Resources for Careers in TV, Film & Entertainment
Entertainment careers frequently offer excitement, creativity, and variety; breaking into the business often requires lots of perseverance and enthusiasm! Getting into film and TV show production often requires working first in unpaid internships, mailrooms, or as someone’s assistant. Requirements, and job paths, for specific disciplines within the industry vary. For example, film school is not required for acting and producing jobs, but can be helpful for more technical positions like directing and editing. Becoming a writer or literary agent takes time. You might begin as someone’s assistant where you may get to review and synopsize scripts, probably stimulating ideas to hone your own writing. This field is hard to break into; making connections with alumni in the business is critical. Princeton students have lots of alumni contacts in the film industry, including the Princeton clubs of Southern California.
Alumni Careers Network
Alumni have VOLUNTEERED to have students contact them for advice and information about majors and careers. The Alumni Careers Network (ACN), with 4,500 volunteers worldwide, is a searchable on-line database of Princeton alumni who are willing and eager for you to contact them so they can provide you with advice and assistance about their industry or career field.
Selected Online Resources
4entertainmentjobs.com - http://www.4entertainmentjobs.com/ - Subscription (with fee) required for viewing job postings listing entry level to experienced positions. Site includes industry contacts, internship listings.
Creative Hot List - http://www.creativehotlist.com/ - Excellent job site for internships and full-time positions in areas such as animation, production, administration, design and editing.
Entertainment Jobs Now - http://www.entertainmentjobsnow.com/ - Site advertises hundreds of current positions in media, music, writing and television. Also has information on schools with industry related programs as well as industry contact information. A subscription is required to access the site.
Entertainmentcareers.net - http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/ - Great site for internship and job searches in studio settings, radio, production companies, record companies, animation and music.
Showbizjobs.com - http://www.showbizjobs.com/ - Job posting site for film, television, recording, multimedia and entertainment industry-related companies.
Productionhub.com - http://www.productionhub.com/ - Job and internship information for positions behind the camera in film/tv, video, audio/visual and live event production.
Creativejobscentral.com - http://www.creativejobscentral.com/ - Job postings for all aspects of the entertainment industry.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science - http://www.oscars.org/ - Official site of the Academy with history and general information on the Academy Awards, as well as photographs, events and screenings, and press releases.
BackStage.com - http://www.backstage.com/bso/index.jsp - Lists the latest movie casting calls and acting auditions as well as acting jobs. Your most comprehensive resource for open casting calls.
Hollywood Creative Directory - http://www.hcdonline.com/ - Contact information for the film, television, and new media industries.
IFP - www.ifp.org/ - A nonprofit organization created to support the courageous work of artists and technicians working in independent film.
Scripps - http://www.scrippsnetworks.com/ - A leading developer of lifestyle content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming complements an array of broadband video, social media areas and e-commerce components on companion websites that attract more than 20 million unique visitors each month.
E.W. Scripps Company - http://www.scripps.com/ - Publisher of daily newspapers in several states. Also owns broadcast stations, Scripps Howard News Service, television networks, and United Media.
Motion Picture Editors Guild - https://www.editorsguild.com/index.cfm/ - An entertainment labor union representing picture, sound, music, assistant, animation, technical directors, librarian and apprentice motion picture editors.
TVJobs - http://www.tvjobs.com/ - An Internet based employment service dedicated to helping you find employment in the highly competitive broadcast marketplace.
The Hollywood Reporter - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ - Informing, engaging and empowering content is delivered across a multimedia platform that includes: a weekly magazine, bi-monthly special reports, quarterly glossies, a Website, a daily news PDF, iPad app and events.
The Moving Picture Company - http://www.moving-picture.com/ - A world leading post production facility creating high-end digital visual effects and computer animation.
Greenlight Jobs - http://www.greenlightjobs.com – This site is a niche job board aggregator with postings for new media and entertainment jobs (film the film, television, animation, video gaming, visual effects, new media, digital and live entertainment areas).
ASSITEJ/USA - http://www.assitej-usa.org/ - The United States Center for the International Association of Theater for Children and Young People is a network of children’s theater groups. No job listings but does have an online directory of children’s theaters.
NEFilm - http://www.newenglandfilm.com/jobs.htm - Film and TV job classified listings, mainly in New England.
Casino Careers Online - http://www.casinocareers.com/ - Free posting of your resume and search jobs posted by over 200 companies in the gaming, hospitality and technology industries.
Selected Professional Associations
A professional association is an organization of people who have similar career interests. These membership-based organizations often offer a reduced rate for students that allow access to the many resources they provide. Professional association websites can also offer job/internship databases as well as opportunities to find mentors or other contacts.
American Cinema Editors - http://www.ace-filmeditors.org/newace/home.html - Founded in 1950, this association is an honorary society of film editors in the motion picture industry. The website has a member roster and provides information on their post-graduate internships in the field. The society also publishes a quarterly magazine.
Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers - http://www.aivf.org/ - Interesting website with practical information on breaking into filmmaking as well as information to assist in networking within the industry.
Directors Guild of America - http://www.dga.org/ - The DGA is the professional association for film and television directors across the country. The guild works to protect directors’ legal and artistic rights, as well as to offer a collaborative network among industry professionals. This website offers some helpful general information as all well as a searchable directory of members.
National Association of Broadcasters - http://www.nab.org/ - This organization serves as the primary professional organization for television and radio broadcasters. The website offers information on current issues impacting the industry, as well as information on their annual career fair.
Women in Film & Video - http://www.wifv.org/ - This organization is based in Washington, D.C. and works to promote the interests of women in all aspects of the tv, film and video industries. The website provides some helpful information regarding this industry, particularly for women. The organization hosts an annual job fair, with information available on this website.
Women in Film L.A. - http://www.wif.org/ - This organization promotes the work and development of women in all aspects of the film industry. The website offers terrific general information, as well as a career lounge with a job board and internship information.
Writers Guild of America, West - http://www.wga.org/ - A terrific resource for anyone interested in going into the writing aspect of the entertainment industry. This website provides information relating to the business aspects of writing for TV and film, as well as writing tips and tools.
National Association of T.V. Program Executives - http://www.natpe.org/natpe/ - This is a national organization with industry news and trends and advice for breaking into the industry. The website also offers an extensive job board for positions in a variety of related areas.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publisher -http://www.ascap.com/index.aspx - This organization works to promote and protect the legal rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers.