The first question is, what KIND of television production are you talking about? As you know, "television" is just a box that shows innumerable genres of entertainment and information and the requirements for being involved in the creation of one type of programming aren't necessarily the requirements for any of the others.

The following in an excerpt from my book, "What I Really Want to Do: On Set in Hollywood" which will BEGIN to explain the particulars of the way the "entertainment" business is constructed. (I, of course, recommend that you read the entire book at some point). After you've read the excerpt below and done some thinking about what you SPECIFICALLY want to do for a living, then please come back and let everyone know so that you can receive the very best advice possible. 🙂

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The exact process that occurs to get an idea from script to screen is fairly simple.

THE IDEA
An idea occurs to someone such as a Writer, Director, Producer, or Actor. In this competitive industry, ideas need to be fresh and marketable. Whether the idea moves forward from this point, and how quickly, depends on who comes up with it.

DEVELOPMENT
An idea has to be evaluated before any significant money is spent on developing it into a full-fledged screenplay. The idea has to be original yet have an air of familiarity to be marketable to a broad spectrum of people. The budget is taken into account at every point of the process. If the idea manages to jump successfully through all the requisite hoops, a writer is hired under the WGA contract and a TREATMENT of the story is completed.

The treatment may go through many committees and studio executives before the process is allowed to continue to the actual screenwriting stage. Typically the writer who pitched the idea and worked up the treatment is hired to do at least the first draft. The screenplay usually goes through the same obstacle course that the treatment did. Major rewrites may continue right up to the first day of shooting, and daily rewrites throughout production are a common occurrence.

PREPRODUCTION
Once all the ABOVE-THE-LINE people are reasonably happy, the project moves into official preproduction. It is during this stage that any additional above-the-line personnel are hired. As the production start date becomes imminent, BELOW-THE-LINE crew are called. More often than not, the Director and at least one A-LIST star are asked to commit during development. Most films, both studio and independent, have a difficult time being financed without the interest of a major corporate or financial entity. As momentum for the project builds, schedules are created and a realistic budget is calculated. If not enough time is spent or shoddy work is done during preproduction, all efforts later on, during production and beyond, will undoubtedly suffer.

PRODUCTION
Assuming that the story and screenplay are strong and that plenty of time and money have been spent on preproduction, then PRODUCTION should be the easiest and most enjoyable part of the process. It is during this twelve-week period that the words on the page are turned into pictures and sound by a cast and crew of over one hundred skilled, and typically union (IATSE, DGA, SAG, Teamsters), employees. Every shot featuring the principal cast is filmed by the FIRST UNIT crew. If additional photography is needed that doesnt necessarily involve the main cast, such as stunts or elaborate special effects, a SECOND UNIT and/or SPECIAL EFFECTS UNIT is assembled to shoot simultaneously at a different location.

POSTPRODUCTION
Postproduction is usually considered the period when all of the film is edited. The truth is that during actual production, an Editor has been cutting the DAILIES continually. By the time the shooting schedule ends, the Director will have a nearly complete movie to look at. Some Second Unit and effects work may continue far into the postproduction schedule. The Director and Producers will alter the Editors work as they please until they are happy. Location sound is fixed with ADR, SOUND EFFECTS are added, and a music score is married to the completed picture.

MARKETING
A publicity campaign is designed for the project during preproduction. Behind-the-scenes footage is coordinated by the Unit Publicist during production, as are any interviews that newspapers, magazines, and television outlets request. Prior to release, a PRESS JUNKET is held at a hotel with the principal players and reporters from around the world.

RELEASE
The red-carpet premiere, a marketing tool in the guise of a party to help sell the movie to the public, is a staple for many films. Journalists from around the world are invited to take pictures and ask questions of the movie stars.

It all sounds pretty exciting! What kinds of jobs are available?
If you already have a job outside of the movie business, there very well may be a parallel existing position inside the industry or a trade in which you can apply your current skills. The real trick is finding your way in and learning the specific protocols that apply to film production.

The key to building a successful career is to put some careful thought into what part of the process really suits you best. Some people really enjoy building models (fabrication) while others like blowing them up (pyrotechnics). If camera work excites you most, you need to decide whether it is the directing portion (camera placement) that is best or if it is the lighting and operating (which falls under cinematography). Some people arent necessarily creatively inclined but like to be involved in other ways (executives and agents). What follows is an overview of the most common jobs involved in making a movie. It is important to note that while there are some differences in creating a feature motion picture as opposed to a television show, commercial, or music video, all of the jobs described here are done nearly exactly the same way, regardless of the project.

