Many TV and film graduates from the East Coast save up money and road trip to California after graduation in hopes of finding production jobs. Rowan University in Southern New Jersey is a prime example of a college with many TV and Film grads pursuing this dream. Therefore, the trip I will present will start in Glassboro, NJ although anyone from anywhere in the world can take advantage of this map. After exploring this cross country map, I hope everyone learns something they didn’t know before, whether if it is about a travel destination or a route from NJ to CA. Keep in mind however, that this map I made consists of just two ways you can go to/from New Jersey to California. There are many possible routes someone may take. Enjoy!
(If the map is currently displayed on one location, zoom out or click on larger image.) Brought to you by Google maps.
As I previously stated, many TV and film majors from New Jersey or the East coast flock to California after graduation in search of jobs. I started wondering, “What jobs are available in California right now?” I checked mandy.com and here’s what I found…
Jobs include director of photography, stage and operating manager, production designer, paparazzi producer, costume designer, Make-up/special effects, publicity intern, editor, producer, writer, key grip and much much more!!!
If that doesn’t motivate you to want to go to California, I don’t know what will.
For many New Jersey TV and Film Grads, the big plan is to save up money and road trip to California. My next few posts will be centered more around that theme. I will be posting an interactive post soon in regards to this “big plan” of traveling to Cali so look forward to seeing that. For now, there are two things I would like to share with you; a poll and a video.
The poll is so I can get an idea of what my readers like and where you would like to go, if you were traveling to the west coast. When I’m working on the interactive project, I’ll keep your suggestions in mind. I’d be interested to see what the most preferred or popular travel sites are.
Also, the video I’m about to share with you is made by a production company called Gnarly Bay. This video touched home with me more than words can explain; so much that I shed a tear, to be completely honest. It’s a dream to many to be able to travel, live and film everything along the way so I definitely recommend that you click the link and check it out.
*Watch this wonderful video of traveling, filming and friends after college, made available by Vimeo.com and also shown below on YouTube. They are two great sites that anyone can join and post videos to!
I hope you enjoy the video and fill out the poll so we can see the most popular travel destinations!
“Many of the things you see on TV are not filmed by that company. They are filmed by smaller organizations and bought by the big ones. MTV Cribs is like that too I think…”
-Charles Ackerman, recent Rowan University TV & Film Grad
The photos I had in a slideshow on my blog a couple weeks ago were taken during the production of a Public Service Announcement, or PSA, for Worship Church Glassboro. I also mentioned the project in another post as well. Therefore, I thought I would share with you the final version of our completed PSA. Enjoy!
Other advice I received while at NFL Films was from the new internship coordinator, Ron. I’ll list some very important bullet points that everyone, including myself, should live by in this career field.
-Be patient! You are going to be working in a VERY competitive industry, finding work will be frustrating and landing that dream job might take years.
-I can assure you that you will send out dozens of resumes with no success and in a majority of cases, no response. Don’t be discouraged, if this is truly what you want to do, you must be persistent.
-Do whatever you need to do to pay the bills. Freelance in your chosen career to gain experience and contacts preferably.
-Network, network, network!
-You never know who you are talking to or in some cases, working with, what position they may hold or what type of contacts they may have. Believe it or not, this is a small industry and you will run into the same people over and over again; you can not hide for too long. Make sure anyone you have ever worked with has your current contact information. If you have successfully worked for someone in the past, keep in touch with them, ask them to recommend you to others if they don’t have any work for you.
-Be pleasant on the job! No matter how big or small the assignment is, people take notice.
-If you don’t have a simple business card with your contact information yet, that should be the first thing you do!
-Every job you do in your chosen career path, no matter how small in size or pay, is important. You never know who you’ll meet on the job or who may see or hear your work.
-People in our industry simply can not screw up too many times because there are many talented people out there just waiting to replace you. In this industry, you have to know your stuff and have a true talent for what you do.
-SUMMARY: Be patient. There’s a LOT of competition out there. Network your ass off; you never know who you’ll meet. Every job is important!
-If you are still in school, enjoy it. You will never experience an environment like that again.
Over the summer, when I was interning at NFL Films, I met a woman named Debbie Markowitz who shared her story with me. I found it really inspiring, motivational, informative and helpful.
She told me how before coming to work at NFL Films, she worked in the record business in California for 15 years! As a soon-to-be college grad who is excited to travel west, I asked her what California was like. She explained the job market to me.
Some people say to go to California to get the jobs in TV and film while others say there are no jobs right now. I wanted to hear her experiences from California directly told by her, someone who has been in my shoes.
She said that although it is very competitive and hard to find a job and even though people told her she would have no luck out west, she got four job offers her first day there! It was years ago and things have most likely changed a bit but she said to aim big, dream big and believe in yourself. Don’t go after the lower end positions either. Aim for the top.
Her main suggestion was for me to make a list of my top businesses, companies, etc. that I would like to work at, with my favorites at the top of the list, especially the bigger companies with the more well-known names. Most people plan on aiming for the bottom of the list first and working their way up but she said to go to the big companies first!
“There are more positions! Call around and see who has worked there before and see where they are now. Those sort of connections can get you in.”
She said it has a lot to do with doing your research!!! Find the companies and people you can network with. Start making your list!!!
A: This is my fourth year at Rowan and this is my third year teaching.
Q: As a TV professor and advisor for RTN, the Rowan Television Network, what tasks or responsibilities must you take on each day?
A: Each day, my day starts with unlocking and firing up all the studios and production spaces, making sure everything is working, in anticipation of a full days activities. From students in various classes and clubs, also, you know, working with the students in the equipment room, making sure that facility is up and running, ready to go. Making sure everyone, all the student workers are in where they’re supposed to be and everything is running like clockwork. That’s my regular routine. On top of that, I help students with any type of technical or media problem that they might encounter with any of our equipment or facilities or even just questions about course work. So that’s my day-to-day.
