What to Expect at an Internship
One of the most important gigs to get before delving into the film industry is an internship. They usually don't pay, have nothing to do with your final objective in the industry and are sometimes nothing more than listening to people talk/getting food for the office. But they are an opportunity that doesn't come by once you are in the industry. Internships are mainly a device to get another job, make contacts and see how the film industry really works. After being at one, you will most likely have a better understanding of the behind-the-scenes film world you want to be a part of. You've probably heard many people say that Hollywood is not as glamorous as it seems. Well, cliché as it sounds, that's totally true. Actors are the true glamour of Hollywood, but work is work. People are here to do what they love and, in essence, get paid for it. In your internships you will meet people who can further your career which can get you to where you really want to be. Thos people will not necessarily be Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. They will more likely be an executive assistant at Warner Brothers, or the AD from some commercial shoot, or a producer at Dreamworks -- people you may have never heard of. These people may work with you for months and not even know your name. That's the nature of internships so you should get used to that. It might seem crude or ridiculous to you but the reasons for your invisibility while working for a company, bringing people lunch and reading screenplays, are these usually a compilation of three things. One is that these people have worked from the ground up just like you to get where they are and are now working in a business that is as harsh to them as they might be toward you. The second reason is that they cannot allow for mistakes. The film business is one where if you make a mistake, it can cost you millions of dollars. Getting unknown people in on the ground floor of something is not wise from a legal or logical standpoint. People want their ventures to succeed and they can only succeed if they are backed by someone whom has a good reputation in the business. So Johnny No-name really won't matter very much to them. The third reason for your invisibility at your internship is that for every one of you there will 100 more that year. Interns are in abundance everywhere in the films industry. They are there to get experience and then are shuffled out for more and more to come in. It may not seem like it but people running the internship programs are really there to help those struggling to get in the business. But the problem is that once some people get the taste of this business and find out what it's really like they change their minds. That may like something to scoff at well, but it's rougher than you may think. Four thousand people fighting for one internship is not what you could call glamorous. Now imagine ten thousand people fighting for one directing job. How do you get it? You have to be known. How do you get known? Doing an internship is a good way to meet people. I know many people who have done internships who have gotten work after their internship. There is potential in an internship and that's the important thing. Once you get the job, that probably will not pay, you have to devote part of your life to it. This shows dedication to the industry. It shows heart. It shows them that you can be hard-working and although it may not pay off right off the bat, it will later in the year. They may even hire you right after the job has ended which I've seen happen as well. Here are a few more things to expect when interning: The job title they give you will not be your only job. If you're an assistant to someone in an office, getting food and drinks for people will not be beneath you. If it is, don't take the job or you'll be disappointed. Someone has to do those things and, brace yourself, that's why they hired YOU. You may get yelled at for no reason. People in this industry often have emotional problems. I'm not kidding. The stress is a bit much to bear and as I've said, mistakes can cause financial problems for a company. If someone has made a huge mistake and you happen to get yelled at, sit there and take it. If you can't handle things like that, this is probably not the business for you. This is probably not the business for you in general. I'm no statistician but I'd say about only a tenth of the people who read this article will be really successful in the film industry. I only say that based on the statistics of how many people try to be successful and how many actually are. Don't be upset or discouraged if an internship doesn't work out for you or you hate it more than you can possibly imagine. It happens to nearly everyone. You will not understand the importance of thick skin until you work as an intern, PA, or grip. If you don't fully know the meaning of all the jargon in filmmaking, people will look at you strangely. And it will hurt your feelings. Internships are there for people to learn. But you also should be smart and be able to pick up on things quickly. People usually don't have time to explain things to you during work hours. That's what school is for. So if you get embarrassed, humiliated or talked down to, that's a shame. But that's what happens. People who do that are obviously not nice but it is common and to get ahead, you will most likely just have to deal with it. So doing an internship is good idea if you want to get ahead. But keep your head up. Not everyone in the industry is mean or rude but they are there. The higher-ups can decide whether or not you get your next job so be as good as you can be to people and hopefully they will be good to you.
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