How can you network and build professional relationships through volunteering in Film Production?

I am not a big fan of anyone asking artists or filmmakers to work for free!!! Instead I personally engage in "artist bartering" where I will exchange film work for rights to music for my film, a future "favor" or some other service they have that I need. Not only does this exclude low income and marginalized filmmakers from opportunities, it creates a very elitist ecosystem that perpetuates an industry that is controlled by the privileged. Working in the UN/NGO space, there is an expectation that artists should work for free in exchange for "exposure" and I speak up against this all of the time. No other industry or sector is asked to work for free then give away their intellectual property. This must change for ALL CREATIVES!

Volunteering in film production is a great way for me to gain experience, learn new skills, connect with others and build quality relationships. To network and build a professional relationship through volunteering in film production, I will be proactive in my role. I do not need to be told what to do when I already know what to do. This will allow the team to be efficient and more tasks will be done within a short time. I will also contribute my quota to the team or organization and also seek advice and professional guidance. Above all, I will be consistent in all that I do.

Offer to be the BTS videographer for the project / shoot. This gives you access to the people and places where you can learn the most. It also positions you as a mini producer / director for your resume. Contact me for any questions!

In my career in - Music , Film , Writing , Author and Radio Talk Show Host , among working with Top Professional’s in each field and of course getting degrees - The first thing I feel you are born with it , I was as my grandfather and 8 uncles were famed in music - My other family was famed in Film and the Arts - I believe, I arrived with a good mixture of it all- I asked for a movie camera at 3 years old as somehow, I knew it made moving pictures - I learned music from my uncles famed careers Studying is KEY! all of the above ,with the best - You Have To Want It - ITs Hard Work. Nothing is given - Then I went to Health Fitness Sports Science Fitness Degree - Studying all and being serious and Hard Work - Gets you There -

Volunteering in film production is a great way to network and build professional connections. A humble and ready-to-get-things-done approach made it work for me and my partners. We volunteered to do BTS work in the beginning to learn the ropes of production. As we gained skills, we showcased our talents and eventually formed a video production company. Now, I look for passionate individuals to join our team, keeping the cycle of learning and growth going strong.

Attitude and respect is everything. Put yourself in the producer’s shoes - who can you trust to do the right thing when nobody is looking? In this industry, it’s difficult to find people whom you can rely upon. Answering the phone/texts/emails, and responding professionally, is a good start. If your team is not respecting your boundaries, speak candidly and tell them so. Work / life balance should be important to everyone, and people will respect you more for drawing clear boundaries. That being said, when it is time to go the extra mile, go for it. Have an open mind when others instruct you to do things differently than you might be used to. Always debrief afterwards, time permitting, so you can identify ways to improve.

Always be aware of the the skills you possess that relate to the job you are volunteering for . Always remember that film and TV production is a creative industry built on “teamwork “.

When a volunteer can latch on to one department and have in essence one boss, then anytime anyone else asks the volunteer for help or assistance, the volunteer first asks their boss if it is ok. This shows others that the volunteer understand the importance of communicating with the volunteer's Boss before the volunteer accepts an assignment from someone else on the set. The 1 boss method can also help protect a volunteer from looking aloof since the Volunteer is deferring to a Department boss. If the volunteer finds they have a lot of down time, an additional idea is to find an intermediary with a direct connection to the volunteer's Boss who the Boss trusts so the two can negotiate your ongoing availability around the set.

One thing I have found to be helpful as a volunteer, on set, is to start looking at fire watcher, security or floor sweeper. When shooting outdoors, security and fire watch is very important to keep the equipment safe. Not hard jobs, but needed. It can also be helpful, saving budget funds when it comes to hiring off duty police officers for security.

They say curiosity killed the cat. A film set requires a very fast learning curve because as the day progresses time crunches occur. Time Crunch time is the wrong time to be doing a school report. I would suggest finding the person who invited you to the set and ask them what is the ideal Department for you to start in. This protects you from being pulled in different directions later in the day so you can learn one department competently and not look aloof. Time to ask questions is when the day's filming is over and people are breaking down the set or putting gear back in cases. Brief questions related to what actually happened on the set so both you and the other person are already on the same page because both witnessed the same event.

Curiosity kill the cat, but it also allowed genius like Da Vinci, Einstein and Newton to come out with ideas that gives us today the opportunity to live in a world of permanent innovation. Curiosity triggers the need to research, to survey and eventually evolves into proper knowledge. There is no better place than a film set to let loose your curiosity, in a healthy way. There might be answers that you unknowingly weren't aware of. Don't be afraid to incursion in terrains that aren't your domain. No one was born knowing it all. A growing process is precisely about building slowly your intellectual and skills DNA. We need others. Endorse curiosity and try not to forget that what you ignored once, is also new for others today. Pay it forward

Curiosity can resemble flexibility and versatility on sets. The more questions you ask, the more you learn. I make sure i understand the jobs of as many departments of the production. You never know who will be absent in their positions, so I find by knowing a little about a lot proves how willing you are to see the Director’s vision come to fruition. Knowing the mechanics of each department allows the capability and experience in fields you never thought you could accomplish and better network and compile references!

