I just graduated from college last december and have been scraping by since then with video work. My biggest client gets me corporate videos and non-profit videos. The corporate videos pay really well and the non-profit ones help pay the bills(keep in mind I'm freelance so the workload varies which is why I said I'm scraping by), but I'm worried about how long I can do corporate videos before I pigeon hole myself. I live in Milwaukee right now so there are not too many opportunities here, but I would like to move in a year or two and I'm just worried that if this is the majority of my work companies that produce commercials/TV/Film won't look at me. Is this a legitimate concern? How long do you have to do one thing before people think that you can't do anything else?
Pigeon Holeing yourself
- Thread starter wluprocks
- Start date
Stephen Mick
Totally Usable
Not to be a smart-ass here, but let's start with two simple questions…
What do you want to do, and what's your plan to get there?
What do you want to do, and what's your plan to get there?
Those are important questions that I am still trying to figure out. At this point I think I would be happy doing commercials, 'good' tv (AMC/HBO type of stuff), or real documentaries(not reality TV). Within that I am split between pursuing being an editor and DP. Currently I have my own editing suite and I just ordered an AF100 to hopefully get some more shooting work...I'm hoping to transition from Milwaukee to Chicago over the next 2 years and get in with some ad agencies/doc companies(my parents live in the Chicago suburbs so that helps).
Edit: of course I also know that no one is going to hand me my dream job anytime soon and that I have a lot of grunt work to do before getting there
Edit: of course I also know that no one is going to hand me my dream job anytime soon and that I have a lot of grunt work to do before getting there
Stephen Mick
Totally Usable
Well, here's the thing… If you want to "do" commercials, you have to figure out what role in the process you want to play. Work at that level, with the budgets those projects have, involves a complete crew of highly-skilled individuals, each of whom has a very specific role. Now, if you want to be a DP on those kinds of projects, your best bet is going to be working your way up through the ranks of the camera department (others can speak specifically to the route you'll need to take here). If you want to be an editor on those kinds of projects, you'll likely want to craft an editorial reel, and use that to get a foot in the door at a Chicago post-production facility (like Cutters, Optimus, etc.) as an assistant editor, or even working in the "tape room" (or whatever they call it now).
It starts with you choosing your direction, continues with years of focused hard work to get you towards your goal…and it never ends. Enjoy the ride!
It starts with you choosing your direction, continues with years of focused hard work to get you towards your goal…and it never ends. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks for the response. As far as the edit houses go do they usually have a separate motion graphics department or is the editor expected to do graphics and actual editing? Also, any advice for getting my foot in the door? I should also say that part of the reason I want to stay in Milwaukee right now is because of the opportunities I have and I hope it will help me hone my skills before moving to a big market.
Stephen Mick
Totally Usable
In traditional post houses, editorial and motion graphics are separate departments (sometimes completely separate companies). Editors are expected to be able to do basic graphics work, but more involved work will generally be done by the motion folks.
Honestly, the best way to get your foot in the door is to get in contact with key decision-makers at one or two post houses that interest you. Be honest and upfront with them, tell them about your passion and share with them (only) your best work. Don't ask them for a job, but try to develop a relationship with them. Continue to share your best work with them, and try to learn from any suggestions they might offer as to how to make your work better. Let them know that you're not a Chicago local now, but you're planning on moving there at some point, and that you'd appreciate an opportunity to be considered for an entry-level job opening, whenever they have one.
Basically, let them know A) how passionate you are about the craft, B) that you're willing to share your work and learn from the experts (them), and C) that you understand that their time is valuable, and that you appreciate them sharing it with you.
That should be a good start.
Honestly, the best way to get your foot in the door is to get in contact with key decision-makers at one or two post houses that interest you. Be honest and upfront with them, tell them about your passion and share with them (only) your best work. Don't ask them for a job, but try to develop a relationship with them. Continue to share your best work with them, and try to learn from any suggestions they might offer as to how to make your work better. Let them know that you're not a Chicago local now, but you're planning on moving there at some point, and that you'd appreciate an opportunity to be considered for an entry-level job opening, whenever they have one.
Basically, let them know A) how passionate you are about the craft, B) that you're willing to share your work and learn from the experts (them), and C) that you understand that their time is valuable, and that you appreciate them sharing it with you.
That should be a good start.
You're right about them not looking at you.
From my experience, the chances of someone giving you the opportunity to make something that you haven't already proven you can do is slim. You have to already be doing it, even if you did it for free. You want to work in commercials, but why would someone who's job and income depended on it take a risk with you if they didn't know or think you could edit/dp a commercial already and do it well?
If you're scraping by with varying workload my question is what are you doing with your time when you've got no work?
Imho, you should invest that time into developing your skill. You should work as hard as you can to be a badass editor/dp. Make your own commercials or work for free on others. Hone your craft and create the best reel you can so that when you finally do make that move you can walk up to an agency and tell them "Hey look what I made out of practically nothing, now imagine what i could do with a bigger budget."
Best thing you can do to not pigeon-hole yourself is just that, don't pigeon-hole yourself. Work and make what you want to one day get paid doing. And when you're really good at it, someone will notice.
From my experience, the chances of someone giving you the opportunity to make something that you haven't already proven you can do is slim. You have to already be doing it, even if you did it for free. You want to work in commercials, but why would someone who's job and income depended on it take a risk with you if they didn't know or think you could edit/dp a commercial already and do it well?
If you're scraping by with varying workload my question is what are you doing with your time when you've got no work?
Imho, you should invest that time into developing your skill. You should work as hard as you can to be a badass editor/dp. Make your own commercials or work for free on others. Hone your craft and create the best reel you can so that when you finally do make that move you can walk up to an agency and tell them "Hey look what I made out of practically nothing, now imagine what i could do with a bigger budget."
Best thing you can do to not pigeon-hole yourself is just that, don't pigeon-hole yourself. Work and make what you want to one day get paid doing. And when you're really good at it, someone will notice.
It's not that you are pigeon-holing yourself; your not advancing your craft in the area you want to be. As you know, there are as many ways to get in to a given craft as there are people in the craft. But unless you make a move towards commercials, you won't get there. And there's the rub; how do you keep food in your belly and make that move at the same time.
You must take specific steps to advance yourself towards your goal. As said, no one in a post-production company is going to give you the job you want without experience. But they will give you a job you don't want. I know someone that worked at a premiere feature film post-production company as the classic mail room person. It paid his bills and after quite some time, he finally got the job he wanted in post-production. It may be a painful step, but that is the sort of thing you need to do to get where you want to go.
You must take specific steps to advance yourself towards your goal. As said, no one in a post-production company is going to give you the job you want without experience. But they will give you a job you don't want. I know someone that worked at a premiere feature film post-production company as the classic mail room person. It paid his bills and after quite some time, he finally got the job he wanted in post-production. It may be a painful step, but that is the sort of thing you need to do to get where you want to go.
Thanks for the responses everybody. i have been moving so I was not able to respond, but I will keep everything you said in mind. I actually just got hired as an assistant editor at a local house in Milwaukee too so hopefully that will help (workload varies a lot for that). I also am going to do my best to make my own work when I don't have much to do, but a problem with that is when I don't have work I feel more pressure to find it than to do my own stuff, but I think I'll figure it out...
Of course you have to take care of putting food on the table first and foremost. But after you get that figured out, make some time to work on your craft whether it's your own stuff or someone else's. You're on the right track, the fact that you're thinking about it is already a good sign. Just make sure you take action.