How to break in to industry?

[enny]

Hi guys i would like to get in to this television, shooting, graphic industry working for a small or big television company/studio. I really don't have any experience in this industry. I did go to film school back in 2003 for a year it was OK interesting my major was sound design and editing. I have my own home studio with Pro grading monitor with Wave - Tangent black magic cinema camera some prime lenses. For past years i been learning color grading, motion design, cinematography, shooting and editing on my own and its gong good. Now i would like to break in to the industry. When research jobs in my area Toronto area of course studios are looking demo reel should i show them my personal work or should i shoot few fake commercials and ew music videos go with that how would you approach this situation
 

Thanks or your help guys much appreciated

[jonpais]

Here are some useful tips to creating a demo reel. And here is a compilation of work by one of my favorites, Ruben Latre:

 

[Stanley]

From my own experience with regards to the television industry, nepotism and cronyism have always been high on the agenda unfortunately. Getting a casual start in staging on the graveyard shift, or pulling cables on outside broadcasts like the golf is great way to get a foot in the door on a casual basis, and you then get to meet people in different departments, and they get to know you. I got my start by constantly walking into the carpenter’s workshop at one of the stations and never taking no for an answer, but always being polite, until one day they told me to turn up at 3.00am to unload some trucks full of sets. A lifelong mate of mine started in staging, and is now one of the leading drama directors in Australia. The best director I’ve ever worked with, Ted Emery, started in staging, and the cleverest producer /writer I know of, Andrew Knight started as a goffer/ runner for a production company, so staging and cable pulling can lead you in any direction if you want it to.

It can be financially tough though when the work dries up, as it always will from time to time, so don’t give up your day job, or always have something to fall back on. Networks and Cable stations outsource their production a lot these days so turn up to an event of some sort and take note of the company name on the OB vans and go from there. But persistence will win in the end. Good luck.

[Hanriverprod]

You need to focus on one thing. I started in post in NYC dubbing and doing assistant editing work. I was lucky that the industry was going from tape to digital so I helped my post house do that transfer from conforming with tapes to going to the avid and after effects. So my professional work back then was in the post industry editing for commercials and PBS documentaries but I was writing and shooting short films on my weekends. If you want to work in post then you should apply for jobs at post houses in your area but be ready to start in a clerical position or as an assistant even if you have a reel. Another way to break in is to freelance but you really need to be outgoing and motivated to network and consistently looking for new work otherwise apply for an entry position. If you want to work on shoots then you need to start as a PA. If you want to create your own work then keep your day job and keep writing and polishing until you think something is ready for a producer or manager to read.

This is all moot if your work is amazing. Just put it up on youtube or vimeo and send links to companies and reps and people will find you.

[Stanley]

2 hours ago, jonpais said:

Here are some useful tips to creating a demo reel. And here is a compilation of work by one of my favorites, Ruben Latre:

 

Great tips in the link, but that demo reel,  is a reel killer for sure, Loved the glitter, rain, snow, smoke, lens flare, camera movement, cg, and 20 people in post who gave it that look.

10 minutes ago, Hanriverprod said:

This is all moot if your work is amazing. Just put it up on youtube or vimeo and send links to companies and reps and people will find you.

Mate, I think that for your generation and possibly @enny you hit the nail on the head.

[jonpais]

12 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Great tips in the link, but that demo reel,  is a reel killer for sure, Loved the glitter, rain, snow, smoke, lens flare, camera movement, cg, and 20 people in post who gave it that look.

Actually, Ruben Latre is a director, cinematographer, editor and motion designer, fully capable of having edited that reel himself. Here is another example, all shot and edited by Ruben Latre.

[Stanley]

Wow great vid, point taken Jon thank you, People that talented send me to sleep wondering. 

[HockeyFan12]

13 hours ago, Hanriverprod said:

You need to focus on one thing.

This is all moot if your work is amazing. Just put it up on youtube or vimeo and send links to companies and reps and people will find you.

This. Also move to a major city and network.

Assistant editors or roto/paint artists–anyone who knows Avid or Nuke exceptionally well–can get work very very easily in LA, Vancouver, etc. But they will ONLY be assistant editors or roto/paint artists... to start... Good salary and good for getting in the door, though. Better to be an aspiring editor who's in the field making money and contacts than an aspiring editor in your parents' basement even if it means logging footage. (In theory.)

Most generalists come across as aspiring directors, which I think most probably are... but if you wear too many hats you're judged by the one that fits worst. Most people won't watch a reel over a minute, or more than ten seconds if the work starts less than outright spectacular, but you also can't demonstrate a million aptitudes in that time. So even specialists will have multiple reels for multiple even more rarified specialties. And those will pay even more. We're talking five figures a week if you do one thing very very well, even a pretty standard, learnable craft like cutting, grading, particle simulations, or comp, or a commercial dp or fabricator, whatever. Specializing is good. (You'll still yearn to direct, though.) That said if all the work is spectacular or the sum of your work is spectacular you can get representation to direct right off the bat. Make $40k/day and save money doing your own post, too. It's a nice life I'm sure.

[Davey]

Go and shoot some documentaries. The office and the street are two entirely different monsters. Engaging with people is as important as engaging with lenses and software.

[Fritz Pierre]

A major aspect to working on any set is getting along with the crew....depending on where you live, a walk in to a production office and introducing yourself when dropping off your reel/cv is almost essential....living in a city with lots of production, be it film or television is the other important thing, and cities with little production tend to be somewhat protectionist, regardless or sometimes especially (in the case of lots of experience) of hiring you as the locals tend to protect their own positions...so move to an LA or Vancouver or New York or Toronto in the case of North America...and then try to get hired as even a PA if possible...it's not for the faint of heart, but shy of freelancing and or creating your own niche and production company, breaking into the industry in the city you choose leads to the "apprenticeship" that leads to a career in the business...

[ntblowz]

socializing and work hard, sometimes find the right mentor helps a lot too, I started of as wedding videographer working for another guy, years later he went to work at TV so I got brought in too..