How I Got That First Job in Television
by Devon DeLapp
How did a complete stranger to the entertainment industry
(me) land a job in TV? The short answer is I called the
production office of every show shooting the Greater LA, and
asked about their “staffing needs”. A few were hiring, some
interviewed me, and one hired.
But, of course, there’s more to it than that. It was mostly
a robotic task that took more effort than ingenuity.
However, there are a few things to know. First, most of the
jobs are seasonal:
Pilots hire in mid-January to late-February.
Dramas hire late-May to late-June.
Comedies hire late-June to mid-July.
Any other time of the year, the job hunt becomes more
difficult, though positions do pop up (usually people being
replaced, or for mid-season shows, or smaller network shows
(like HBO, USA, etc.) who follow different schedules). But,
really, all you need to do is call the show and ask if
they’re hiring. That cold call is what will introduce you to
them, and is the first step towards landing a job.
How do you find the numbers of the production office of all
those shows (I counted 96 in Los Angeles along this past
season)? A few web sites list which projects are going into
production, but my favorite is TheFutonCritic.com. They list
the projects in development and production. Specifically,
we’re looking for the ones that have been approved for a
pilot (as opposed to just being scripts) or are in current
production. Futon Critic should list for each show the
production company (who makes the show) and the network
(who’s paying for and possibly airing it). A newcomer may
have the best luck with a pilot because:
1. A whole new crew is being brought in, presenting more
opportunities, as opposed to an established show where many
crew members are returning.
2. This is just my opinion, but I think because it is a
smaller commitment of time (again, as opposed to a full
season, established show), the people in charge are slightly
less particular about who they hire.
Next step, once you know the projects out there, you can get
the number for their production office by calling the
production company, OR calling the studio lots they are
being made on. For example, CLOSE TO HOME is a Warner Bros
produced show, but it is shot on the Sony lot in Culver
City. I found their number by calling the Sony lot operator
(310-202-1234), and asking for the number to the CLOSE TO
HOME production office. I also could have called the Warner
mainline (818-954-6000), and possibly received the same
info. Or, because it’s a Bruckheimer show, you would call
his office, and they’d tell you the number. All those
mainlines and lot phone numbers are in the yellow pages.
Once you have the production office number, you start
calling.
And calling.
And calling.
I never counted the exact number of calls I placed before
landing a position, but I spent four to five hours each day,
for several weeks, just c dialing these shows. I would call
each show once every week or two. Once I had someone on the
line, I’d essentially run through this following script:
“Hi, this is Devon DeLapp. I’m a production assistant. I was
wondering if your show was still staffing.”
YES IT IS: “Great, could I fax in my resume? Who’s attention
should I send that to?”
NO, WE HAVING STARTED HIRING YET/ARE ALREADY STAFFED
UP/SUCK: “Would it be alright if I still faxed in my resume?
Who’s attention should I send that to?”
Be unflinchingly polite and always thank who you speak with
for their time. FYI, it is generally the Production
Coordinator who hires the PAs, although sometimes it can be
the Assistant Production Office Coordinator (APOC), or if
the show is still getting setup and a POC or APOC have not
been hired yet, it may an Associate Producer or someone like
that.
For your resume, just include any relevant experience. The
keyword job titles that people look for are “Production” and
“Assistant” — list anything with that in the title. Did a
few student films? It’s okay to list them. People realize
that as a PA, you’re probably new to the industry and
they’re not expecting a huge amount of experience. Just
present yourself as best you can. Always be sure to spell
check everything. References can help a lot, particularly if
they’re from someone in the industry.
And keep calling. Follow-up. Rinse, repeat, you get the
idea. Write down everything. Ask for people by name whenever
you can. It became such an enormous hassle to track all the
numbers and names, I put together a tool called Job Hunter
to help me track it.
Anyway, eventually, hopefully, if you’re friendly and
professional sounding enough, someone in need will ask you
to come in for an interview. Here’s what I learned about
interviewing for PA jobs:
Appear willing to do anything.
That seems to be the top order. I mean, good hygiene and a
winning smile are all important, but really what the boss
wants is someone who will do the work well, without a
hassle, and help them look good.
I think a reasonable ratio would be four to eight interviews
before being offered a position. Any more than that, and I
would suggest taking a close look at how you’re presenting
yourself.
And that’s really the basics. There’s tons of little things,
of course, but you’ll pick them up along the way.
I hope this helps. If anyone is able to put these
suggestions to use, I would love to hear about it.
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Devon DeLapp is an aspiring screenwriter and producer. He
has a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design
which took a lot of work but he’ll be hard pressed to find a
good use for it now. Though technically born in Los Angeles,
his earliest formative memories were in the suburbs of
Sacramento. Puberty followed in Spokane, college in Seattle,
and then, like the salmon to its spawning ground, he now
lives in the colorful LA borough of Mid City. Unlike the
salmon, his girlfriend has expressed reservations about
spawning at this point in their relationship.
http://www.devondelapp.com/
mailto:devon@devondelapp.com
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Copyright (c) 2009 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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