Add a Bit of Glamor to Your Side-Job-Life

Monday, October 16, 2006 at 11:57am by Gina Laverde in Life

Last week I talked a bit about working for the man in order to make ends meet. And from time to time, some of us will be in a position where we must take on “extra” work.

But let’s face it – the man’s office kinda sucks and you can only take it for so long. The thankless monotony of filing and entering data eats away at your positive energy. So keeping it temporary and using a reputable agency to find you the work takes some of the hell out of your days.

But when you’ve just completely HAD IT with the corporate bureaucratic temp job crap and you’re looking for a little love in your side job life – try these suggestions on for size.

Production Assistant: I spent the daylight hours of last Saturday as a P.A. on a commercial shoot for a car insurance company. I made great money, was given three deliciously filling meals, treated to free premium garage parking, and thanked profusely for my help. Oh, and the work that I did? I stopped pedestrians from crossing while they were filming a car chase. I actually worked about 15 minutes out of every hour for about 12 hours.

P.A. work varies, and can actually include office stuff too. But, especially in the commercial making world – projects are short lived and your co-workers become a close team. Yes, there is a sort of ranking system, and P.A.’s are at the bottom — but you are treated as though your job is very important.

Extra Extra: Every commercial, film, and music video needs regular people to act as extras on the set. The pay varies but is usually pretty good for the kind of work that is expected of you.

Extras get paid and pampered although often times they aren’t seen in the final draft of the film. I’ve been there. But I have absolutely no complaints.

Do you know how many people it takes to make a commercial, let alone a feature film? I now have a list of over 200 contacts, from last Saturday alone.

If you are remotely un-shy, and can use a few hundred extra bucks – I would recommend checking around your city for this type of film industry work.

Once you’re on the set you will have access to tons of people who can spread the word about your business, and a better chance of getting more similar work in the future.

How to get started? You can check local papers, Craigslist, Perform Ink, local art, film and performing art schools and their websites. You may even Google production companies in your city to check if they need assistance.

It helps to know someone. So if you do—ask them!

One Comment

Leave a Comment