How do you apply for a film crew position for the next Harry Potter film?

Answer 1

In general, you don't "apply" for any film position on any major production. First, you need a realistic concept of how this industry really works. You don't just fill out an application at a movie studio and wait for an interview as you might in other professions. Unlike days past when studios had cast and crew under contract, today's entertainment industry is populated mostly by freelancers, meaning that you will be hired for a project and then it is up to you to find another one after that, and another, and another, until you are earning enough money to make a viable career out of it. With this in mind, when you first start out, you will most likely be doing a lot of dayplaying. Instead of being hired for the full length of a project, you may be called in to work for a day or two at a time on various shows that already have a full-time crew. If you know enough people, you can make a decent living working like this, bouncing from show to show. These situations arise when a production adds extra cameras or second units, has a cast of a thousand Extras coming in for a big party scene, or when someone on the crew gets sick. Take these day calls whenever possible. This is the best way to meet new people and show them just how great you are. It is of the utmost importance that you do your very best on day calls, because you're the new face, and every mistake will be noticed and remembered. If you're good and the rest of your department likes you, you probably will be asked back for additional days. Make sure to keep in touch with other members of a crew after you've moved on to other projects. The best situation is when they need to hire for the next big movie and you've made a good impression on a day call. Suddenly you've got three months or more of steady paychecks instead of wondering when the next job will come up. In an industry that runs on personal relationships, family and friends are the easiest ticket to breaking in and building a successful career. nepotism can become one of your obstacles. Anybody whose father or mother, for instance, is a Director of Photography, Director, or Producer will get access to opportunities before others. All this means is that you may have to work that much harder to get noticed. There are a lot of productions going on at any given time, and it is your job to figure out how to land one that will give you the chance to prove yourself. If you've exhausted your personal contacts, volunteer to work on someone's student or low-budget project. You're not in this for the money, just the experience, so make sure you're still able to pay your bills as you commit your time to someone else. Visit a local university film department and look for postings asking for help. Most major productions, like Harry Potter, hire Department KEYS (the department heads) who are very established with years of experience. Those Keys hire the people for their departments from a pool of established crew who also likely have years of experience. Finding a place with an established crew means working your way through the industry until you are known as being experienced as well.