Do an internship on a movie or in a production company…
Tips and mistakes to avoid
A training course for that State of affairs
It is interesting to see how cinema can become a consuming passion. What is even more beautiful from our point of view it is worth noting, that beyond the glitz and glitter, the crafts that revolve around the business of cinema meet with an infatuation still more fort. What is even surprising is that this passion for the technique and the making of a film comes from an increasingly young age.
This last remark is surely due today to the new technologies that allow more easily to young people to test out and practice shooting, or the editing and special effects. And then the image is everywhere…and it’s not going to stop !
In a second time the society changes and career changes are more and more easily. There are less taboos to “drop” a career “classic” to begin in which we have always carried : the film, video, photography etc…When I say that there was less of a taboo it is a quarantenaire, a thirty-year-old or even a fifty-year-old is less regarded as a “Fada” if he decides to abandon everything to go back to school or do an internship…paid or not.
What changes between these different people, beyond the age, it is the manner in which they provide for this change, of course. People with more experience and having had a first career know what they want to tender, but we will return on this point a bit later.
It is true that there are more young people who wish to do an internship on a movie or in a production company but we must not lose sight of the fact that all social categories and all ages are likely to be tempted de to make the big jump.
The same chances for all
Of course not. Tom has quite repeated throughout his responses and articles. We are not all equal in the face of the possibility of finding an internship or a first experience on a film, either on a shelf or in production. The sons or daughters of…will always have an advantage over you ! When I say daughter or son of…this includes people who have a network or are one. It is enough that they are well-placed, or they know the right person and their toddlers pass away before you whether you like it or not !!
The region where you live also makes a lot. If the film is not too grown in your corner, you will not :
1) Not much choice
2) You need to “export” which is likely to lead to costs
Conversely, if you are in an area where there are a lot of movies or series which look, of course you will have more opportunities but also more competition. But nothing is lost. If you are in Paris you will have more opportunities and all year round, but the competition will be terrible. If you are in the Hauts de France or in the region PACA you will have more opportunities also, the competition will be present, but less than Paris.
Is there a period more conducive ?
With this issue we begin to get into the tips for finding an internship.
Case 1
If you are not in a school and you want to have a first professional experience, regardless of your age.
Advantages :
- you’re not forced to do your internship in a specified period of time.
- The duration of your internship is flexible and not imposed.
Disadvantages :
- You don’t have a convention that could be established, it is more complicated for a production of you take.
- You do not necessarily have to network
Case 2
You are in 3rd or in film school and want to find an internship on a film set.
Advantages :
- You are contracted by your school, it is more simple to have an internship on a film or a production company.
- If you are in 3rd or internship of discovery of the time of presence in the company is much less long (3 days a week) for a BTS or another.
Disadvantages :
- Your internship must take place at a given period of time
- You need to the most possible stick to the number of weeks of practicum that requires you to your school
- Due to your age you may be a little less mobile. In this case, we are not all equal either according to the ways of our parents and the presence of our friends and family in the territory.
- All the students in your class, or all classes of your institution will seek an internship at the same time as you.
An internship in what ?
It is not enough to want to do an internship in film to find one in the cinema you will tell me ! But it’s not enough just to be “fair” to ask via a letter or an e-mail “boat” to obtain an internship in a production or on a film set. Because it’s a bit like if you were to say : “wish I had better music “, ok we can see very well that you don’t want to become a metallurgist, programmer software or create applications mobile ! But to make the music it wants to say what : play an instrument ? And if yes which one ?! Do the sound editing ? Taking his ? A sound engineer ? Get a group of music ? to be a singer ? Dj ? Play the drums ? Of the piper ?
You will have understood, to make music that is like ” making movies “ it can be everything and anything.
When you apply for an internship you must be able to specify what you want to do : production assistant, intern, staging intern régie, assistant video, assistant camera, secretary of production, trainee script supervisor, intern, deco etc…
In short, you must be able to identify very quickly the ” department “ or/and the function for which you want to apply.
Why ?
Because wanting to do an internship, under-heard : ” no matter where, or no matter what “, this is not a seller for a producer, a production manager or head of post. The message you send by doing this is : ” The first one who answers me ok, I go there “. Even if this solution is acceptable, for a head of post (for example) this is not possible ! Simply because to do this job (no matter which) you have to want it…but it must also deserve it, that is to say, to fight for you. Candidates for an internship in production or on a plateau, there are hundreds…
If you make a request or two choices (max) in explaining why, how, etc…you start to get out of the lot. If you have two or three things before even hyper amateur, that you are active (but humble !), you earn even more points.
If you can have a boost
If you know someone who knows someone etc…I also suggest you be as specific as possible. Don’t forget that the person who is “the intermediary” door “guarantor” for you, so as not to disappoint.
When Tom came back from the filming of “black Baron, he told us about a student he had on the shoot…the son of a friend of the filmmaker…this young balked at work, to block the streets, to do what was asked of him…Tom was crazy because he knows that hundreds of young people would give anything to be in his place…and would have done a better job…This guy priori was null and void and a billion light-years to realize the chance he had, what he could learn and bring.
If you have the chance to be ” pistonné “ you have a duty to give you up to 300% as if you do not know anyone. But above all position yourself on a department and a position, it is easier for ” you “ to target the person to contact, but mostly so you éclatiez in your internship.
How to apply
- 1) By mail necessarily this is the most simple. But don’t make a mail common or undisclosed-recipient, announcing that you have sent to many recipients. Make a dispatch to the times, and especially customize the e-mail. Do research on the net, in the regional centres, go on the boards and ask questions.
- 2) go directly to the production or on the shelf. For us to ” How to Make A Movie “, this is the top ! Meet anyone and engage them in discussion to see (and touch) the right person. Ask questions about the projects, their locality…if the person in front of you is not receptive ask him for the office of the secretary of production , or the office of the director of production.
Don’t go there without a letter and/or cv…or even a card on which you put your name, your phone, whether you’re looking for an internship ! etc…
3) Take the email of the person you are meeting and that you leave your cv and letter of motivation. This way you can send him an e-mail to the relaunch a little later.
- Take the dates on which you can (a) attach to the relaunch.
4) Use of structures in area and the reception desks which can also make the link !
5) Read this article on the 6 degrees of separation…you will see that by searching a bit you also know someone in the cinema or audiovisual.
This is article about : How to find an internship, a study contract etc…
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