Yet once you hit the streets looking for a job in the entertainment industry, that hard-earned diploma may not land as many interviews or bring you as much respect as you imagined. Indeed, you may find yourself losing out to someone without a degree but who happens to have some production credits, plus good connections. This is why internships have become an increasingly effective way to get the proverbial foot in the door.
Experience sells, too, but good references are absolutely vital, especially in tight job markets.
Producers and directors who are responsible for multimillion-dollar projects often have to hire quickly, and they must trust that the people who get the jobs will show up every day and give their best efforts. Faced with a choice between a film school graduate with no professional experience and a high-school dropout who recently has worked on a few movie sets, many hiring managers will go for the dropout right away. Virtually gone, however, are the days when you could show up at a movie studio, beg for a chance to sweep floors or deliver the interoffice mail, then start working your way up the creative ladder. But having the talent and the tenacity also are important. In previous centuries, people usually paid for the opportunity to learn from a respected craftsman or artisan.