Try to know everyone on set by name. Find out what they do on set. Engage in conversation. It makes you memorable, it makes people want to work with you and it makes people want to help you gain access to the roles you want to work in on set.

Number 1 rule for being useful on a film set, find who approved you being on the set, ask them if you should be assigned to a specific department. Being "assigned" allows one to say, "ask my Boss if they can spare me" when suddenly everyone wants you. Focus on being useful and aware of your film set surroundings. Don't end up in a situation where socializing actually meant a mishap occurs because a small clique ignored others on the set struggling to solve a problem, move something, or have to stop what they are doing to go retrieve something, because no one is around to assist. Be social by being available for the active workers, not the people sluffing off who are more concerned with their own personal drama than the Production.

Una Sonrisa Con Todo el amor del mundo cambia el entorno, @lizmunguia quien fue una de las personas que me enseñó, y es experta en la materia, de una de las variantes y/o ramas de la producción, que es lo esencial para una producción "Las Locaciones" se los puede confirmar, recién lo platicaba con una persona, la actitud es todo, háganlo y verán que con solo un gracias, cambia todo. (Pero que les nazca del corazón). Si no no cuenta.

In my experience, one of our biggest failures can be the lack of consistency. We finish a project and might stop being in contact with your former team members. You might need their help, but what is more important, they might need you. During your time together, all learn to work together, so maybe without realising it you have invested important resources that shouldn't be neglected. Keep files of all your past work. Review them once in a while. They are part of you. To be consistent is to keep yourself relevant, as part of your existing nature. Never give yourself the excuse that age is catching already with you. That is the must lame excuse to start dying slowly. Be responsible with your community and yourself. Be consistent forever.

This is one of the most important things. Mostly when done with production, ability to keep up the connect is very vital. Sometimes we tend to loose track of people we have worked with, that's why for me on every set I tend to socialise and mingle and make new friends and exchange contacts to keep up and share pictures as moments for remembrance sake and more recommendations can come in play.

Concuerdo totalmente con ello. Muchos lo hacemos por el simple hecho de conectar con el espectador. Por ejemplo yo incluso que lo veo desde otra perspectiva como Actor, afiliado a la asociación nacional de actores (por si ocupan) jajajaja Número de ANDA: 49569 No es el cuánto te paguen es simplemente amor y pasión por lo que hacemos, de verdad es mágico. Cuando conectas con el público. Y del lado de la producción el ver los resultados en pantalla, desde que lo viste en una hoja de papel, incluso sin recursos y lo ves materializado. Pufff es mágico. Incluso en el proceso de... Sabes que a pesar de las adversidades y demás estás generando cambios importantes para un proyecto. Lejos del proyecto para la sociedad en general.

Así que este 2024 si podemos contribuir a mejorar las cosas en el mundo, hagámoslo, #ChaseYourDreams #PersigueTusSueños. #TeAmoHijaMia Doménica Zoe Espino Munguía. Gracias por ser la mejor hija del mundo, gracias Mercedes Elizabeth Munguía Pérez, por dejarme entrar en tu vida y darme la oportunidad de formar una familia a tu lado. #LaFamiliaSiempreEsLaFamilia. Gracias a todos y cada uno de los que me ha apoyado en esta cosa llamada vida.

For those starting out odds are you may be working for "free". However, Free does not mean no compensation of any kind. Free shoots should include some type of mileage compensation, crafts services throughout the day and at least one decent meal provided for all crew members. Free also means your car isn't stolen or broken into because the location is not a secured location. Free also means every member is treated with respect and gratitude for working on a Free shoot. Any scripted dialogue shoot that uses the camera microphone only, is probably a post production disaster waiting to happen. In exchange for working for free, be cognizant of a minimum standard of production quality so the project is completed and your credit means something.

Networking and building professional relationships in film production demand humility. I started at the ground level, cleaning portable toilets and wrangling cables, working grueling 58-hour sets. Those tough times built my resilience. The respect, trust, and loyalty earned by volunteering for the grittiest tasks are unparalleled. We must be ready to invest our full effort without expecting immediate rewards. The relationships and reputation built this way often yield greater returns than we could have anticipated.

Creo que tener un buen proyecto y a su vez ser proactivo, social, coherente y respetuoso son un buen camino por donde empezar