Networking for Filmmakers

NETWORKING FOR FILMMAKERS

Networking is no one’s favorite part of being a filmmaker or photographer, but the more
energy you put into expanding your network, the better the chance your name is going to be
suggested for that next big job. At the end of the day, people want to work with people they
already know or people that are recommended by people that they trusts - so the more
you get your name out there and actually meet with these people, the faster your career
will progress.

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Networking for Filmmakers

WHO DO YOU REALLY

WANT TO WORK FOR?
Before you can start really trying to build a network, the first thing you need to ask yourself
is: who do I want to work for or with? This is an overlooked step in the process of building a
network, and taking the time to identify specific people and organizations is crucial.

Specific is the key word here - big names like

National Geographic or the United Nations are not
specific enough. National Geographic has at least
a dozen different divisions, from the web site, to the
branded content arm, to the TV channel. And this is just the stuff they make internally and
doesn’t take into account the many different production companies who are contracted to
produce content for the broader brand. As an example, the premium doc series Trafficked
with Marian Van Zeller is branded as a National Geographic production, but is in fact made
by Muck Media.

So when you’re putting together this list of people you want to work for, it’s important to go
through the credits or do some online research to figure out who you’re actually trying to
contact. You don’t want to work for National Geographic, because that doesn’t really mean
anything. If you want to work on the show Explorer, you’ll have to contact one department,
but if you wanted to shoot for the magazine, you’d need to speak to another. Watch the
credits or Google search the shows and people you really like until you find the person or
organization actually in charge, then send your emails.

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Networking for Filmmakers

FIRST STEPS
The first step in this networking journey is to identify at least 10 specific clients or people
you want to work with and then we’ll move on to how you should contact them. This is
also a good thought exercise for people just starting their careers because many people
have never really considered what they’re working towards. A nebulous goal of “I want to be
a professional filmmaker” is much harder to take actionable steps towards compared to
something like “I want to be the series DP for Planet Earth”.

The same thing applies if you’re looking at things on a much smaller or more local scale, so
even if you’re not ready to work for National Geographic or the BBC, now is still the right time
to start this process. Maybe you need a bit of seasoning before Planet Earth will take you
seriously, but reaching out to a 10 natural history focused production companies who have
worked in your region before and introducing yourself as a future production or camera
assistant is totally realistic.

Your first assignment is to take the time to fill out the chart below and come up with that
initial list of 10 organizations or names. Once that’s done you’ll be able establish a first
contact, which you then politely and professionally maintain over a long enough period of
time, and eventually you’ll get a shot somewhere. Once you know who your goal clients are,
the rest is just practice, logistics, and networking.

One final thing to mention is that in the beginning you should try and match this client list
with people you’re actually suited to work with. There’s no point trying to meet with the head
of Billabong media if you don’t know how to surf, or trying to be the main DP for an Oscar-
winning director if you’ve only made 5 minute shorts. Dream big, but keep things realistic.

Company/Client/Person Contact for the person I think is in charge

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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Networking for Filmmakers

COLD CALLING
Cold calling, or more likely cold
emailing these days, involves
reaching out to someone who you’ve
never met and who isn’t expecting
to hear from you (regardless of
whether you call, email, or even fax
them), and for many people it can
be a very uncomfortable thing to
do. There is the fear of rejection
combined with the worry that you’ll
annoy someone you really want to
work with - and both of those are
valid fears. The good news is that
people in the position to hire you or
to commission your films are paid to
have relationships with filmmakers.
If you have skills, they need to know
you as much as you need to know
them, and if you’re not a good fit for
them at the time the worst they’ll
do is choose not to respond. And
unless you’re somehow rude or
unprofessional in your initial contact,
even the ones who don’t respond
won’t think any less of you for trying.

Let’s assume that email is going to

be your primary means of reaching
out to these people, though a social
media DM would work in pretty much
the same way. I’d probably advise
against calling someone you don’t
have a relationship with BECAUSE you could catch them at a bad moment and no one really
likes unsolicited calls.

The key to a successful networking cold call is to make it as easy as possible for them to
say yes by making as few demands on their busy schedule as possible. Don’t ask them to
meet in a central location, offer to show up at their office with a coffee. Don’t tell them you’re
only free at certain times, tell them you’ll come whenever is most convenient for them. Don’t
copy and paste identical emails to everyone, make them personalized to them and what
they do so they know you want to meet them for a reason. Make it easy and they’re much
more likely to say yes.

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This sample email is something I might send to someone I’d like to meet with. Always try and
email a specific person instead of the info@blank.com address on the contact form, which
is why the first step of collecting names and contact info is so important. Feel free to copy
and paste this, changing things around to personalize it for yourself.

