What Can I Do With a Film Degree?

I’m spilling all of the corporate tea in this “Ask Breakroom Buddha” series.
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What can I do with ‘X’ degree after I graduate? That’s a question that sits and festers in the minds of millions of graduates every year. They often end up feeling uneasy by the thought of not having a job or role as soon as their tassels are turned.

I get a ton of questions sent my way from people asking how I turned my film degree into a job post college. My answers usually lean more towards what you could possibly do with a TV/Film production degree from The University of Georgia, but my advice could resonate with anyone who has a fresh media/communications-related college degree.

What Can You Do With an EMST Degree from The University of Georgia

College and degrees are tricky, and at the end of the day, you have to remember that it’s just that — a degree. Yes, you went to school for 4 years and dedicated your time to studying something, BUT once you graduate with your Bachelor’s Degree you have the right to switch it up.

If you’re like me and my fellow University of Georgia, Grady Mass Media Arts (MMA) or Entertainment Media Studies (EMST) graduates, then you really, really, really want to get as close as you possibly can to working in either the Film or Television industries. A lot of us leave school trying to get some type of content producing role, production assistant job, or office assistant position. The possibilities are endless, so I won’t list them all out here. I think the Grady College Employment Outlook does a way better job of listing out the roles that you “could” get after you successfully complete your stint in college anyway. What I can, and will do, however, is provide you with a few tools and help you navigate the rocky waters a bit.

What I Did With My Film Degree

I recently had a conversation with a young hopeful, and like I’ve described in a past article, my route and thought process for my post-grad life was a little different. There are a bunch of different paths that someone with my degree can head down. To be honest, I realized early on that I didn’t really like the work environment that was associated with being on an actual set, so I started to gravitate more towards digital media. I went the extra mile and received a New Media certification so that I could dig a little deeper into the digital landscape of media. I even went as far as to develop my design skills by taking graphic design courses and upping my web design and development skills. I was ahead of the curb back in 2017, and set my sights on the tech industry early on as well.

After I graduated college, I realized how big of a deal the tech industry was. So I continued to follow that lead because I thought that it would give me an advantage in the entertainment industry. I ended up landing an internship in tech and used it to propel me into the type of work that I do today. I focused on trying a lot of things, both on campus and in the “real world” in order to gain the experience that I thought I needed. So I had my fair share of production based roles, marketing gigs, and social media-based jobs. All of those experiences have led me to the start off a career journey in a more technical side of digital marketing.

Through all of my experimenting, I learned a thing or two. Here’s how you can get started in the film or television industry if you don’t know where to start!

How To Get a Job In the Entertainment Industry: The Corporate Route

When I say the “corporate” route, I’m referring to those who don’t mind sitting in an office. These roles are normally full-time with benefits and offer a decent salary. A lot of these jobs are based at the main headquarters of a big company. Some of the roles on the corporate side might also require you to go out into the field every now and then too (i.e. producing, directing, events, etc.).

How to create a resume for the corporate side of the entertainment industry

To enter the corporate space, I’d recommend working on your resume and making sure that you tailor it to the specific roles that you’re looking into. You’re in a creative field, so your resume should reflect that. Some resources that could help with this include:

• BB Resume Template: I created a handful of resume templates that you can use as a base to get started. These aren’t super fancy, but they get the job done!
• Canva: This is perfect to use if you do want a fancy resume design. They have pre-made templates, but you can always get in there and create your own.
• Jobscan: Use this website to match your resume to the job descriptions that are posted.

Where to find corporate entertainment jobs

While the big companies are nice, try to look at smaller companies or in places that you wouldn’t normally think about. This includes start-ups, ad agencies, marketing agencies, etc. Every company needs to advertise and market their brand, so infiltrate those departments! Creative people live in all industries and can be found everywhere. The key is to look for creative marketing teams, video production arms and even creative strategy groups. Don’t limit yourself during this research phase, because who knows where you’ll end up.

How to build a portfolio for the corporate side of the entertainment industry

If you want to work in the entertainment industry, it’s best to have a portfolio. It honestly doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Just have something to show off the work that you’ve been doing. A reel is also necessary if you’re looking to do any editing work. You can keep working on personal and smaller projects, and add those to your reel and portfolio as you continue to search for roles.

There are so many platforms that you can use to build and host your portfolio website. Research to see which one is best for you. Here are a few of the ones that I’ve used in the past:

• WordPress.org: A step above WordPress.com. While they do have templates, this requires a little more hands-on work, and technical prowess to set up. While it will take some time to set up, it is still very do-able, and allows an unmatched amount of customization.
• Wix: They take a simple drag and drop approach to building websites. The platform includes fully built out templates that you can customize and change. It’s quick and easy, and you can finish building your portfolio in one day.
• Squarespace: Respected by many merchants, Squarespace is another tool that’s similar to Wix. They have pre-built templates that you can easily change around. They include other options for customization as well.

