Advice for job-seekers looking for a break.

Barbara Freedman Doyle is chair of the Film Division of Chapman University, and also, author of the recently published Make Your Movie: What You Need to Know About the Business and Politics of Filmmaking (Amazon link). After beginning her career as Asst to the Senior VP of Worldwide Production at Tri-Star Pictures, she continued as Coordinator/Production Supervisor on projects for CBS, NBC, Disney, TNT, Showtime, Hearst Entertainment, Hallmark, 20th Century Fox, and more. Her experience and current involvement in the film industry makes her well placed to discuss the trials and tribulations, as well as being able to share some advice on how to get along in the movie business.

Media Match recent spoke with Barbara and she kindly shared her top 5 tips for getting your movie made and breaking into the film industry…

1. Contacts Are a Big Deal

How many times have you heard it said that he (or she) is “connected”? Being connected is a shortcut. It makes things easier. Before you disdain or discount the concept of connections or that much repeated term “networking”, take a minute and think about how important these may be and why. Every day hundreds of people arrive in Los Angeles with the intention of making movies. But there is no qualifying certification. Anyone can say, “I’m a director / producer / screenwriter”. So relationships and referrals are important. They serve as a filter. They lend you that minimum certification. And by the way, once someone does a favor for a friend by meeting you, they will be able to ask a favor in return. That’s politics.

2. Begin Networking

Tell everyone you know your plan. Is it possible that they may know someone you can call for advice? NEVER use someone’s name without asking permission first. If they seem hesitant when you ask, don’t do it. Is there a film festival in a city near you? Festivals use volunteers. Usually in exchange for your unpaid assistance, you can attend as many panels and workshops as can fit around your work schedule. You will make the acquaintance of people who might be willing to give you advice. When a panelist at a festival mentions a film to watch or a book to read, do it! This kind of research – seeing the films and reading the interviews, not just stopping at the IMDb credits list – should quickly become a career-long habit.

3. Find a Mentor

A mentor is someone who is at least a few steps ahead of you, someone who has “been there, done that” and can help steer you along. A business mentor is not a buddy, and finding someone who wants to help you can be hard. Don’t ask someone to be your mentor. That’s too formal and official, and it’s too much of a commitment. Have more than one person whom you think of as a mentor, and from whom you can ask advice.

4. Do your Research – Learn the Names

You can go online and research people, you can read the trades (Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), and you can read Nikke Finke’s daily newsletter at Deadline. You will learn an immense amount about what is happening in the industry very quickly, including the names of people and companies, and you will begin to become aware of the rhythm of how things work.

5. Try to Learn Something About the Business at Every Interview

Whether by following up on something you overhear in the waiting room, or by researching something the interviewer says, you will get better at these meetings. Knowledge and practice is what will help you to feel more at ease.

These tips are great for getting you started, and they are each expanded upon and continued from in the Make Your Movie book. The book really is for anyone interested in the business of breaking into the movies, learning who the key players are when it comes to getting a movie made, and how to navigate the politics of filmmaking from start to finish, from first pitch to filling movie seats. I suggest you check it out in full.

by Lee Jarvis.

Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering ‘Inglourious Basterds‘ has hit the screens last weekend and has already grossed in the region of $37.6m in the US. The movie is seen as a pivotal release for the recently struggling indie Weinstein Company, and will be closely followed by Halloween II, expecting to lead them into a strong fall season. It’s also good news for Universal, who split the cost of the movie and distributed it to 22 foreign territories, grossing $27.5m overseas. Those of you looking for a taster of the movie, here is the official trailer…

‘Basterds’ has made waves online, with it’s Twitter following not only growing, but Tweets from fans doing much of the word-of-mouth publicity work. Both the NY Times and LA Times declared it a roaring success, and praise has rained in for Tarantino and Weinsten.

Slightly less has been said of Brad Pitt, which is a shame as I think he really helps make the movie. I’ve always enjoyed Pitt’s characters, from ‘Fight Club’ to ‘Se7en’ to ‘Snatch’ to ’12 Monkeys’, and I think that this film will slot right into his top five roles.

MTV have uploaded a joint interview with Pitt and Tarantino, which I thought I’d share here as a bit of background.

(Part 1 script)

(Part 2 script)

Feel free to share your thoughts on Pitt, Tarantino, ‘Basterds’, Weinstein or all of the above in our comments!

Lee Jarvis.