You got your foot in the door – you’ve got a job in the movie business. What’s next? Something is for sure, never blow the job you’re in. Most of the people start at the bottom and here’s what’s expected people when you’re a runner or a gofer or a PA: don’t complain, just do it. In case your boss needs you to pick up his kids from school, don’t say that you never do personal errands – you’ll be out on your ear quicker than you can say “Action!” Cancelling personal plans like going out at night might be necessary when they need you.
Just once, the boss was too cheap to buy a copier that actually work meant having to write the script page by page. It meant driving around to supermarkets and florists to get just the right flowers for his wife’s dinner party. It meant suddenly needing to drive three-and-a-half hours to Palm Springs to get a check signed as the boss felt like hanging out at his Palm Springs place instead of coming into the place of work.
At one in every of my first jobs, I was always given the package to get to FedEx around 4:45 when they closed at 5:00. This is the way it works everyday. There was other PA’s, other gofers, however I always got that one, racing like a madman to the dropoff point. I stumbled on a point where I asked the production coordinator why I usually need to do all the run. His answer: “Because you’re the one who are certain to get it done.” I’ve never been prouder – this is why I still remember it. This is why you need to be any particular one runner who gets those tasks done. But there is that danger of job typecasting in the movie business. If you’re a good gofer, nevertheless , you want to move into the editing room or get a job with the camera crew, what do you do? Since they love you as a gofer, they can’t think of you in any other capacity. First: it’s important to ask. Because you do not get if you don’t ask. Mind you, it is important to ask nicely like, “I currently don’t have any runs now, do you mind if I spend time in the editing room and see how things work there- I really am fascinated by those.” As long as you get your job done, they’ll let you. It’ll mean extended hours, overtime that you won’t get paid for – but it can pay off big time. You will shoot something after hours or cut a sequence together and show your superiors on your work afterwards.
In the future, someone’s going to grant you that chance to move up. All you have to do could be to lay the groundwork for it to begin with. It doesn’t help to boast that you will be a big producer or director at some point. You may be, but no one wants to listen to someone who got in the door discuss how they’re going to own the entire building. Asking for the very next thing is essential to take small steps forward. Before long, you’ll be soon on your way your dream goal in the movie business.