they look for when hiring their teams.
Don’t hide your enthusiasm.
“My team is so important; we need to work hand-in-glove for four to nine months. I often seek advice and referrals from other designers that have worked in the city I am planning to work in. I look for experience, and if I am in a city with few experienced crew [members], then I look for enthusiasm and listening skills.” —Justine Seymour, costumer designer, “Unorthodox”
Fitting in with the culture is key.
“Each artist needs to be able to operate in a team and communicate well. That’s the baseline. On top of that, we look for talent that will fit our culture, which is built on honesty, attentiveness, and independence. Given that the team is largely virtual—and has always been—it’s very important we have the right talent in place. Frequently, our team is sourced from referrals from current and previous employees.” —John Renzulli, VFX supervisor, “The Queen’s Gambit” in bands, so if a friend of yours is making a music video and may also be making a short film, score their short film. Once you’re to the point where you have an agent, their job is to keep their eye out for jobs and negotiate on your behalf. But I find the most valuable thing is making connections with directors. If you do a good job, they’ll hire you again, and you’ll ideally have a lifelong creative companion.” —Emile Mosseri, composer, “Minari”
Doing quality work will get you rehired.
“A lot of composers I know are
Communication, computer, and budgeting skills will come in handy.
“[As a location manager, I] look for somebody who has good communication skills and [can think] outside the box. Sometimes you’re asked to find stuff that doesn’t exist, so you have to think of ideas and be brave enough to suggest [them]…. [I look for Microsoft] Excel skills and budgeting skills—being able to handle that side of things.” —Emma Pill, location manager, “1917”
Know how to navigate politics on set.
“I wish I had learned [about on-set] politics earlier on in my career—how to ask [for] what it is you need in a way that will most effectively get it for you. But also knowing when to ask, knowing which battles to pick, knowing when to let things go, and knowing when to fight for clean tracks. And that only comes with experience.” —Mathew Price, production sound mixer, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Work hard, and care about what you do.
“If you work hard and really care about what you do and have some integrity, that’s going to get noticed. That cultivates a pay-it-forward attitude…. Nurturing those relationships in a genuine, authentic way is a great thing for life in general, and also for the job.” —Ann Laudick, second assistant director, “Minari”
Make sure your portfolio is ready to go.
“Something that I do notice a lot with portfolios is they can be a little bit unfocused, so [look] at what studios are actually hiring for. A lot of times, the job application page will say very specifically, “We want to see these exact skills.” Be mindful of making sure your portfolio is actually focused on whatever job you might be interested in. It’s good to be multitalented, and it’s definitely a benefit to know multiple parts of the pipeline, but you also don’t want to be the jack-of-all-trades and master of none.” —Jill Dykxhoorn, lead background artist, “Archer”
Always be learning.
“Failure to get the shot by below-the-line technicians is greatly frowned upon by those who sign our checks. So they need to develop a solid method for disasterproofing their particular area of responsibility, which they will learn by watching the good people in the positions above them and making a commitment to learning.” —Matthew Moriarty, camera operator, “A Quiet Place Part II”
Network, network, network.
“I always go for referrals. Rarely do I hire someone entirely out of the blue. I have a huge network of colleagues whose opinions I trust implicitly, and I’ve rarely been steered wrong that way. I love finding good people through other good people. [Networking] is a huge part of our business. I highly encourage people to attend [local] film festivals and join Facebook groups that match your interests. There’s tons of productive networking to do online.” —Caitlin Gold, producer, “The Sounding”
