2. Icebreaker
Categories
In each round, I will assign a category
Going in a circle, name something that falls under
that category
If you hesitate or give the wrong answer, you‟re
out!

3. Agenda
Overview of the speaker panel
Industry Training: „Careers in Television‟
Professional Development: LinkedIn
BCEC Retreat
Upcoming Events

4. Speaker Panel
Deltas
Pluses

5. Careers in Television
Whether your goal is to be on air or behind-thescenes, it is important to familiarize yourself with the
professions out there and understand how the
various parts fit together to make the whole.
The better educated you are about the business, the
greater your chances of gaining entry to and
succeeding in an industry that has produced the
likes of Walter Cronkite, Oprah Winfrey, and Diane
Sawyer.

6. Note:
These are all entry-level positions
I did not list technical jobs, such as prop
master and audio engineer

7. Agent‟s Assistant
Duties
At agencies like CAA, you have to be doing desk work for at
least a year before you can apply to the agent trainee program
$30,000 a year, paid minimum wage at first
Typical office responsibilities like filing, scheduling
appointments, and fetching coffee
Rolling calls; chatting up clients and manning calls while your
boss is out of the office
Reading scripts and contracts, studying up deals
Support the agent: remember the details s/he forgets, pick up
the dry cleaning, and making dinner reservations
Bend over backwards to keep the clients happy: accompany
stars to premieres, pick up the dry cleaning
PROS: insider access to the industry through celebrities,
producers, directors, and studios

8. Expectations:
Available at a moment‟s notice; failure to do
so may get you fired on the spot
Low pay, but lots of perks: free tickets, free
swag
Gateway to opportunities, so pay your dues
and network hard
Even if you don‟t want to be an agent, with
the contacts you make the sky is your limit

9. Opportunities
http://www.agentassociation.com/frontdoor/classifi
eds.cfm
If you‟re really interested about the world of talent
agencies, read The Mailroom: Hollywood History
From the Bottom Up

10. Assistant Script Supervisor
Duties:
Collecting and transcribing script revisions, disseminating those
changes to the department heads
Transferring continuity notes to the corresponding page colors
Recalculate the scene totals and one-eighth breakdown
(measurement of inches of page used to determine scene length)
While on set, participate in taking photos for the purpose of ensuring
continuity of each scene for pick-up shots or retakes; responsible for
maintaining the catalogues of these photographs in an organized
manner
May run lines with actors during rehearsal
Maintaining forms and supplies of the department and may be
delegated to office tasks such as making copies, procuring materials
If required to work on a second unit production team, s/he will be
upgraded to a department head

11. What to Expect
Usually freelance career
Time split between working on set covering
continuity photographs and completing notes
and script revisions in the production office
Anticipate irregular hours based on the shooting
schedule, and travel may be necessary when
working on location
Position is a natural steppingstone to script
supervisor
Prior experience as a production assistant is
useful

12. Casting Associate
Duties
Read through the script with the casting director to identify the principal and
supporting roles, compile a list of possible actors for each character, and
contact the talent‟s agency for availability
During the audition process, you will have to operate the video camera, collect
and catalog resumes, and ensure the process runs smoothly
After auditions you edit each actor‟s video, working with the casting director
to select the best takes and create a short list of names for each character
These tapes must be labeled and packaged with the pertinent materials
(resume, availability calendar, etc.) and delivered to the director for final
approval
Also serve as secretary and personal assistant
Between projects, must be constantly adding to a mental roster by watching
new films, shows, plays, and commercials for talent

13. What to Expect
You can land a gig with a rich resume of amateur
theatre experience and student films
You must be a master networker
Support the casting director, above all else

14. Clearance Coordinator
Clearing a property refers to the practice of securing permission to use copyrighted material
or personal likeness, or researching a property to ensure there are no ownership claims and
disputes
Duties:
Generating clearance requests, drawing up appropriate license agreements
Negotiate and administer contracts
Continually update department‟s database with pertinent information regarding
contracts, owner information, royalty data, and cue sheets
Ex: to use a behind-the-scenes interview with an actor on the set of his new film for a
promotional website, the coordinator would negotiate with the production company that
shot the footage, the producers of the film, and the management company representing
the featured actor
Other examples include using a film clip in a television show, sampling a recorded song in
a video game, or getting permission from TV extras
The production assistant would have them sign the release form, but the coordinator‟s
job is to log those releases and record the information in the event of a later dispute

15. What to Expect
Outside of TV, employment opportunities also
exist within advertising agencies, print
publications, and video game developers
Can lead to advancement at the manager level,
or to positions such as associate producer and
segment producer
Excellent first step for those interested in the
business side of entertainment production, as
you have plenty of networking opportunities with
industry professionals in music, film, television,
and live production