JOBS OFF SET
Jobs done primarily away from the set during actual production include the following:

#9679; Writerchanges intangible ideas into words, providing a blueprint for every aspect of production
#9679; Studio Executivepart of the financing and distribution arm of the industry; oversees production of a project as a whole from the development stage to exhibition
#9679; Produceroversees all aspects of production
#9679; Agentsecures work for those with creative and technical talent...and takes 10 percent of the earnings
#9679; Managermuch like an agent, but gives more personal attention to the client for 15 percent of the earnings
#9679; Unit Production Managerin charge of all logistics including, but not limited to, day-to-day planning, production scheduling, terms of employment for cast and crew, supplies, equipment, locations, permits, travel, transportation, and financial considerations for production
#9679; Studio Accountanthandles the financial considerations of a studio
#9679; Production Accountantmanages the day-to-day financial details of a specific production
#9679; Production Coordinatorhandles the logistics of scheduling and paperwork
#9679; Production Designertranslates the ideas expressed in the script into the elements that will be seen
#9679; Art Directorworking under the Production Designer, coordinates the Art Department
#9679; Construction Coordinatorplans and coordinates the construction schedule and crew requirements
#9679; Construction Foremansupervises construction work
#9679; Visual Effects Supervisorcoordinates the various effects requirements
#9679; Visual Effects (CGI)uses computers to create any number of illusions that are impossible to achieve practically on set or are simply less expensive to create digitally
#9679; Editorsyncs sound and image and then cuts shots into a logical order to tell the story
#9679; Assistant Editormaintains editing equipment and deals with related paperwork
#9679; Postproduction Soundsweetens (improves sound quality) and edits dialogue, sound effects, and music tracks
#9679; Film Labprocesses the shot negative then checks it for damage or exposure problems
#9679; Composercreates musical score to accompany images onscreen
#9679; Musicianperforms instrumentals to help create the musical score
JOBS ON SET
Jobs done primarily on set during actual production include the following:

