Starting your career in Film & Video Production
We love developing new talent at IDM Media - but unfortunately we are unable to offer any work experience placements at the moment. We know how important it can be to build valuable experience, so we have pulled together some of our top tips to help you take your first steps in the industry. We hope you find them useful!
Put yourself out there.
Firstly, although we can’t offer placements at the moment, a lot of production companies will be able to. Keep sending out your CV and putting your showreel and portfolio out there!Make sure your CV is spotless.
It’s an obvious one, but take some time to make sure your CV is well formatted and that your accompanying letter is clear and well written.Visit Crew Birmingham.
Take a look at Crew Birmingham www.crewbirmingham.co.uk - there are often lots of opportunities on there to get involved in local film projects and build experience.Facebook is a great tool.
Look out for crew pages on Facebook - people often advertise on there for placements, internships and entry level positions. A good place to start is the group Midlands UK Filmmakers.Build experience.
Although it can be hard to get any sort of work experience, don’t feel like you have to work for a production company unpaid - very often this won’t help you or the industry. If you are going to do unpaid work perhaps look for local short film productions, where you can get some initial experience as a runner.Make your own content.
It is really important to be proactive and make your own content. Just pick up a camera (you can even use your phone) and get some footage of the people and places around you. Whilst you might not have access to all the latest equipment, you can use this as an opportunity to develop skills, find your own style and hone your creativity.Watch lots of films!
Watch films, TV and online content and immerse yourself in everything that’s out there. As well as the classics, watch modern releases, commercials, documentaries and music videos. It’s important to develop a deep understanding of the many different ways film and video content is used to communicate today.
We hope this information has been useful. All future employment and placement vacancies will be advertised via our social media channels and on our website. Connect with us here:
Good luck and best wishes!
The IDM Media team.