Career networking?
How I hate the sound of career networking! And do you hate it too? And BTW,that’s why it’s called networking, and not netpartying.
I’m a compulsively shy networker, truth be told. I’ve witnessed some pretty interesting careers over my three plus decades helming Raindance. The Raindance Toronto office has talked me into sharing a few before I head over to Cannes in May and TIFF in September .
My top 5 tips for career networking
1. Prepare for your event
Before every single event I go to I check google searches on every single person I expect to meet. If you are meeting someone in a few days or a couple of weeks, then get acquainted with your internet friend. Learn how to use Google as your own personal research assistant. Set up alerts about people you are interested in. While you are at it, why not set up alerts for topics you find interesting? Who knows when you can spring the: What do you think about today’s news about such-and-such?
Before you know it you’ll be looking like a really smooth operator.
2. Learn the lingo
Every industry has it’s own lingo, it’s own keywords and catch phrases. Don’t get caught out. We’ve got a nifty index of independent filmmaking terms A-Z here. Want to get some more phrases straight from the horses mouth? Then come on down to the Raindance signature class: Saturday Film School. It’s fun. It’s inexpensive. It’s always on a Saturday from 10am – 5pm. Over 15,000 filmmaking wannabees have taken this class in Europe.
3. Understand the power of the tuxedo
Handling yourself at a film industry event like the Oscars, the Raindance Opening Night Gala, or indeed the British Independent Film Awards means you need to understand the basics of presenting yourself in public.
Why do you think movie stars look and sound so good on the red carpet? It’s because they’re coached in the etiquette of the red carpet. It’s a learned skill. You can learn Red Carpet Etiquette at Raindance.
Before you know it you’ll know how to handle interviews and red carpet – two things successful people need to know how to do.
4. Master the art of the icebreaker
I have really good friends who anyone might wrongly label as introverted and shy. Reality is however, they are brilliant at walking up to a complete stranger and get them talking. They do that so well because they have perfected the art of the icebreaker.
Read this brilliant ‘how to break the ice‘ post and before you know it you too can become a master of the icebreaker.
5. The power of the introvert
It would be wrong to assume that the only way you can power to the top of a career in the film industry is to be a brash and bold. Quite the opposite in fact. Many of the industry’s top talents are introverts. Introverts bring a lot of special qualities to the movies. The trick is learning how to use the exceptional advantages introverts have. Once mastered you too can avoid networking faux pas.
Before you know it you’ll be powering to the top!
Raindance Networking Events:
Monthly: Open Shorts Night
Monthly: Boozin N Schmoozin
Cannes Villa Party
Did You Know?
- Networking Faux Pas
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- Raindance Film School London offers HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking, Performance and Screenwriting?
- Let Raindance guide you on your filmmaking pathway. Call +44 (0) 207 930 3412 or email filmschool@raindance.ac.uk
- Members of Raindance support indie film, and enjoy a range of benefits. Join here
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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