#9679; Directorgenerally in charge of the creative decisions made throughout production
#9679; Script Supervisorkeeps a detailed log of each shot and tracks continuity
#9679; Actorperforms a character as written in the screenplay; generally has lines of dialogue to speak
#9679; Extraan Actor without dialogue; fills in the background to support the principal action
#9679; Stand-inplaceholders for principal Actors while the crew lights the set
#9679; Stunt Coordinatorcoordinates and designs sequences or actions considered dangerous
#9679; Stunt Performerskilled and trained performers capable of executing dangerous actions
#9679; First Assistant Directorcoordinates each department on a shot-by-shot basis to keep the production on schedule
#9679; Second Assistant Directorassists the First Assistant Director and completes necessary paperwork
#9679; Second Second Assistant Directorlends assistance to the Second Assistant Director
#9679; DGA Traineean on-set Assistant Director trainee
#9679; Production Assistantgenerally runs errands for any number of department personnel
#9679; Director of Photographyresponsible for technical and creative decisions regarding lighting and camera setup
#9679; Digital Imaging Technician (DIT)video engineer specializing in HIGH-DEFINITION cameras
#9679; Camera Operatorpoints the camera and frames the shot using a variety of tools
#9679; First Assistant Camera/Focus Pullerresponsible for technical upkeep of camera and keeps subjects in focus during each take
#9679; Second Assistant Camera/Clapperassists the First Assistant Camera in camera setup and keeps track of all camera equipment
#9679; Loaderloads and keeps track of all film used throughout production
#9679; Camera PAtrainee who assists the rest of the camera department
#9679; Aerial Pilotflies a variety of aircraft with camera mounted onboard
#9679; Stabilized Camera Operator/Technicianoperates a gyroscopically stabilized camera system, usually attached to an aircraft
#9679; Key Gripcoordinates all grip personnel in working with the Electric Department to set lighting and with the Camera Department to move and secure camera equipment.
#9679; Best Boy Gripkeeps track of all paperwork and equipment used by the Grip Department
#9679; Company Gripsprovides safe rigging for lighting and camera equipment
#9679; Dolly Griplays track or flat surface on which to push a dolly-mounted camera
#9679; Gaffercoordinates the actual nuts and bolts of lighting the set
#9679; Best Boy Electricprepares and tracks all lighting equipment
#9679; Electriciansrun electrical cable and set lights
#9679; Generator Operatormaintains correct electrical output for set lighting and power
#9679; Location Mixermaintains proper sound levels during a take
#9679; Boom Operatorholds a microphone over the action, out of site from the camera
#9679; Cable Pullerassists the Mixer and Boom Operator during setup and each shot
#9679; Costumerassists the Wardrobe Supervisor and dresses Actors
#9679; Wardrobe Supervisororganizes and maintains costumes and also tracks costume continuity
#9679; Costume Designerdesigns and/or buys clothing that the Actors should be wearing per the script
#9679; Makeup Artistapplies cosmetic makeup in accordance with the requirements of the story
#9679; Hair Stylistdesigns and styles hair in accordance with the requirements of the story
#9679; Property Masteracquires, maintains, and tracks all props
#9679; Set Decoratorin charge of all furnishings seen on set
#9679; Leadmancoordinates physical set decoration with the Set Decorator and the Set Dressers
#9679; Set Dresserworks with the Set Decorator to place items on the set
#9679; Standby Paintercreates signage and touches up damaged painted surfaces during production
#9679; Greensmancreates and maintains any vegetation and/or landscaping on a film set
#9679; Craft Serviceprovides a table of snacks that is close to the set throughout the day
#9679; Cateringprovides at least one or two hot meals per shooting day at location
#9679; Special Effectsconstructs on-set rigging of props to perform a variety of real effects (not computer graphics) and is usually a specialist in creating explosions, fire, and bullet hits
#9679; Transportation Coordinatorsupervises the transportation of personnel, equipment, and vehicles
#9679; Transportation Captainassists the Transportation Coordinator
#9679; Truck Driverstrained and licensed to operate a variety of large vehicles
#9679; Crew Cab Driverprimarily assigned to drive crew passenger vans
#9679; Location Manager/Scoutfinds suitable locations for filming and secures proper permissions and permits
#9679; Set Medictrained Registered Nurse (RN) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) who is on set just in case of illness or injury
#9679; Set Teacheron-set schoolteacher when child Actors are present
#9679; Unit Publicistcoordinates all elements required for successful marketing of the film
#9679; Unit Still Photographerobtains photos to be used primarily in the marketing of the film
#9679; Behind-the-Scenes Cameraman/Videographershoots behind-the-scenes footage and interviews for Electronic Press Kit (EPK) or DVD use
#9679; Securitymaintains a secure work environment for cast and crew and keeps watch over sets and equipment after wrap

What sorts of productions might I get to work on?
While distinctions are made between the various types of production work, the truth is that the specific functions of your particular job wont really change much from one to another. For example, a Makeup Artist on a feature film will essentially do the same exact job on a sitcom or music video. You will get paid more on a TV commercial, less on an independent film, work more hours on a music video, and be employed longer term on a feature film, but the basics of your own job dont change. A typical movie schedule is around twelve weeks, a series TV show is nine months, and commercials and music videos are a day to a week or two of work.

Here is an overview of the various and most common types of production.

Feature films (shot on film or high-definition video)
A feature film is generally narrative fiction, typically having a running time of between ninety minutes and two hours. A standard shooting schedule for a Hollywood feature is several weeks of preproduction, twelve weeks of production, and ten weeks of postproduction. A feature is usually distributed to movie theaters first, but cable television and home video have provided filmmakers with alternative methods of getting their work out into the marketplace.

Independently financed features (features not financed or distributed by a major Hollywood studio) vie for attention through various means, such as film festivals and, to some extent, the Internet.

Documentaries (shot on film and tape)
A documentary is a nonfiction film whose running time depends on its ultimate distribution outlet. They are usually independently financed or produced with the support of mainstream media, like PBSs Frontline series. Production schedules are as varied as the topic matter and can fluctuate wildly as funding comes and goes. Film festivals tend to be primary outlets for documentaries as their creators try to catch the attention of distributors.

Movie of the Week (shot on film)
A Movie of the Week (MOW) is essentially a feature film produced on a smaller scale with less money and in less time. Although the production process is pretty much identical to a feature, as a crewmember you will work at a faster pace, with longer hours, and with a little less pay than you would make on a feature film.

