Last updated on November 3rd, 2021 at 07:57 am

A reader emailed to ask me for advice on what they can do in college to give themselves the best shot at breaking into the entertainment business after graduating. Here’s the email:

What can I do while in college to give myself the best shot? I’m hoping to land some internships within the industry, things like that. Should I really plan to move to LA after college? Should I be writing spec scripts now (outside of my coursework and personal writing) and sending them off? I really don’t know!

I feel like doing some of those things now would be premature, and yet I’m very afraid of waiting too long. I guess I’d really like to find a balance – being as prepared as possible, gaining experience, improving my own work, but also not being eternally miserable and stressed, while still giving myself a shot at an assistant-level writing job after college.

Does that balance exist?

In full disclosure, my last stint in entertainment was 3 years ago, when I worked for Dennis Lehane. Also, I didn’t decide to pursue entertainment until after I graduated from college.

However, I got my foot in the door with non-traditional strategies (e.g. working for free and showing your work). I’ve also been answering questions like this more often, especially from Rutgers (my alma mater) students, so thought it’d be useful to share my thoughts.

Essentially, there are two questions:

1. What can I do while I’m in college to make breaking into entertainment easier?

2. How can I do those things while going to school and still enjoy my life?

Let’s crack into the first question.

What you can do in college to help you break into the entertainment industry?

First, you have to carve out this important distinction:

1. Do you want to work in the entertainment industry? Or do you want to make films?

If you just want to make films, you can start anytime and do it anywhere. Have you seen the video footage from the iPhone X? It’s gorgeous — absolutely buttery smooth. If you’re a good operator, you can shoot gold with that thing.

Or go pick up a refurbished iPhone 8 or an iTouch. Either produces unbelievably good footage. Download a proper camera app (I recommend trying out FiLMiC Pro) and you’ll have all the functionality you’ll need to shoot a full length feature. Steven Soderbergh shot Unsane (starring Claire Foy) entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus. Tangerine was shot entirely using three iPhone 5s’s.[note]https://variety.com/2018/film/news/unsane-tangerine-films-iphones-1202730676/[/note]

Now that you’ve got the camera worked out, it’s about making friends with other filmmakers and actors, writing, piecing together a light kit, learning to direct, editing, etc. In other words, it’s a ton of work, but it’s all solvable. And you can get started immediately.

If you want to break into the entertainment industry, that’s a different beast. Eventually, you will have to move to Los Angeles. This is a non-negotiable if you want to work in the industry.

But let’s back up. Let’s say you’re down to make the move to LA. Right now, you’re still in college. So what else can you do?

2. Find any work where you’re creating video content

Get a job working for a local news station.

Work for the university television station.

Search on Craigslist for locals in your area who need help filming full length films, shorts, commercials, YouTube videos, music videos, etc.

The hottest college gig right now is an Instagram influencer.[note]https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/technology/college-students-online-influencers.html[/note] Go on Instagram, find all the influencers who go to your college or live in your town, and work for them.

If no one is hiring, volunteer and work for free.

This is why: every type of content has its own unique cadence. Feature films (Hollywood movies) follow a 3-act structure. TV shows have 5 acts. A 90-second package at your local news station adheres to a set formula. So does a 60-second Facebook ad, an Instagram story, and a viral tweet. Start learning them all.

In doing so, you’ll also learn the principles of visual storytelling that transcend all formats. So start working behind the lens, in any capacity you can.

3. Solve the money problem

The money problem is simple to understand, yet for many, difficult to solve: make more than you spend.

Why’s it important to solve this problem now while you’re in college? My father put it this way:

“You should learn how to do things without money. But when you have money, it definitely makes it easier.”

There are two ways to solve the money problem. The first is to spend less. The second is to earn more. Either way, the more you’re able to free yourself from the need of money, the more time you’ll have to focus on breaking into the entertainment industry.

Before moving to Los Angeles, save as much money as possible. Stop going out, stop buying stuff, and stop eating avocado toast, you entitled millennial. Cut down to the bone today so you can have more runway tomorrow.

The less you need money, the better your chances of breaking into industry. When you move to Los Angeles, at some point you may have to make the decision: do you pursue entertainment full-time while working a side job with flexible hours (e.g. waiting tables, bartending, etc.)? Or do you work a regular 9-5 while pursuing entertainment on the side?

If the latter, one idea: find a job where you are that also has locations in Los Angeles (e.g. Starbucks, Old Navy, Target, etc.) so you can transfer to Los Angeles when you’re ready to move.

No matter what you choose, you’ll face the money problem. The better you’re able to solve it, the easier it’ll be to make the right long-term decisions for your career.

4. Read scripts

Study Hollywood movies — it doesn’t matter what part of the industry you want to get into. When it comes to the study of reading and writing Hollywood movies, I really like Scott Myers’s, 1, 2, 7, 14 Rule. However, its practical application is difficult, especially while you’re in college. If you’re ready to go balls to the wall, go for it. Otherwise, I’d recommend a variation that focuses mostly on reading scripts.