How to build your network on the corporate side of the entertainment industry

Unfortunately in our industry, physical location does matter in some cases. There have been cases where people haven’t received roles because they were not in the locations of the roles that they were applying to. I have a handful of friends who relocated to both NYC and LA because they felt like that’s what they had to do to get jobs in the entertainment industry. They seem to be thriving and making advances in their careers, so that could be an option for you too.

I will say living expenses are ridiculous in many areas where our industry is “thriving”, but if you choose that route, just know that surviving is not impossible. Reach out to your alumni network in your chosen city to see what help or advice they can offer. If any UGA Grady grads are reading this, our Grady network in both NYC and LA is massive. Most people are willing to help out alumni, especially Grady alumni.

Here are a few tools you should be using that can help you strengthen your network:

• LinkedIn: There’s actually an option to see your college alumni network on LinkedIn. Use it to make connections, reach out for advice, and inquire about open positions within companies. Make sure you’re information on your profile is up to date. This is helpful if you’re leaning more towards the corporate route as well.
• Other social media platforms: See if your university has an alumni Facebook or other social media-based alumni groups. If you happen to be a Grady MMA or EMST grad, you should be in our Alumni Facebook Group. Alumni and current EMST professors post about job opportunities and other happenings in the community.
• Job Boards: Sign up to start receiving job alerts. Almost all job sites have a feature that allows you to filter your role requirements and sign up to receive alerts. Start setting them up on websites like Glassdoor, Uncubed Jobs, LinkedIn Jobs, and Handshake. If your college has job listservs (i.e. Grady College has a very active job listserv that you should be on) then reach out to the career advisor and get on that list!

How To Get a Job In the Entertainment Industry: The Production Route

When I say the “production” route, I’m referring to those who might prefer the freelance or contract route. A lot of the roles here are project based, where you might work on a show or movie for a set amount of time. You might also spend most of your time on a set as obsessed to in an office.

How to network your way to a job on the production side of the entertainment industry

I admit that my knowledge about production life after college doesn’t span too far. I’ve worked on a fair share of small productions for local directors, as well as live award show sets. I’ve found that your network is very important, especially in a city like Atlanta that’s starved for production workers who actually know what they’re doing. Start volunteering when you can, and picking up work on smaller productions.

A lot of the advice I gave for the “corporate route” will also be helpful here. You will need things like a resume, reels and portfolios if you take this route too, but your networking skills can help you get farther faster! The more you get out there, the more you’ll start to see your network expand.

Here are some of the tools you should be using if production is what you’re aiming for:

• Staff Me Up: I have a friend who swears by this. A massive amount of people use this to find freelance production gigs in their cities.
• Production Networking Organizations: There are a handful of production organizations in Atlanta. You can use these to find small projects to work on, as well as network with like-minded professionals. One of the ones that I’ve been following is Rolecall Theater (formally Screenplay South). They have production happy hours, pitch meetings, table reads, and even operates a local writer’s rooms for aspiring writers.
• GA Film Help Wanted Hotline: This one is a big deal. This is a web page that’s run by the city of Atlanta. It lists production jobs and casting calls that are currently active in the city.
• Film Festivals, Workshops, and Conferences: Attend any film festivals, conferences, and workshops that you can find in your city. These can get kind of pricey, so volunteer when you can as well. You can use these to learn new skills and network with other professionals in the industry. Some popular ones in Atlanta include Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, aTVFest, and Black Film Festival.
• Post Grad Internships, Apprenticeships, Trainee and Associate Programs: These are HUGE. Companies like the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, WarnerMedia, and NBC Universal, all have some kind of post-graduate training program. These programs are used across industries (don’t limit yourself to the entertainment industry!) as a funnel to train the next set of professionals. These roles can be corporate-based or production-based. A few of the larger entertainment companies also have talent development programs. So if you’re looking to direct, write or act, do your research and look into those programs as well.

That Was A Lot, So Let’s Recap

No matter if you’re going the production route or the corporate route, you should keep these things in mind: 

• Update Your Resume and your LinkedIn Profile. You can download a free resume template here.
  
• Create a digital portfolio. Include a reel if you’re headed down the editing, directing, or producing path.
  
• Expand your network! Join alumni groups, attend industry functions, and networking events.
  
• Do your research! Learn about the types of companies that you align with, what kind of role you’re interested in, and find out if they have early career development programs that can help you get your foot in the door (i.e. trainee roles, post-grad internships, associate positions, etc.) Remember: Don’t limit yourself to just entertainment companies! Think outside of the box here.
  
• Sign up for job board alerts, including any that are managed by your university. Actively use them to find roles that match what you want to do.
  
• Continue to work on your craft! You don’t need permission to find new ways to push your skills and create engaging content! Also, work on other people’s projects!

Ask Breakroom Buddha

Ask Breakroom Buddha a question here, or read past questions below!

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Featured Image by: John-Mark Smith