Hello,

Sort of a two-part question...

How does a film graduate get a job at a major film studio (Universal,
Columbia TriStar, Miramax, etc.) in the Production Department?  I mean
actually working on the set as a PA, grip, or whatever.  Do the major
studios have their own in-house people, or are these types of
positions filled through the DGA and various guilds/unions?

Thanks.

Ed

The unions and guilds are the most certain option, but those are
difficult to get into as a rule. The best bet is to work in
independent productions at first, get a few credits under your belt,
and then start sending resumes direct to production managers. These
can be found in film production directories, though more importantly
in the production pages of the Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Each of those publications puts out a listing of all current and
coming film productions, including contact info for many, and it's by
pounding out resumes and phone calls to those people that your friend
will make the contacts needed to break into the studio system.

Once he or she has a few credits under their belt, getting into the
union will be far easier, and work will follow.

But they really need to start at the bottom and go from PA up the
laddeer, more often than not.