Episodic Television (shot on film)
One-hour episodic television is most like a feature film in production protocol but is done with a smaller budget and in less time. It is narrative fiction typically shot in one-camera film style on film stock. Nearly without exception, the exposed film stock is immediately transferred to videotape or digital format for quick editing and broadcast. A typical shooting schedule is five to seven days.

Situation Comedies (shot on film and tape)
Situation comedies (sitcoms) have their roots in the earliest days of television. These thirty-minute comedies are shot typically with three or more film or video cameras on a stage in front of a studio audience. Like most other television, sitcoms are edited digitally or on tape for later broadcast. A crew is hired for one rehearsal day and one shooting day each week.

Soap Operas (shot on tape)
Soap operas were one of the earliest narrative programming TV ventures. They are thirty- or sixty-minute narrative fiction programs that appear five days a week with running storylines. The production style is mix of episodic and sitcom with multiple video cameras shooting on a closed stage. It is important to note that in most cases, technicians working on soap operas must belong to NABET as opposed to IATSE, which represents most non-videotape productions.

Music Video (shot on film)
A music video, made primarily to showcase and market music to increase record sales, is typically shot on film with a coherent storyline or is merely a juxtaposition of images. Budgets are generally small and schedules are tight. A typical shooting day can run upward of eighteen hours or more.
Commercials (film and tape)
Commercials are very short stories designed to market a product or service. They run the gamut from really low budget (such as for local car dealerships) to very high budgets (which run nationally to sell a company or specific brand). Physical production can be as short as an afternoon or as long as a week or more.

Game Shows (shot on tape)
Game shows, another one of the earliest forms of television, are generally shot with multiple video cameras on a soundstage in front of a studio audience. These are usually shot LIVE-TO-TAPE, meaning that a Director cuts the show live as its happening so that a minimum of postproduction will be required. It is important to note that in most cases, technicians working on game shows must belong to NABET as opposed to IATSE, which represents most non-videotape productions.

Reality (shot on tape)
A reality TV program is a pseudo-documentary that tells a story or presents a day in the life of real-life participants. It is produced with event-coverage style (non-narrative) but with a touch of narrative drama created out of the footage that is shot.

Talk Show (shot on tape)
The talk show generally has a consistent celebrity host who discusses personal problems or other issues with invited guests. Relatively cheap to produce, it is typically shot with multiple video cameras, live-to-tape, in front of a studio audience.

News Shows (broadcast live and shot on tape)
News programming provides up-to-date reporting of important events that take place locally, nationally, or internationally. Produced mostly by TV networks at the local and national levels, news production takes place in the field as well as in the studio. Most employees are on staff, but freelancers are hired on occasion.

Sports (shot on tape)
Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, tennis, auto racing, etc. are produced by TV networks and independent production companies employing staff workers in the offices and freelancers for actual production work. A notable exception to traditional sports production is NFL Films, whose products are more documentary-like than traditional network sports coverage, which covers games as a live event.

Industrials and Miscellaneous (shot on film and tape)
There is an enormous amount of production work done mostly by freelance Producers, Cinematographers, Videographers, and Sound Mixers that is meant for broadcast TV or is produced for in-house or marketing use by various other industries around the world. An independent Producer, Cameraman, or Soundman may be working on a Hollywood premiere one day and shooting footage for major corporations the next.

Film? Tape? Whats the difference?
Film and tape are distinctly different ways of capturing an image for later viewing. Without being overly technical, film, which comes in a small canister, is the stuff you put into your (non-digital) still camera at home. Its generally a long, black, plastic-like strip that you wind every time you want to take another picture. A movie camera uses very long strips of film, usually 1,000-foot rolls, that move through the camera to capture movement instead of still action. Film undergoes a photochemical process that turns light into actual images you can see when you look at the strip itself.

Videotape uses an electronic process to store image information magnetically. Instead of converting light into an actual picture you can see, a video camera converts light into electronic information that is stored on the videotape, also a long strip of black material. If you hold a piece of shot videotape up to a light, youll never see any pictures.

In both cases, an image is being saved, but theres a pretty big difference between the two. Traditional standard-definition video has a definitive sharpness and looks real, like youd see the action as if you were actually standing there. Film has a softer, almost more ethereal look. It does not capture reality per se but a more romantic and hyper-real version of what happened in front of the lens. Generally, fictional narrative and dramatic programs are shot using film stock with film cameras while nonfiction or live events are shot using video cameras.