Hi Jenn,

My name is Luc Forsyth and I’m a documentary DP based in Vancouver, Canada. I saw the
most recent National Geographic special on Olympia National Park and loved it - so much
so that it inspired me to reach out and introduce myself. I’m extremely passionate about
natural history and outdoor filmmaking, have worked on several projects I’m proud of in
this space such as National Geographic Explorer, Killing Zac Efron, and Red Bull Climbing:
Recovery. Fun fact - I used to be a professional tree planter and have personally planted
nearly 700 000 trees and spent more than 2 years of total time in a tent - so I know I can keep
up with the demands of the job.

I’ll actually be passing through New York next month for some meetings and was wondering
if I might be able to swing by your office for a few minutes to introduce myself nand tell you
a little about what I do in case there might be a chance to work together on something
down the road. I’m free any day between the 15th and 23rd and would be happy to come to
wherever is most convenient for you. Just let me know where the office is and how you take
your coffee, and I’ll see you then!

I know you must be crazy busy so I appreciate you taking the time to read this email, and I
hope to hear from you soon.

Best,

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MAKE IT PERSONAL, MAKE IT EASY

Now I’m not sure if this is the best email ever sent, but at least the person on the receiving
end knows I really meant it for them and that I know what kinds of things they’re involved in.
I also showed that I have at least some skills/background that are relevant to what they do,
which helps. If you’re writing to the NBA asking to work as a cameraman on a live game, but
your reel is made only of drone shots of the beach, they probably won’t take you seriously.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a well developed resume yet, just think of the reasons that apply
to you. What have you done that is relevant outside of filmmaking? What skills or languages
do you have that might be helpful in the field? Maybe you don’t have any of those things but
like me you’ve spent a lot of time outdoors as a wilderness guide and you’re willing to take
a more junior job in exchange for experience. If so, say that. Just make it clear you’re really
thinking of them and not just copy-pasting the same thing to everyone.

Once you’ve established that you really want to talk to them specifically and the reasons
why, make it as easy as possible for them to say yes. Most stressed out PMs might not have
time to sit down for a full meal with you, but if you offer to show up with a hot coffee at their
desk without them having to do anything, you’ll stack the odds of a yes in your favor.

Now send these emails to your prospective clients, whether that’s National Geographic or
the independent director who lives an hour away, and brace for the fact that most of them
will ignore you. That’s OK, and that’s normal. That’s why it’s so important to cast a wide net
and ideally send a lot more than 10 of these at a time. On my first networking trip to New
York I sent probably 100 of them to end up with 15 meetings, so don’t just write to one or two
people and move on. Rejection is normal, persistence gets results.

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THE MEETING
So after you’ve carpet bombed New York City (or Bangkok or Nairobi or wherever you decide
to focus your energy) with meeting requests, what do you do when some of these people
actually say yes? Well for starters make sure you show up early and give yourself time in
front of the building to get yourself together before you rush in, sweating, and apologize for
being late. The first time I went to the Conde Nast offices in the World Trade Center to meet
with The New Yorker video team, I got lost in the giant subway station and did exactly this.
Trying to present yourself as a pro while swabbing your forehead every ten seconds doesn’t
work out well, and you’ll probably be too frazzled to come off at your best. Show up early,
make sure you know where the entrance is, and take a few deep breaths.

In my experience the main priority is to leave that person with the impression that you would
be an easy person to travel with and that if you were hired for a shoot you’d be reliable,
punctual (see above), and friendly. So smile, be yourself, and don’t be in such a rush to tell
people about your passion projects that you miss the important part of being a human
being that someone wouldn’t mind being trapped in a van with for several weeks.

With that said, there are 2 main questions to think about ahead of time to give yourself the
best chance of things going well. Trying to define the answers to these questions ahead of
time will give you something to say when you first sit down and they ask “so what can I do
for you?”

• Why, specifically, do you want to work with that group/person/company? Is it because

of something they made before? Their reputation in the industry? You heard they paid
better than anyone else? People want to know that you’re interested in them, not just
getting any job out there. The more you can speak to them and their needs specifically,
the more receptive they’ll be.

• What have you done, or what are you currently doing, that makes you think you’d be
a good fit for them? It’s all well and good to want to work for Red Bull films shooting a
climbing expedition, but if you’ve only ever done corporate videos or weddings, this
could be a tough sell. Are you an ace drone pilot? What else have you shot in remote
environments? Do you have advanced first aid or certificates that would make you
valuable in an expedition setting? Take a look at your experiences and figure out what
you can offer them that will actually make you useful. If there’s nothing at all you bring
to the table, maybe you need to think about more time and training before you try and
get a job at the highest level, or refocusing your attention on more realistic clients.

