Special Effects Page - Getting a Job
How do you get a job in special effects? That's not an easy question to answer. First, as most of you might expect, it's next
to impossible to break into the effects business through traditional means. You can't just go down to ILM or Stan Winton's studio and apply for a job. You have to be someone's
relative or know someone very close to someone who works in the business. Kinda discouraging, huh? Well, that's what
I thought too, but I said fuck screw 'em, and I decided just to do it on my own.
I started in college working on class film projects, volunteering my time, or developing my own movies around some effects I could pull off.
Then, around Halloween time, Bud Hasert and I would work on our own elaborate Halloween costumes that would put everyone else's to shame. We tried to recoup our costs by winning costume contests, but were usually too involved basking in the spotlight that we'd forget to go to the contests.
Toward the end of college, I felt confident enough to do effects professionally, so I started to look around. To my surprise there were A LOT of projects I could work on that were
feature films. Albeit, they didn't pay much, they were work anyway! If the town that you live in doesn't have a lot of movie business, call your state's Film Commission (all states should have one), and check to see what movies are being shot in that area. Many times you can get onto a hollywood movie quite easily if you have experience because they know you are cheap and that you will work your butt off to get more work.
That's the basic process to get the ball rolling on getting into the effects business. If you get a few films under your belt, you can even try applying at one of the big studios, but mind you, you will not get paid much, and the awesome atmosphere you work in on small budget films will be gone. Still, who WOULDN'T want to work for Stan Winston or the likes.
GOOD LUCK!!