We all know that the economy and the times that we are living in today are probably the worst in history. The level of unemployment in the entertainment industry is very high, and getting in one of the hardest tasks there could be. Gael Chandler in her “Joy of Film Editing” blog gives us new crop of editors a few pointers on how to prepares ourselves for breaking in the business. She states, “There is no one way to break in. No set path.” And she proceeds by offering us to follow her “Ten Steps to Breaking into Editing (or any job in the film industry)”.
She asks us to “survey the landscape” to find out the direction we want to go on”. Whether working in “Hollywood, NY, a corporation, the government, a TV network, visual effects, etcetera. Its important to know what we want to do, and if we don’t know, she recommends us to “take a PA job or any job so you can be on the set or in post or pre production to get as close as possible to the action and see how things operate.” Make sure you do your job well, always clarify your doubts and questions, network and finally “Figure out your direction.”
Training is important once you know where you are headed. So, “get trained”. Going to film school is a good option to getting ready for the job that you’re looking for. “Sign up for professional film classes, read books”, etcetera. Its important that if you want to work in movies, that you “learn film terms and concepts, the DI, and how to finish on film.”
“Networking” is the most important part of any career. So, its important to make sure that you get your network ready for your ‘job hunting’ experience. Gael says, “Throughout your career this is necessary. Keep a file of people you’ve worked with and contact them regularly when you’re out of work. You never know when they may have heard of something and you’re the last person they talked to” and proceed with the contact.
“Discovering the typical career path for your desired job” is something that most of us don’t even know how to do. “There are many side paths that help you get there too including sound editing and visual effects work (very useful as a picture editor).
Now a days in Hollywood being part of a union is as important as keeping your contacts in touch with you. So we must “find out about unions”. “In Hollywood, to work on major films in editorial, you need to be in IATSE 700 (the Editor’s Guild for LA & NY) or at TV stations in NABET.” Having said that, “Los Angeles is not a completely union town, so there’s lots of non-union work; people freely go between the two as there’s not enough union work to sustain”.
Experience speaks louder than the theory you may know or the pay you may have gained. So, “take any job on your path as long as it fits your personal ethics” (e.g. pornography or, on the opposite end of the scale, certain religious organizations may not be palatable.) so we must get experience (make our own films, work on others’ films. Whether we get paid or not, doesn’t matter. What does matter is the experience. If we were to find ourselves in LA, she recommends “going to AFI (American Film Institute) where the student and adult filmmakers in their various programs need people (no pay).”
As a part of our networking, we must also “talk to people who are doing what we want to do to learn how they got in”. Since we are entry-level filmmakers, we are not threats to their jobs. This means that people are actually happy to help others in maybe the same positions they once were, “as it isn’t an easy industry to enter or keep afloat in”. She encourages us to find a mentor, if possible.
It’s important to maintain our skills on the set, fresh at all times. So “check crew and internship postings”. On college bulletin boards, magazines (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), as well as craigslist and other online sources. She encourages us to check out her “Resources” page on her website.
“Youth is in our favor”, my fellow film buffs! Its known in Hollywood that youth is very much treasured. The industry “trusts youth to know where things are at – YouTube, computer skills, etc.” Its important to “show that you’re willing to put in the hours to learn and that you have respect for all those filmmakers who went before you.”
We’re all different; therefore our “journeys will be different”. She encourages us to cherish our journey. We shouldn’t allow anyone to discourage us from our goals or the paths that interest us. She says that we may loose our sense of self or take a wrong step or path but learn from it. “Dealing with pain, can be a great source of growth, creativity, and humanity.”
In line with cherishing our journey and not loosing ourselves, we must always “be able to clearly state what you want and what you can do”. Gael says, “Get your visions and creations out there. Believe in yourself. I have to say I have heard this before, but don’t remember from where I heard it from: “there are no set path for filmmakers.” “She knows someone who got his first film job because he had been a life boy scout. And another young filmmaker who interned on a TV show and because she loved and had studied Latin in addition to film, she ended up coaching a well-known actor in Latin.”
I think these are very important tips to follow specially coming from someone who’s been in the business for as long as she has. Gael Chandler is a film editor and has written two books on editing “Cut by Cut: Editing your Film or Video, (December 2004), details the editing process from dailies to tube, screen, DVD, or Web. My second book, Film Editing Great Cut Every Filmmaker and Movie Lover Must Know, (October 2009), demystifies the types of cuts editors make and how these cuts advance the story and affect the audience.”