• At the same time, some people might be willing to take a chance on someone without
a ton of experience if they can see there’s potential for long term growth. Show them
that you’re working on your own by referencing passion projects you’ve worked on, and
that you’re willing to start at the very bottom if need be because you’re committed to a
long term future in their world.

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EXERCISE: SPELL IT OUT

Take a few minutes and the answers to the questions above as though you were writing
to your ultimate dream client, the number one name from the list you just made. It can be
a surprisingly hard thing to do, so the sooner you start practicing, the better. If you can’t
answer these questions for yourself, you’ll have a hard time answering them sitting in a
meeting as well.

So open a word processor or notebook and jot off a few paragraphs or bullet points.
Every time you do it gets a little bit easier the next time.

1. I want to work with ________________ because:

2. I would be a valuable assent to them because:

If you can’t answer these questions right now, that’s ok. It’s better to find that out at your desk
than in a real meeting. If that’s the situation you find yourself in you’ll either need to go back
to step one and either make your list a bit more realistic or else find a way to level up your
skills to the point where you can answer them.

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EVERYONE STARTS
SOMEWHERE
Don’t worry if you’re near the beginning of
your career and don’t have an extensive
list of high profile clients. Everyone starts
somewhere and networking is one of the
ways you’re going to move up the ladder. If
you’ve been realistic about the kinds of clients
you’re meeting with on your networking trips
(and odds are people who are way beyond
the realm of possibility for you probably
wouldn’t have taken the meeting anyways),
you shouldn’t have to lie in order to be
considered for work.

If you’re brand new and have never shot

anything but are good with cameras, tell
them you’re interested in camera assistant
work as you work your way up. If you’ve
shot a few things but have never been in
charge of a major show before, maybe ask
for B-Cam positions. You should always be
striving for jobs that are just a touch beyond
your comfort level, but not so far beyond
what you’re capable of that there’s no way
you can pull them off. Be realistic and don’t
promise what you can’t deliver, while staying
ambitious and hungry to grow. Lying your
way into something you’re not equipped to
do and blowing the job will hurt you more
than help you, but starting at the bottom and
working your way up could possibly lead to a
very long professional relationship.

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THE FOLLOW UP
So you made it through a week of meetings and for the most part you think you conducted
yourself well. Congratulations, that’s more than most people do and you’re already ahead of
the pack. Take a few days to unpack, but before the connection fades too far into memory,
send a quick follow up email thanking the person for their time, reminding them again of
your name and where you’re based, and making sure they have all your contact information
on hand.

A good follow up email might go something like this:

Hi Jenn,

Thanks again for making the time to meet with me last week, I know you’re very busy and
I appreciate it. It was great to touch base and I’m looking forward to working together on
something soon. Being based in Vancouver I’ve got a great international airport and easy
access to the whole West coast, so don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything I can help
you with. And if you ever run into an emergency and need crew quick, please feel free to call
or text as well at 555-555-5555.

Talk soon!

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Something like this is short and simple, and really just functions to be polite but also to
increase the chances they actually remember your name. The more times someone hears
your name repeated, the better the odds are you’ll pop into their mind when someone asks
“do we know anyone in ____________ who we could bring on as a BCAM on this?”

If you don’t hear from these people for the rest of the year, don’t take it personally. Since
networking trips should now be a regular part of doing business, just look them up again the
next time in town and let them know all the new things you’ve been up to since you last met.
I’ve had opportunities come up 8 months after meeting with someone with no contact at
all in between, so you never know when your networking will pay off. But if you do it regularly
and keep the connections alive, it will absolutely create opportunities at some point - even
if you can’t predict when.

The filmmaking world is not all that big at the end of the day, and you never know who’s
talking to who, or what junior person at company X now got a promotion and works at
company Y. All it takes is one person in the right place at the right time to say “Oh yeah, that
person. I met with them a while back - they seemed cool,” and you could be on the shortlist
for an exciting job. Not networking, on the other hand, might save you some money in the
short term but will probably limit your growth long term.

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A CAREER, NOT A JOB

The best filmmakers out there have a combination of artistic ability and a solid network.
It’s conceivable that you could have a good career with talent alone, but you’d be doing
things the hard way. Talent is sort of assumed at the higher levels of the professional world,
and all the artistic talent in the world won’t help you if no one knows your name. But if you
combine that creative ability with a strong network who are always looking for ways to get
you on the crew, and you’ll have more than a job - you’ll have a career.

So whether you’re looking to climb the ranks of the mainstream filmmaking industry or
become the darling of the indy festival circuit, investing time into growing your network isn’t
just helpful, it’s crucial.

NEED HELP?
If you need personalized 1:1 help getting ready for a networking trip or refining your
process, you can schedule private consulting calls with me at

https://superpeer.com/lucforsyth

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