Short film gigs

[Haydn West]

Hello all - would any of you be able to suggest how to get hired to shoot short films in the UK (international too if you like) with a view to raising one's profile and working with like-minded crews on their way up the greasy pole? - Many thanks  - Haydn

[Aapo Lettinen]

You need to know someone from the crew first so that they can recommend you for the job. It depends on the job position who you have to know but if you want to be the dop then you generally need to know either the director or the producer to get the work... Or have a killer reel which they have happened to see. 

Knowing people is they key in the film industry. If there is two or three good options for a job they will hire the person they have worked with before and who they know will do good work.

[Haydn West]

I will take that on board Aapo. Thanks.

[Stephen Sanchez]

Offer to help out in any way and you will get to know them better. Or offer your skills for free ( even though shorts rarely pay, this still sounds like a deal).

I did this with the local group, offering to edit their project. Over the course of the project, I ended up handling the post-production, then color grade when the colorist did a bad job.

Then you end up with good friends who help each other, as what happened to me.

[Mark Kenfield]

Hop on local Facebook crewing pages, see who's out there, and connect with people. That networking is everything.

If you have a reel together, start showing it around to people.