ONE SPECIFIC SKILL WON’T CUT IT

EDITOR’S LETTER

Dear Reader,

RECENTLY, I WAS ASKED TO DESCRIBE BACKSTAGE.

“Well, we started as a trade publication for New York City theater actors in 1960, but since then, we’ve expanded into so much more,” I said.

Welcome to one part of that so much more! Sixty-one years later, Backstage isn’t just for actors anymore. We’ve been working diligently to expand both our job market and our editorial reach to serve anyone interested in playing a part in the creative process—whether that’s in front of the camera or behind it, for a branded or a music video, a feature film or a scripted series.

This year, we’re launching Backstage profiles for creative freelancers in the crew, pre-production, production, and post-production spaces. This curated issue has been created specially to mark this momentous addition to the Backstage mission of making creative work accessible to anyone who wants to pursue it. Inside, you’ll find advice on how to get hired in these areas, where to study to expand your skills, and how to build your network, plus exclusive interviews with awardwinning video editors and sound mixers.

So if you’re looking for ways to develop your career in the creative industry, start here. Backstage’s guides and advice articles will help you work behind the scenes on projects led by tomorrow’s industry titans. I can’t wait to see where we go from here!

Best,

Briana Rodriguez

Editor-in-Chief

vol. 62, no. 15 | 05.27.21

Getting Work

2 ONE SPECIFIC SKILL WON’T CUT IT

Why adding “multihyphenate” to your résumé will seriously boost your hiring potential

3 HOW AND WHY YOU NEED TO BUILD

YOUR NETWORK

It’s not always what you know—sometimes, it’s who you know

4 IN THE NICK OF TIME

How last-minute jobs can make your career, and where to find them

6 WHAT INDUSTRY PROS LOOK FOR WHEN

THEY’RE HIRING

How to go from wanting to work behind the scenes to actually doing it

Editing

8 MAKING THE CUT

How to get work as an editor right out of the gate

10 5 EDITOR TRAINING PROGRAMS TO CONSIDER

From granular skills to industry history, these schools prepare students for professional careers

12 SPOTLIGHT ON: KEN ELUTO, FILM EDITOR

From “Oz” to “30 Rock,” Eluto has helped create some of the most memorable TV moments of the last 20 years

Sound

14 LISTEN UP

Sound pros share their best advice for breaking into—and staying in—the industry

16 STAY THE COURSE

Five sound design training options for your future film career

18 SPOTLIGHT ON: CHRISTOPHER BOYES,

SOUND DESIGNER AND MIXER

The Oscar winner on what you need to know to work in sound

Casting

20 New York Tristate

21 California

22 National/Regional

Images by Macrovector/Fatmawati Achmad Zaenuri/ shutterstock.com. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.