Experience is the key to success in Art Department Electrics. Most of
the other electrical people in film got there because of nepotism -
they're the son, daughter or nephew of someone else who already works
in the industry. While "knowing who'se who" is certainly important,
with Art Dep Elex it is perhaps more important to have tons of
outside experience before you even attempt to break in to the film
studio scene.

If you're still a student in school, check out the ameteur theatre
and live performance scene. It's something you can start in school,
and you will learn things that will still be your "bread and butter"
decades later, aswell as showing initiative for the industry.
But by far your most important qualification must be a genuine

electricians' license, and that means at least four years working
with an electrical contractor before you even think of going into
film work. Ideally your boss should run a small business with a
handful of employees, and be doing all types of electrical work. Your
boss could well be in a regional town or outer suburbs of the city.
You'll be doing lots of dirty work in trenches, roofs and in dirty
restaurant kitchens. At the same time as you are doing this, you
could be trying to break into film - there's no harm in trying.
Existing Art Dept Elex and Gaffers are always on the lookout for
temporary labourers they can "pull in" at a low pay rate when that
extra backlot needs to be finished next week. Often the work is after
hours, meaning you can hold both jobs down. The advantage is that
once you've done this you have got to know other film people. If they
see your attitude and like it, they'll call you next time. Another
often forgotten option (if still at school) is work experience. You
should also try and get a good solid grounding in electronics aswell,
perhaps a TAFE certificate course at least, aswell as lots of
weekends in the shed fumbling around with models, kits and old radios
etc.

You should spend alot of time working and solving problems ALONE.
Make the mistakes before you get there, not afterwards. It might be a
good idea to have a go at your own electrical contracting business
for a few years before trying out for film work. This will help you
understand the crucial "supply and demand" factors described earlier
aswell as learn to estimate how long a particular task will take to
complete, and how much it will cost.

Watch films. Watch more films. Go to Universal Studios. Watch "Movie
Magic" on Pay TV. Find out who'se who, look up the industry bibles
and journals but don't pay too much attention to them, especially the
glossy ads put there by bankrupt post production firms.
Find out about films before they start production. Use the internet
to death. Find a film you want to work on real bad and ring them up.
Send the Art Director faxes and 'phone him up. Get his mobile number
and fill his voice mail with messages, saying you're an electrician
who will work for free sweeping the floor.

Finally (like starting any job in the film industry) you must totally
forget having any form of social life or family, or ever having money
in the bank, let alone pipe dreams like a place of your own, or
moving out of Mum & Dad's place. Don't drink, don't smoke, never go
to clubs or bars. Forget unions, super, 8 hour days, and any form of
regular income at all. Holidays? At home.. maybe. Sick pay? Don't die
of laughter waiting. Relax in the peace that if you're not earning
anything at least you're not paying any tax. Get (or build) a good
reliable car and look after it. Don't believe any of the crap they
teach in film schools. Be better than everybody else. Be better than
Me :-)

Still interested??

SO YOU WANT TO BE A ...