If you’re in college, I’d focus on just two steps while reading scripts:

Step 1. Read scripts for fun

Read the scripts of movies or television shows you love to watch. It doesn’t matter if the movie is old or if the show has been canceled. And don’t worry if it’s not the “type” of film or show you want to make eventually. There’s plenty of time to hone in on studying your niche. Right now you’re just learning, and the more you love reading scripts, the more you’ll learn.

Like I mentioned above, movies and television shows have their own cadence, and reading scripts is the best way to get a feel for it. You want reading a script to be as natural as reading standard prose, so that eventually you “see the Matrix,” when the structure and formatting fall away until nothing exists but the world of the story.

Some places to download scripts:

• TV Writing
• Simply Scripts
• TV Calling Script Library

Read as many scripts as you can, but aim for at least three per week.

Step 2. Read scripts for structure

Read screenplays and observe the patterns. The Americans follows this formula. Big Bang Theory follows another formula.

Note the narrative arc — and your emotional response to the arc — as you read. How does how you feel at the end of Act I differ from how you feel at the end of Act III?

If you want to write, direct, or act, eventually you’ll want a better understanding of all the different types of shows and films, and how their length and format change the narrative structure. For now, the goal is to start to intuit it on your own. You want to notice the sleight of hand enabling the magic before learning exactly how the trick is done.

Keep reading, but now train your focus on the structure as well as the story. What differences do you notice between different scripts you’re reading? Building your intuition now will pay dividends once you’re in the thick of the industry.

5. Network with others who are doing what you want to do

Start reaching out to others who are already doing what you want to do. Hit up friends, friends of friends, your parent’s friends, alumni… any sort of connection you may have. Between the big four social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn) you have all the tools at your disposal to make connections.

When you’re in college is the best time to do this, by the way. Saying you’re a college student and you’re looking for advice are the magic words when it comes to cold emailing.

A note about expectations: one Rutgers’ student who was looking for entertainment advice said:

“I’ve reached out to about 30 people through the Rutgers alumni network and only 3 got back to me.”

I laughed. “That’s 10%! That’s great! I’m happy with 5%!”

Some guiding principles when it comes to this kind of outreach:

1. Start with good intent. If you say you’re just looking for advice, you have to mean it. It’s not OK to bait n’ switch and ask if you can shadow them or ask for an introduction. Do the right thing. Always be honest.

2. Take nothing personally. A 10% conversion rate means that 90% of people will ignore you. From that 10%, some will cancel on you. Others will reschedule you before ghosting you completely.

This is how it goes. It’s not personal. Give people the benefit of the doubt and don’t hold grudges.

3. Respect the status. If you’re reaching out for advice, you’re the lower status person. That means the onus is on you to be on time, lead the conversation, and be respectful.

4. Follow-up. This is an easy way to stand out, because most people are terrible with follow-up. Email or text afterwards to say thank you. If you promised to send them an article or book, do it right away. If you told them you’ll keep them posted six months from now, add a reminder in your calendar so you don’t forget.

I’ve written more about networking here.

…

If you’re looking for an edge to break into the entertainment industry while you’re in college, you’ve got options. Start developing visual storytelling skills. Make money. Read scripts. Network.

This is a lot.

How are you supposed to do all of these things while, you know, going to school and maybe even having a life?

Which brings us to the second question: ” How can I do all those things while going to school, and still enjoy life?”

The answer:

Be brutally honest about who you are and what you want

You can do all of those things I listed above. You just have to be completely obsessed.

Spike Lee spent his early years in New York surviving on mac & cheese to free himself from money, so he could do focus on making films. He was obsessed.

Filmmaker and Youtuber Casey Neistat wakes up at 4 a.m. He edits and uploads a video a day. Works out. Goes to work at his startup, makes some videos, then spends time with his family. Afterwards, he edits some more, then passes out until the morning. Everyday, 7 days a week. He’s obsessed.[note]http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/10/27/casey-neistat/[/note]

Max Landis has written over 75 screenplays. He practices pitching, in the middle of the day while he’s on assignment, for fun. Obsessed. [note]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RWMc-EdDRY[/note]

Doesn’t sound like you? That’s fine. It just means you’re not obsessed right now. It means maybe you want to do other things. That’s okay.

I certainly wasn’t obsessed in college. In fact, I cared very little about the film industry. I cared more about making money, so I worked four jobs in college. As a result, I never developed that impressive, self-taught film pedigree. I didn’t read my first script until I was 24-years-old.

Yet before I left Los Angeles, I was in the mix. I was another bit player who started from the bottom and was clawing my way up the Hollywood ladder, but I was a part of it.

Is this the right way for you? Probably not. There are a hundred different paths, and many different things you can do right now. To figure it out, you have to be brutally honest about who you are and what you want.

If, at this stage in your life, you want to enjoy college, go party, sleep in, hook up, please go do it. But if, instead, all you can think about it getting out so you can attack this next phase of your life while everyone else is partying, sleeping, hooking up… then you should go do that.

Last thing: regardless of the path you choose, it’s a long road. I think anyone who’s contemplating how to get ahead while they’re in college also harbors the secret hope that by the time they’re 25, they’ll be famous and successful and coasting.

Regardless of the level of success you achieve, there is no coasting. It’s all grinding. It’s always hard.

Don’t seek the day it becomes easy. Instead, learn to enjoy the hard.

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Photo Credit: Old School