By: Mary Pitts

Three tips to get your foot in the door

Atlanta’s film industry is bursting with opportunities for aspiring writers, producers, directors, and cinematographers. Here are three tips to get your foot in the door.

1. Make connections. Network.

   Knowing the right people is equally as important as knowing your trade and understanding the business aspects of the film industry. Just ask Ebony Blanding, a Filmmaker-in-Residence with Atlanta Film Society, who hit a turning point in her career when she met a peer with similar goals to her own. “While working as a PA, I was finishing up college and had a lighting class with a fellow black woman filmmaker,” Blanding said. “We were both at points in our studies, careers, and desires that really complimented each other so we decided to work together under an art film house called The House of June.” 

   One way to make career-boosting connections in Atlanta’s entertainment industry is to attend networking events. Events like the Creative Conference at the Atlanta Film Festival offer attendees the opportunity to learn from film and television professionals. The conference takes place over five days and features about 40 panels, talks, and demos. 

2. Understand the business side of the industry.

    Starting out in the film industry can be intimidating. There’s a lot to understand -- from technology to terminology to transitioning from another industry. Don’t know where to begin? Producer Linda Burns teaches the basics of film and television in a series of workshops called Back to One: Filmmaking Basics Classes. Burns covers Intro to Film Business, Getting Started in the Industry, and Resumes for Film and TV.

3. Get experience as a Production Assistant.

   Working as a production assistant is one of the best ways to get hands-on experience. It’s also a way to make valuable connections within Atlanta’s film industry. 

   Not everyone can afford to go to college to learn about the film industry. Those who want to break into the business without spending thousands of dollars on a four-year degree can learn the ins and outs of a production assistant’s work through the Atlanta Film Society’s educational programs. The PA Academy, held four times a year, is a two-day workshop which is perfect for those just starting their career in the industry as well as those looking to advance their knowledge of what it takes to succeed as an office or on-set production assistant working on commercials, industrials, music videos, independent films, television series and studio features.

ATLFS and Georgia State University Public Relation students have collaborated on a series of articles on the film industry.