UPDATED FOR 2011.Looking to break into the entertainment industry? Maybe you can’t write, or act, or hold a camera, or even make a decent cup of coffee, but you’re a wiz at accounting. Maybe you’re a genius at managing resources and want to take a shot at producing movies. Maybe you want to work in rights and acquisitions or even contracts, but don’t know where to start your job search.
Or maybe you are a seasoned entertainment pro who’s looking for that next gig in hard times.
Maybe you’re an actor, writer or producer just looking to make ends meet while you work tirelessly to make that big break for yourself.
If you are looking for a job in the entertainment industry from production crew to writing, to promotions to assistant work, your best bet will always be to use your personal connections. The best jobs in film and television go to someone who knows someone. That’s just the law of the jungle.
But what if you don’t know anybody? Or, what if your connections don’t have anything for you in these hard economic times?
There are resources online to find work in the entertainment industry. As with everything, some sites are better than others but success will always depend on your own preparation, diligence and follow through. But good industry jobs are posted every day for beginners and seasoned pros alike. Below are what I consider some the best web resources for finding that industry job.
All of these sites are free sites. They do not charge you to browse through the job listings. However, some sites offer extra services to paying members like the ability to post your resume and promote yourselves on their site. Such services can be useful for those who want an extra edge.
But what I will not list are paid membership sites that charge you to even look for a job. There’s no reason for it. Most of the job listings on pay sites were culled from studio job pages anyway so the odds of one of the pay sites holding a valid job so special and so unique that you have to pay to look at it… It all smells scammy. The job providers are already paying to post their openings, so charging the job seekers to access them is like double-dipping. I personally think they are taking advantage of people. However, I leave the decision to join a pay site up to you. It’s your money.
In addition to the sites below, I also suggest going to the websites of some of the big production companies or distributors if you are looking for studio job. They all have a jobs or careers section.
Most of the sites below do not offer studio executive, or other high profile jobs. They offer mostly entry-level or indie work. But you will find casting calls for actors, crew jobs, production office work and the occasional entry level studio “Gofer” gig. At least you can find something that will pay your bills. It’s all about survival, right?
So here we go…
9 Free Websites For The Film/TV Job Seeker
1. Mandy.com
Mandy.com has always been one of my favorite industry job sites. It has been around forever and is one of my go-to resources when I need to fill a crew position fast. I list my own job openings on Mandy. I use them. What more can I say?
They have a drop down menu interface where you can browse jobs by category, region and whether or not to include no/lo paying gigs in your search. Very handy.
Mandy also has sections that list services, vendors, casting calls and even a film market section where filmmakers and distributors can connect with each other. You can also create a profile and upload a resume to better market yourself. Over all, Mandy is one of the best online resources around. Mandy.com
2. Production Hub
ProductionHUB has extensive job search features and categorizes them by aspects of production like pre-production, post-production, support, etc. What they don’t have, are a lot of job listings. Lately it seems like one or two a week. But who knows? That all may change.
A free membership to the site allows you to upload your reel and/or work samples. There is also a classifieds section and an events section. ProductionHUB also offers a service where they will hire a crew for you. ProductionHUB
3. Entertainmentcareers.net
This is another site that seems to have been around forever. My only complaint is that paid members get early access to job listings, meaning that they withhold them from from the free members for a set amount of time. This is a pretty big advantage. Besides, there are very few jobs on this site that you can’t otherwise find on Mandy or the studio sites anyway. Some, but not many. Membership costs $9.95/mo with small discounts for longer enrollments, so it is one of the less expensive membership sites. But again, if the majority of listings can be found for free elsewhere… EntertainmentCareers.net
4. Craigslist
Ah, good ol’ trusty Craigslist… Ah, good ol’ scam infested Craigslist.
Honestly, I have actually landed a few decent jobs here over the years, including my very first PA gig. Did I ever mention that I’m an “Award Winning Producer?” Yeah… I got the first one by responding to a Craigslist ad. No joke. Good jobs do show up here, you just have to be patient.
I have also hired from Craigslist. No complaints from me. I’ve found good people here. The only problem is that you could get a hundred responses for one job. Be prepared to spend some time reading resumes. All said, Criagslist is probably still one of the best overall resources for entertainment industry jobs.
