How To Create A Film Resume

Having a decent resume can improve your chances of finding work with both major studios and local film production companies.

You’ll find a resume particularly useful if applying to jobs online. In addition, they can be forwarded to companies and placed on portfolio websites. By having a resume, you make it easier for people to hire you.  

Below, you can find a free resume template download. Feel free to edit and personalize this template for your individual use.

Why Do I Need A Resume For Film Work?

Some people wrongly believe they don’t need a resume to apply for film jobs. Since they hear that film work mainly comes from recommendations. While this may be true for experienced crew with a pool of industry contacts, beginners don’t have this luxury.

The easiest way for beginners to find work is through online job applications. When you apply for a job online, you are required to attach a resume alongside a cover letter. Additionally, even if you get recommended for a job, the producer may still ask to see a resume.

In other words, a resume is another way to show off your skills and convince people to hire you. So, whatever your job role, consider making one to find more work. This next section looks at how to structure your resume if you are a beginner with no experience.

Beginners With No Experience

If you are a student or a new filmmaker, you will have little to no experience. However, you can still make a film production resume using the same format listed below. However, your information might be slightly different in each section.

For example, instead of work credits, you can make a section called ‘student work’ and list your student projects. Or you could create a section called ‘previous work’ and list work you have done outside of the industry.

This is perfectly acceptable if you are applying for an entry-level position. But if you are looking for more creative work, firstly, you must prove that you can do the job. You can do this by making your own films or by working on low budgets.

Another tip is to consider how your previous work and skills can transfer over; for example, admin work can be transferred to a production office position. Also, the skills you learned in customer service can be helpful if you’re applying as a production assistant, as it requires interpersonal skills. 

Basic Resume Structure

Firstly, your film resume needs to be only one page long. This will be easy if you are just starting out. If you have a lot of experience, list only your best and most relevant credits. You can also personalize your resume with font style, bold text, or italics.

The Top

Your name and job title should be at the top. This makes sense as it is the first thing people will read and the first thing a hiring producer would like to know about you (who you are and what job you want).

Most Importantly, your job title should be the same as the job title you are applying for.

This might sound obvious, but a lot of people miss this out. For example, if you are applying for a job as an editor, label your job title as editor.

Do not make the mistake of listing many job titles or not focusing on your job role. Some people make the mistake of writing the generic title ‘filmmaker’ at the top of their film resume. Make sure to pick a specific film crew job role when applying for film and TV crew work.

Remember that on professional film sets, only one person is hired per job role.

Next comes your contact details. Make sure to include your email address and mobile number. If you have a visual job role, include a link to a showreel. If you have a nonvisual job role (e.g., production assistant, camera assistant), you do no need to include a showreel link.

The Middle

After your job title and contact details come your personal brief.

This is simply a few sentences explaining who you are and what can bring to the production. This should not take up a lot of space on your film resume. Use this section to talk about your previous experience to convince someone that you can do the job. Here is an example of a short personal brief:

‘I am a Camera Operator based in London. I have extensive experience working on music videos for numerous record labels. I am hoping to progress into more narrative and creative-based work.’

Film Credits

The majority of your film resume will be filled by your work credits. List your credits neatly and include the following:

• name of the project
• your job role
• the name of the director, producer, or your department’s HOD
• the year you worked on it.

You can also include details on anything impressive, such as mentioning that you worked for a well-known production company or if you worked with anyone famous. This shows that you were previously trusted to work with professionals (it’s ok to show off on your resume).

If you have too many credits, list them under the section title ‘selected credits’. Students can list their work under the title ‘student films’ and you can list day jobs under ‘work experience’.

Transferable Skills

If you don’t have any film experience, then consider how your skills from previous day jobs could be transferred over to a film job. For example, the skills from a previous admin job could transfer well over to office PA work.

Also, if you don’t have any experience, try working on a few low-budget films. Low-budget work can still be included on your resume. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to avoid some low-paid work in the film industry; however, just a few credits can make a big difference.

The Bottom

Lastly, list your education and skills. This includes any higher education (university level plus) or film-related workshops. It’s also okay to mention any degrees or masters you have outside of the film industry.

Consider what skills someone in your job role would need. Our job roles section is a great place to find film job profiles and what skills are needed for each role.

For example, if you’re a production assistant, then having a car and driving license is a valuable skill to mention; for a 1st AD, having first aid training and good interpersonal skills is desirable.

How To Apply For Film Work

When you apply for jobs online, you will always need to apply with your resume attached (ideally in PDF or Word format). You can also upload it directly to film crew directories to increase your chances of finding work.

You can also post your resume on your personal website or via a link on social media. Keep your resume updated; when you gain more experience, remove credits and replace them with better ones.

Experienced Crew

In time, you might find that you have too many work credits. If this is the case, remove all unnecessary work and experience. This includes day jobs, low-budget work, and credits not within your particular job role/department.

If you still have too many credits, you can create a title ‘selected credits’. Try to include only your best and most impressive ones.

Summary

In short, your resume is the first step to getting your name out there and applying for work. Until the world knows your name and you have industry contacts, make it easier for people to hire you.

Gaining credits can take some time, but be patient and keep applying. Good luck with the job hunt!