Behind-the-Scenes Work
For would-be and working actors, a behind-the-scenes job can be everything from a way to help pay the bills to the start of a different kind of entertainment career in the industry.
In film and TV, the most common entry-level job is working as a production assistant. In theatre, it's interning or working as a stagehand. While these jobs can indeed be helpful to get a taste of the business, there are other options. Both fields need people in lighting, set-building, props, production design, and so forth. You can intern or apprentice in many of these jobs.
If you don't mind an office environment, an internship may be the way to go. Many entertainment types such as casting agents, managers, casting directors hire interns. Though it's generally mundane tasks — organizing headshots, making phone calls, filing — it puts you in the same room as industry experts. Producers, theatre companies, and public relations offices also take interns.
Occasionally you may have the opportunity to step up from office work and be a reader — the person who reads with auditioning actors. Agencies, production companies, and studios also need people to do script coverage. This involves writing a synopsis of the script and offering your opinion on it. Script coverage can be done on a freelance basis, or as part of a larger position.
No matter what your entertainment career path, good contacts you make behind the scenes may help you in ways you can't predict.
LINKS
Workin' for the Man
How about taking a job behind the scenes?
Calling the Shots
What It Takes to Be a Stage Manager
Paying Your Bills While Building Your Career
Background Check
What are the good, bad, and ugly facts about extra work?
|
|