A word of caution though: being so free, so open and so popular, you need to be on your guard against scams when looking for work on Craigslist. Tread carefully. Many job offers are not actually job offers but absolute scams. Also keep in mind that half the world is using Craigslist too, so there is a lot of competition. Craigslist.org
5. Massify
As much a social networking site as it is a job search site, massify connects indie minds with other indie minds. Here, you won’t find big studio or network jobs, but you are likely to find decent jobs working with the crew, or in the production offices for independent films. But not at the rate of Mandy or Craigslist. A few jobs a week will be posted on Massify.
They also have a feature that allows producers to promote their projects in what is called “The Studio.” Details are on their site. Massify is partnered with Lionsgate and Killer Films, so there will be good opportunities to mingle with the Indiewood community online. With over 50,000 members, Massify is well worth a look if you are jonesing to break into the indie world. Massify.com
6. Showbizjobs.com
SBJ seems to be a free site with premium pay services. However, free accounts appear to have the same access to job listings as the paid accounts. I count it as a free site.
The paid accounts offer opportunities to post your resume and better market yourself to potential employers, and at $35 for six months it’s relatively inexpensive. Over all, SBJ appears to be a decent resource, even if the interface is a bit wonky to navigate. It would be nice to be able to browse ALL new jobs, but I have not found a way to do it. If you know how, I’m all ears. Showbizjobs.com
7. Job Monkey
How cool is Jobmonkey? You can find listings here for nearly any kind of job you might want; from Alaska fishing boat crew to costumed mascots. Jobmonkey has some interesting opportunities. Though their film and TV sections are small and not updated as often as Mandy or Craiglist, they sometimes pull job listings right off the company websites, same as the pay sites. It’s worth a visit if you are looking for that film/TV gig, or something else completely out of the ordinary. Jobmonkey.com
8. Variety Media Careers
The job pages in the daily Variety were once the most looked at job listings in the entertainment industry. Today, Variety has taken their job listings online. There aren’t nearly the number of listings as there were in the past, but they still have some interesting entries. You might even find jobs for some of the major studios and agencies. Variety Media Careers.
9. Media-Match
It looks like a free job site with optional paid premium services, but it’s not. And they don’t tell you that until after you click on the listing. While media-match has a thorough job listing section, they withhold the contact details of the more attractive jobs for paid subscribers only… shame. So while many aspects of this site are free, we are going to categorize them as a pay site. Besides, it looks like they pull some of their studio jobs off of the studio websites, so if you see something you like, then go to the studio’s own web page. Nobody should have to pay to answer a job listing. media-match.com
BONUS: The UTA Jobs List!
There is a secret jobs list distributed every couple of days or so by United Talent Agency. Normally reserved for Hollywood professionals, this is the “good stuff.” Executive positions, Producing Positions, High-Profile personal assistant gigs and tons of PA and Intern listings at some of the most well known companies in the business. So yeah, it’s a goldmine for the enterprising outsider who wants to break in.
The funny part is, UTA will not confirm that this list actually exists. Haha. It’s the worst kept secret in Hollywood, but one of the least known resources for outsiders.
Temp X deserves all the credit for putting this up on The Hollywood Temp Diaries. If you want a good laugh (and some insight into what life is really like as a Hollywood grunt), then Temp Diaries is a must visit.
Any other sites that I missed?
Let me know and I’ll add them.
Also, if you have any good or bad experiences with some of these companies that you would like to share, please do so. It would help everyone.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear John,
thank you so much for this Job Seekers selection! I am a 10 years experienced video editor that has just arrived in California … and I am doing an intense research to find the perfect editing job. I found 2 more pay sites:
http://www.entertainmentcareers.net and http://www.4entertainmentjobs.com
Do you know or have ever used them?
Oh, I want to find a great job and I am thinking if I should pay or not … and if so in which one!?!
thanks again, my favourite is Mandy too ^^
cheers!
Roser
Thank you Roser,
I’m not personally a fan of the pay sites, just because the jobs that they list are mostly available for free elsewhere. But some crew sites like Media Match and http://Productionnotices.com may have unique jobs. So it’s up to you. If what they charge isn’t a big deal to you, then why not try them out? It’s another pipeline, right?
As for video editors, Mandy is the best resource I know of, but don’t forget to go to the conventional job sites like monster and do a search for video editor. You might be surprised at how much shows up there.
oh, this one Productionnotices is much cheaper too .. thank you!
My main goal is to work in a Studio, so let’s have fingers crossed.
thanks again and good luck!
By the way. I updated the post to include the UTA jobs List.