The advent of high-definition video has allowed filmmakers to take advantage of the immediacy of electronic image acquisition while enjoying a near film-like quality.

This is all very important to you because the working protocols can be very different when choosing a type of project that uses film versus one that is shot on tape. In other words, the way that feature films, one-hour episodics, commercials, and music videos are made is very similar. Someone who works regularly in one of those could transition very easily to another. On the other hand, news programs, talk shows, sitcoms, soap operas, reality shows, and documentaries have their own distinct ways of being made, so moving from one type of show to another isnt as easy a transition.

When youre just starting out in the business, its important to learn the fundamental difference between film and video because it will have an impact on the types of work you choose to take and whether your career goes in the direction you desire.

This is all a lot more complicated than I thought. Where do I even start?
Finding the right job isnt as easy as just deciding what you want to do and applying for a staff position at a movie studio. The good news is that there are a lot of career paths, and every single one is open for you to pursue as long as youre willing and able to put in the requisite energy and commitment.

So step one is to sit down and think long and hard about what it is you specifically want to do in the movie business and where youd like to eventually end up. Then step two: find out what it really takes to get there and what your life will really be like as you make that journey toward success.

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Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Welcome to filmmaking.net

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Originally posted by hahambol
How do i obtain scripts to start my film projects with? Do most film students write their own scripts or do they get their scripts for other student screenwriters?

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Both. If you have an idea you would like to write you
can write your own script. If not you can find writers.

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Originally posted by hahambol
Also, what could i do to gain experience in television production specifically?

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If there is a TV station near you you could gain experience
by interning there. If there is a public access station near
you you could gain experience by volunteering there.

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Originally posted by hahambol
Are there any books or guides that could help me move in the right direction?

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There are hundreds. A quick Google search or checking
Amazon will turn them all up. Stop by the guidance
councilor at your college for help on books.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

There are several web sites that host unproduced, member-submitted scripts of various length (from 2 pages to full-feature 130 pages and all in between). One that comes to mind is www.simplyscripts.com. If you don't have original ideas of your own, you can browse through scripts and you may be able to find an interesting one. Obviously, before using it, you'll have to contact the writer for permission. Since most of these scripts were put there in hope that someone might read them (or even produce them), it is likely that you won't have to pay anything for the rights to shoot a movie based on one of those scripts.

But scripts for WHAT exactly? Sit-com? One-hour episodic? Game show? Reality show? Documentary? PSAs? News? Commercials?

And while most civilized cities and towns have some sort of "tv station," not all actual PRODUCTION happens at those locations. Most local network affiliates produce their own news programs and a couple public/community service shows and maybe some of those cheesy local car commercials. Anyone wanting, say, to produce any kind of narrative dramatic programming will gain very little to nothing by investing time at a local network affiliate.

So again, we need to know precisely A) what kind of "tv" he wants to be involved in AND B) what job he wishes as his career goal before any advice can be considered useful. The initial question is far too general and is akin to someone asking us what he'd like for dinner tonight. We could fill up pages of suggestions without ever hitting on what's right for him. 🙂

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

You have lots of time to explore, so don't decide on your specialty yet. Take the courses that interest you, and see where those take you.

Most of the time, a person's career will develop in ways he never expected.

My understanding of the original question was that the young man was interested primarily in feature films, but would also like to get exposure to television. The logic behind that seems (to me) that experience in TV production can build skills and knowledge relevant to filmmaking (in the stricter meaning of making feature films), and perhaps, that it may be easier to get a foot in the door at some TV station then in Hollywood.

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Originally posted by bjdzyak
Anyone wanting, say, to produce any kind of narrative dramatic programming will gain very little to nothing by investing time at a local network affiliate.

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When I was 16/17 I was living in Santa Barbara - a small town.
There was a small ABC affiliate there and I spent a lot of time
there. I learned a lot. My goal was to produce narrative features,
but that little TV station was a wealth of experience and
information. I also worked two days a week after school for a
small audio company that recorded dialogue for animation - PSA's,
commercials, episodes. Even though I was leaning toward writing
and directing narrative features the experience and people I met
great people that helped my career path.

I didn't know precisely what I wanted to do at 17 although I had a
general idea. I see nothing wrong with filling up pages of
suggestions to help out a 17 year old who doesn't know exactly
what path he wants to take.

I respect that you need more precise information - I'm okay with
bouncing around. I sure appreciated the people who were willing to
help me when I wasn't sure.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)