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Work for a creative director who realizes your success and career growth are one of the most important measures of them doing their job.
I’ve had a hard enough time finding anyone to work for to this point. When I get a job, I kind of just have to accept the circumstances, whatever they are.
It’s just frustrating cause I’m passionate about what I do, and I need a career that pays me and allows me to survive on this planet for hopefully a long time.
I don’t know how to get there in this world where everything is remote, almost every agency is run into the ground by a holding company, and no one wants to believe in creatives who don’t have decades of experience.
Coach
You can also produce your own projects outside of advertising.
In fact I’d recommend it.
👆Good advice here. The barrier to entry has never been lower. If you have an iPhone and a creative mind, there is no reason why you can’t shoot/edit your own videos, and learn from the process. Don’t wait for an opportunity to fall in your lap, make your own opportunity.
Yeah it all boils down to the CD. Unfortunately we have A LOT of insecure, and lazy folks in these positions. So if you seem even just a little bit brighter than your CD, they’ll probably do everything but help you.
On your next gig, really spin the interview like you’re interviewing the CD and not the other way around. Get to know if you actually respect this person or not.
This stinks, I’m sorry. In defense of us creative leaders, there’s less production in general, and budgets are way tighter. So we get a lot less room for teaching young people. Though the folks I work with definitely try to bring the next generation along.
Make this point to your CD if you haven’t yet. I’ve seen agencies cover cost of sending juniors on production a few times
Literally anyone can shoot anything right now. Write a script, get your friends to act, rent base-level sound equipment and finish on the cheapest software you can. Can’t find a director? BE the director
Really? This person doesn’t currently have a job and they’re asking about how to get on set. As someone who’s shot my own projects a few times, I’m suggesting they go out and make their own stuff.
What would you suggest?
Reach out to production companies with spec ad ideas for their junior directors. Emerging directors are also looking to break in with ad agencies so building connections with creative directors and making spec ads are a great launching pad. Prod cos and directors are able to pull their own connections for the right projects.
No clue what your situation is but it’s usually a money thing. First you have to figure out if you have cheap clients, or an agency that doesn’t value you that way. If it’s #1, find the client with big money (they tend to be the less sexy ones) and get in there. If it’s #2, jump ship.
Learn as much as you can outside of the industry. Maybe that's a film-making class or a workshop or something. Or a 72-hour film festival. Something that gives you a chance to meet other people who are really hands-on with production. When you get into that world you can work on producing some of your own content and have some interesting personal projects to add to your work. It will be low budget stuff but that's actually a great way to learn because you'll be more hands-on.
It would be good preparation to have some basic understanding of production. But, honestly, the ticket to getting on set is to sell in a great dialogue-based campaign. Most CDs will invite the writer of the work along even if it’s the writer’s first production. Most. Not all.
I did this. Funded - shot my fresh reel.