Q: Always busy…
A: Unfortunately…
Laughs
Q: What made you want to be a TV professor?
A: When I was in school, I was always good at helping other people out and I liked to find different ways to explain different concepts and understand it. I just had a natural knack for that. I think part of it was upbringing. My parents were both in education and most people in my family are in education so it just runs in the family. When I was in school, I had some really great professors and I always thought that, you know, there are schools out there that need great professors and I’d love to go to one of those places.
Q: Very cool. You’re a good professor.
A: Thank you. That’s not very objective.
Both laugh
Q: Were you always interested in TV production? Did you take it in college?
A: When I was in high school, I think my sophomore or junior year of high school, when you start looking at colleges, where you want to go…um, I was always good in a lot of subject areas and I had just joined the high school TV club, just because it seemed fun and interesting and I like technology and video and that sort of thing. But that wasn’t going to be the career, the career I was looking into was chemical engineering, chemistry, that type of stuff. I looked at colleges for both professions and I found myself enjoying television, video, film work more than beakers and Bunsen burners and things like that so I made the decision that I was going to go for a degree in media communications. Take the lab coat, hang that up and then not go back and I’m glad I did.
Q: What college did you go to?
A: I went to Temple University, that was for my undergraduate degree, and then I got a Master of Arts from Syracuse.
Q: Was that for teaching?
A: Uh no, that was all for television and film and media. When I was at Syracuse, I worked as a graduate assistant so I taught some courses and helped some other professors teach courses and I really enjoyed it. Teaching was always on the back burner. It was get a job in production, work for a while and then when my body can’t take it anymore, go into teaching and settle in. It just so happened that teaching came a little sooner than I had planned but I don’t regret any of it.
Q: Did you have to go back and take any additional courses to teach?
A: Not at all, at the college level, you’re looking for people with advanced degrees, masters, PHDs, and at the college level, you just have a knowledge of subject area. Teaching experience is a plus, so I was a graduate assistant. That’s teaching experience enough to teach at the undergraduate level. If I wanted to go into a high school or grade school type of setting, I would have to go and take additional course work and get certifications; but at the college level, no additional training’s required.
Q: Did you stay on-campus when you went to college?
A: Yes, my freshman, sophomore and junior year as an undergrad I was in on-campus housing and then my senior year I had an off-campus apartment. In grad school, it was the graduate-learning community type of situation. It wasn’t technically on-campus but it wasn’t off-campus either; it was university housing. That was one of the perks of being a graduate assistant. They put us up there.
Q: What was it like moving back home?
A: I hated it. Hated it! But to save money and put a little in the bank, and have a roof over my head, that you know, wasn’t a horrible, one room apartment somewhere in the ghetto, living at home was necessary. There was always food on the table. So, that was what it was. So, once I had a few months of income behind me, that’s when I moved out and said, “Thanks. See ya. Bye. I’ll be sure to write.”
Q: Can you recall how much time went by between graduation and getting a job?
A: Um, yes. When I finished graduate school, the last thing I had to do was an internship and I interned at NFL Films. My internship ended in August and I had absolutely nothing in the month of September. No work, no calls. I had sent resumes everywhere and just like most of the graduates, you hear nothing back. Then the last week of September, NFL Films called me up and said, “Hey, we have a need for someone next Tuesday, are you available?” I said, “Yeah, sure. I can come in.” And so it started at one day a week, then two, then three, and then for that season, by the end of October, I was there four days a week.
Q: Did you go on to work anywhere else before you started teaching?
A: Yes. When I was still in college at Temple, I worked professionally in a couple different places, just part-time work, nothing huge so I had some professional experience under my belt. Moving into graduate school, I just did that. Once I got out of graduate school, my first stop was NFL Films. I started working for the Philadelphia Phillies, Comcast Sportsnet, Comcast Spectacor, and also did some daily work for a couple different, non-profit agencies in Philadelphia and then worked for a company called Ali Pixel, which does corporate video, industrial-type work. I worked for them as an editor. That was my last running gig before coming to Rowan.
Q: Was it as competitive as they say it is?
A: Yes. Getting a job in this industry is…difficult. It really isn’t as much what you know as who you know. You need to know a lot to get into this business but it helps to network and know people. Every job I have gotten in the past, with the exception of my job here, at Rowan University, has been because I knew someone or someone knew me and said, “We need to get you in.” or “We have a need and Chris Winkler’s the guy for you.” So, I never filled out a formal job application until I applied for the job at Rowan.
Want to hear more? Click to play the video and hear the last few minutes of this interview on tips you should do to get ahead in the industry!
*Play the clip to listen to a few minutes of audio from a Q & A session with Rowan’s Television Production teacher, Christopher J. Winkler.
(I apologize for the hissing sound you hear while playing the clip. It bothers me too. The original file doesn’t have it, but by uploading it to the web, it became noticeable. I hope you enjoy the audio/video despite this annoyance!)
I hope you found this interview to be informative and helpful in answering any questions you may have for your future job searches after college.
Special thanks to Professor Winkler for his time and for sharing his experiences with us.
Most of us feel like we need to live in New York City or Los Angeles to have our dream job but there are television and film production houses all around the world! If you research what’s out there, you may just find something, somewhere that you like much better.
A few other places include: Chicago, Florida, Delaware, Hawaii, Alaska, France, Italy, Greece, Burmuda, Serbia, Haiti, Canada, Peru, Vietnam….
Did you ever think those places would have jobs you may be looking for?! Research your options!
