Input needed for a graduate project involving finding work in the film industry. :}

[Jared Caldwell]

I'm a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and I've been designing a tool to help filmmakers find and/or hire work as a part of my program.

This is where you come in…

To help inform my design, I want your thoughts.

As a filmmaker, how do you find work? (word of mouth, networking events, craigslist, etc)

We all know that finding meaningful and fulfilling work can be difficult. What do you find frustrating about finding work and what do you wish were available as resources?

For those that are project owners, how do you find good people to help make your films? What ways do you filter people when you're interviewing them? What would help you find better candidates?

This is just a conversation, not a survey. Your input is valuable, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback you guys could give me.

Thanks! :}

(Additionally, I do not represent the Institute nor any faculty members.)

 

[Doc Bernard]

As a filmmaker, how do you find work? (word of mouth, networking events, craigslist, etc)

All of the above and more.

Getting work is one thing, and getting recurring work is another. There are a lot of people out there, that have the equipment and can sell themselves quite well. But the final product is such that they are not referred, nor asked back for another project by the same team. The mark of success is being asked back on the next project. That and being referred to by someone you have worked with on another project.

In this biz, if you hand in poor work, after telling so and so how good your work is and they entrust their baby to you, you quickly gain a rep in the industry. And soon the work will just dry up for you.