Film Studies

Augsburg film studies graduate, Steven Jacobson ‘07, finds work through networking and persistence

I've been working part time at Cinequipt for a majority of the summer. I spend a lot of time in the warehouse loading and unloading grip trucks and checking the equipment that goes on them. I also work in the studio at Cinequipt as a painter. The studio has a “cyc wall” (looks like a skateboard ramp) that needs painting every so often. When a client wants the studio white (or any other color), I'm the person in charge of making sure the wall and floor get painted to the client's needs. It may seem like a simple job, but it has to be done well since it is shown on camera behind the subject.

On the side, I've been doing several freelance jobs. Through most of May, I was hired as an intern in the grip/electric department on the set of the film Nobody. Though I was familiar with the equipment used in the film from working at Cinequipt, working on set gave me the opportunity to actually use it.

Recently I was hired for several days as an electrician for the Daily Show, which will be in St. Paul for the RNC. Most of the crew on set was from New York. My main job was to help hang lights above the set in a specially built ceiling called "the grid." After hanging the lights, you have to run cables to certain clusters of lights so they can be controlled by switches and faders. The most tedious task was focusing the lights, which took quite a while because there were about 50+ lights. Though similar in some ways, television is an entirely different beast from film when it comes to rigging and lighting.

For the future, at this point I am on a list to be hired as an electrician on the Coen brothers’ movie, A Serious Man. I was able to obtain this opportunity through the people I have worked with in the past. Also, because the film is hiring union workers, being in the local 490 has contributed to getting the job.

So far I have found that the key to finding these jobs is calling people, working with people, and building relationships. It is important to be persistent in finding work. Once you meet people and get the ball rolling, it builds quickly and soon enough, people are calling you and paying you well…sometimes! However, it is still your job to keep the momentum going by offering your services to people, even if you have to work for free a few times.

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Film Studies

Augsburg film studies graduate, Steven Jacobson ‘07, finds work through networking and persistence

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