BEHIND THE SCENES: THE VIDEO PRODUCTION INTERNSHIP PROCESS

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM…

Anyone who has ever chased a career knows that it is often an uphill battle. Your first job in the industry, in all likelihood, will be working as the lowest of the low; the bottom of the pyramid. Unless your lifelong dream is to make copies and fetch coffee, you have a long and winding road ahead of you. But worry not, because the road is there. The important thing is that you are there with a fresh outlook on life, ready to work. Working is easy if you have the drive and the right environment. The hard part, many would argue, is landing that first position and getting your foot in the door. The video production industry (and Atlanta video production in general) is competitive as all hell these days. You need to distance yourself from the crowd if you want to make that giant leap. Ladies and gentlemen, here is where the internship comes into play.

I am currently a fourth year student at Georgia Tech, majoring in Computational Media (which, by the way, holds the claim to fame as being the most generically-named major of all time). As I have explained to countless confused individuals before, Computational Media means that I split my education between computer science and liberal arts courses. Many students enter this major in hopes of one day becoming professional website or video game designers, but not me. My dream is to work in the film industry; I want to be one of those guys that makes the movie pretty. Over the past few years, the Atlanta film industry has experienced a boom of growth and popularity, something that is both a blessing and a curse. Although hundreds of industry positions have become available, the competition is stiff. After about a year of job hunting I finally snagged an internship at ECG Productions, where I have been able to witness the entire spectrum of video production disciplines in action. It is an amazing opportunity, and I’m here today to provide some tips for anyone hoping to land a similar position.

For college students, I cannot stress this enough. The film industry is hard enough to get into when you are completely prepared for it, and you do not want to find yourself in your final year at school with no prospects job-wise, with graduation and potential homelessness looming on the horizon (a bit drastic, but you see my point). Starting your search as early as you can, even before you are remotely qualified, might not get you a position, but it will get your name out there for prospective employers to consider in the long run, and it will give you a taste of how the market operates.

In your hunt for a starting position, it’s probably alright not to know everything there is to know about the industry. No one is expecting you to be Steven Spielberg just yet, or to have won a few Oscars (although if either of those are true, they definitely wouldn’t hurt your chances). However, it’s always useful to have at least some basic knowledge and skills to bring to the table. If you are interested in a behind-the-scenes position like I am, then having an understanding of both the hardware and software involved in the video production process can be a lifeboat in an otherwise confusing and fast-paced environment. When in doubt, YouTube tutorials are your friend.

If there is one thing you take away from this post, make it this: make use of the informational interview as often and as vigorously as you possibly can. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, an informational interview is when you, the job seeker, talk with a member of the industry solely for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the business itself, rather than applying for a position. It is a casual, conversational meeting that establishes a connection between an experienced industry member and yourself without the pressure of having to render a verdict at the end. Especially in the film business, when positions are often gained through recognition and recommendation, the informational interview can be the perfect introduction and a great source of advice and guidance.

This is a small but important part of the process. Before the aforementioned informational interview happened, my boss was able to find out a little bit more about me by viewing the online profile that I previously set up. It’s a simple website, but it has my past education and experience on it and basically acts as a nice prologue to yours truly. Because of my online information, my boss was able to see that I was intelligent and ready to jump in, and as a result I walked out of that interview with an internship. Which brings us back to…

Right now, my job as an ECG intern is to help out in any way that I can, both on set and in post. I make spreadsheets, write blog posts, and I get to run the slate on video shoots. Most importantly, I’m constantly expanding my knowledge of terminology, set etiquette and techniques. I get to see how all the different departments in both production and post work together.  I believe that an internship in the film industry is what you make of it, and I plan to make mine a learning experience. I hope to continue to learn from my coworkers, expand my knowledge through experience, and eventually start participating and contributing on a significant level.

…NOW I’M HERE

The process behind getting a position in the film industry is bumpy and requires a never-ending willingness to communicate and reach out first. Check your ego and the door, don’t be afraid to shoot for beyond both your comfort zone and your skill level, and remember that you can never contact too many people. You never know who is going to give you the opportunity to take the first step.