How does one find work in Los Angeles?

Something that I haven't really been told, something that I have been struggling to find out myself is How To Find Freelance work in this great big city. I recently graduated from USC Film school. I consider myself talented and dedicated. My friends call me a whiz kid on Final Cut Pro yet I'm not really getting any work. This is partly due to the problem that I don't know where to go to find the work. I've tried everything from craigslist to showing up at post-houses in Hollywood with reel and resume in hand. Nobody cares and nobody wants to talk to me even though I know I could edit the heck out of anything if given the opportunity.

Where does one turn?

I need a mentor.

Thanks !

If you would like to come in my office in Beverly Hills, we shoot and edit events like weddings and bar mitzvahs, but they are high end jobs, so it would be a little more interesting then your basic boring weddings. I have someone now that is leaving in December. I need an assistant editor and some main editor jobs done, also, photoshop, after effects, motion, and DVD

Dude,

You're going to have to take an entry level job. At a post house, production company, whatever. Take the wedding thing mentioned above. Get in, move up, edit your own projects, develop a reel, meet as many people as you can, and become an editor (or whatever you want to do).

A post house is a good place to start because of the huge variety of people and clients that you will meet. Some places might let you use the Avid at night. Do it. The bottom line is, you need a reel to get editing work. You need editing work to get a reel. So you have to do work for free and for friends at first. Then you need someone who you work with who sees your potential and is willing to give you a chance on a bigger project.

You also need people skills. Drop the attitude of "I could edit the hell out of anything." Adopt an attitude of wanting to learn more about editing and life in general, and be open to opportunites. Don't oversell yourself, that's what sales people and producers are for. You sit there and say "aw shucks" while your producer tells clients what a fast, creative, personable editor you are. Then you do your job the best that you can, whether it's Noah's bar mitzvah video or a national spot.

You learn something from every job. Don't get discouraged, and realize that most successful editors, designers, compositors, etc. started out making coffee at post houses. It is very rare to get even an assistant editor job straight out of college. So be patient, don't whine too much when you're making coffee, and good luck.

USC Grad,

Quit whining, and get out there and make your own projects!!

You sound like a little girl!

Put your $5 000 that you would have spent on Christmas etc... into buying 2 PANA AGX cameras.

U got the Box, tools, etc.

Find a Producer, and get out there and gain biz!

It's not a hard equation!

Mike

Mike

As good advice as this is, you might want to find another way to state it. The poster is not whining, merely inquiring.

Yes, you should always do it yourself when you can but it's OK to ask questions along the way.

mike

Michael,

Thanks.

I guess that I get frustrated with "wasted talents".

The guy sounds like he has his stuff together, it just comes down to getting out there more, and building relationships.

Mike

Mike you're a prick. Who the hell gets $5,000 in XMAS money anyway? Just because I went to SC doesn't mean I am wealthy. Where do you work Mr. Goal-Oriented ??

Let it go. And next time you wish to call someone a name on this forum write him/her offline and do it there.

End of thread folks. Nothing is going to be accomplished here

mike

Sorry, Mike...this needs sayin'

rgdfilms,

1. Wow...you are definitely off to a bad start. You don't publically cry out for help then curse a guy for giving his (insensitive and not-so-professional) opinion. You will run into individuals like this out there, so you better develop tolerance & patience...BIG TIME (they don't teach you how to sit with a viscious Director for weeks at a time...you just do it).

2. Just get to work - whatever it is. I would jump all over that Event Editor position, if I were you (Steve Dangcil practically invited you in for an interview!!! Beverly Hills, no less!). I wish I had that opportunity when I graduated.

When I graduated from film school, I took a job as a digitizer for a Cap Company (yup, a Cap Company) for a year...creating and editing logos and patterns in Photoshop & Illustrator for digitization into stitch patterns for the sewing machines. I also did all their flyers & catalogs. All the while, I did Pro-Bono (free) projects and self-produced stuff just to build a reel. I circulated thousands of resumes & demos. An Ad Agency picked up on the fact that I was producing my own spec spots and fell in love with that kind of dedication, determination & effort - and I got an interview.

Be humble...be willing...be READY.

- Joey

Thanks Joey. There is a huge difference however from taking guff from a viscious Director that actually PAYS you and some prude posting on a forum site, spouting off his mouth like a broken sprinkler. I was merely asking for help and I was reamed for it. I'm taking whatever I can get and yes I am grateful and yes I am humble and yes Steve Dangcil is awesome for replying to me first. I just wish some of you veterans out there could be a little more welcoming and open to all us newcomers on the block.

Take care.

Oh yeah, lets end this forum - it's going nowhere fast.

Happy holidays

Richard


Get into a video production apprenticeship in cable, production company or something similar. Use the 411 video production book for ideas. mandy.com is another idea.

email your skills to me and I might have a few apprenticeships leads I can reccomend to you.. are you in the USC area?

Darryl