My goal with Inside Story is to share a complete look at how to make Unscripted content from development to delivery. I’ve been circling this idea for a few years because one of my favorite things to do is nerd out and talk about how TV is made, especially with soon-to-be college grads who are hoping to forge a path in the entertainment industry.
For the last several years, I have had the very enjoyable opportunity to speak to students at Texas Tech about my experiences in production and it reminded me of my own journey, the challenges of breaking in, and the thrill of taking risks.
One of the first lessons in TV I learned was from the late Mary-Ellis Bunim (co-creator of The Real World). She said that you should treat every episode you create as if someone is seeing “your show” for the first time. The goal of that is to make your story accessible, inclusive, and welcoming.
Now a few posts in, I realized that I broke that rule by not setting the table for this forum. If you’re an Unscripted pro, this blog is unlikely to fit your needs as it’s more likely than not you’ve been there and done that. But if you’re new to Unscripted or learning about Unscripted, my hope is that by sharing my first hand experiences, you’ll get a good sense of the industry.
The number one question I get when speaking to students is how to “break in” to entertainment. As the industry has evolved, my answer has changed, but here’s a few basic tips that I think remain true.
Move to California (or whatever entertainment hub you want to be part of). It’s incredibly difficult to get hired for a job when you’re not in the state the position exists. You’re not even likely to get any interviews. There’s absolutely someone down the street sharing a three-bedroom with five other roommates in Sherman Oaks ready to start tomorrow. When I got my first job in L.A., they asked me if I could start that day. Like, literally as the interview was wrapping up.
Be focused. Whatever you want to do in the industry, use my advice of “starting at the end” and figure out the jobs that get you on that path. Want to edit? Find a Post Production PA job. Or a Digitizing job. Then an Assistant Editor job. Then, maybe you get to edit. I believe it’s absolutely OK to not know exactly what you want to do the second you get here, making any type a PA job a good way to get the lay of the land for a year or two, but once you have a good idea of where you want to end up, figure out the jobs that get you there. Don’t be afraid to ask the people above you how they got where they are now.
It is about who you know. Any cliches you’ve heard about Hollywood are often true. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you?” True! “It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know.” Also true! “Take Fountain?” 100% true! (You’ll understand this when you get your first studio apartment on Sierra Bonita.) Networking can be both exhausting and discouraging, but I’m assuming you’re young and have the energy for such things. Put in the time to get to know the people in or around the space you’re interesting in pursuing. Attend free seminars, join a writing group, go to movie screenings with producers and directors you admire.
Identify companies you want to work for. Be aware of who produces the content you like. If you want to work in Unscripted, do you know what production company produces your favorites shows, and not just the network? (For instance, Very Cavallari aired on E!, but was produced by Critical Content. You can work for either, but you just need to be aware that they play two very different roles in the process.) The entertainment industry is getting more and more specialized by the second, so if you decide your career path is producing uplifting content for women, you’ll be able to target very specific companies that are probably a match for you.
Create. Obviously, there has been a seismic shift over the last 10-15 years as to what a college graduate is capable of (or expected to be capable of) upon graduation. A lifetime ago, it was not expected that you’d be able to edit and polish 20 minutes of excellent video on your laptop that you shot in 4K slow motion with your iPhone and a drone you borrowed from your buddy. No matter what your creative passion is, taking the time to develop those skills before you graduate is an instant leg up. A resume is nice, but being able to show people what you’ve worked on that’s specific to the space you’re trying to break into will make people notice. People are visual, and your work is your proof of concept.
There’s certainly more to cover, and at some point, I’ll cover my own journey to Los Angeles, but if you’re heading into a final year of school and looking to plan for the future, I hope this gives a good starting point of some things you may want to think about over the coming months. And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or message me.