16. Copywriter
Write the ads and marketing assets that compel audiences to
watch a show
Duties:
Responsible for creating copy for advertising, marketing,
and PR materials on behalf of entertainment companies
Take direction on the goals of the campaign and work
within the given creative and design parameters to deliver
content that is persuasive, interesting, and reflective of
the quality of the product and intended audience
May be asked to write a tag line and script synopsis for a
TV show‟s website and press packet, actor bios, magazine
ads
Attend meetings about upcoming initiatives, pitching
ideas, and conducting research

17. What to Expect
Can be performed freelance or by
telecommuting, but most often, the copywriter is
required to keep regular business hours in the
office
Work under strict deadlines

18. Marketing Assistant
Duties
Updating contact databases, conducting research on
competitors‟ strategies, and scrubbing mailing lists
Clerical tasks like scheduling travel arrangements, fielding
phone calls, and proofreading PowerPoint presentation slides
Update blogs and Twitter feeds
What to Expect
Data comparison, lead generation, and click-through rates
should excite you
Supply information accurately and timely to supervisors, be
proactive in completing tasks
Can pursue advancement as a marketing representative

19. Marketing Representative
Duties
Deliver visual materials such as posters and product
displays to record, DVD, and game stores
Work with media outlets to set up contests and
giveaways; negotiate terms
Regularly visit stores to track sales and ensure
there‟s enough product to meet demand
Identify factors impacting sales and prepare sales
analyses and strategies
Coordinate focus groups, surveys, and post-release
analysis reports

20. What to Expect
Do not keep regular hours
Travel extensively across assigned territory
Constantly visiting the same stores or radio stations
to deploy a marketing strategy, then doubling back to
follow up, maintain relationships, and track sales
High sales can help you work your way up from a
local role to regional representative to marketing
director

21. Personal Assistant
Duties
Act as the liaison for the client and fill the gap
where the agent ends and the publicist begins
Keep client‟s brand operational, whether
through updating social media sites, walking the
dogs, or reading scripts
Manage client‟s day-to-day errands and
appointments; most high-profile clients are
scheduled down to the minute
Anything is fair game, and you become involved
with their daily activities

22. What to Expect
The cliche is that every personal assistant has an agenda, whether
it‟s to pitch a screenplay or land a role
On set you are _____‟s assistant and do not have a name of your own
Great networking opportunities, but the challenge is to get people to
remember your name
“No” is not an answer
Common to transition to corporate world of PR, styling, or behindthe-scenes work

23. Production Assistant
Duties
Never a typical day at the office; PA is the catchall
person for any task
Production office PA will answer phones, make
copies of scripts, and run errands
Set PA will help assistant director by corralling
extras, escorting actors to and from the set, and
fetch snacks for the crafts services table
Does not operate camera, lighting, or audio
equipment; instead, PA will grab an apple box for the
electrician to set a C-stand on, or help keep the set
quiet while the boom operator records ambient noise

24. What to Expect
It doesn‟t matter if your aspiration is to be a director, audio engineer, or makeup
artist; working as a PA is where you learn firsthand about life on a professional set
and make the contacts to launch your career
Tasks that no one else wants
PA work is like boot camp for the entertainment business: if you can do this job
well, you have shown you have what it takes to climb up the ladder
Going the extra mile to find tasks before you‟re asked to do them will impress the
people around you; pass out water bottles to the crew, be standing by towels
when director yells “cut!” on a pool scene
The PA‟s name that gets called the most often is the one who will be on the next
shoot
This position can be a launching pad to any mid-level position in film and
television
Traditionally the next step is as production coordinator, camera assistant, or
electrician

25. Public Relations Assistant
Duties
Clerical tasks and conduct ongoing research to
identify the brand or client‟s coverage in all
forms of media. Includes every critic‟s review in
a newspaper, every blog post, and YouTube
parody video
Prepare press clips and deliver copies of media
mentions to clients
Update email lists for press releases and e-list
blasts

26. Script Reader
The gatekeeper between the scriptwriter and the
development executive with the power to
greenlight scripts. S/he keeps the crap off his
boss‟s desk and only forwards material with real
promise.

27. Duties
•
Read scripts submitted for possible submissions or on
behalf of a writer seeking representation from an agent
Catalogs each submission within an internal database
system, detailing the title, author, submission date,
subject, and other pertinent information
Checks for proper formatting
Rule of thumb: one page = one minute onscreen. Knows
after reading the first ten pages if it is worth considering.
Makes notes on well-written scenes or bad ones, which is
then created into a dissertation-like review that is
forwarded to the development executive or agent for
consideration

28. What to Expect
Give honest feedback on the characters, plot,
dialogue, and setting
It is up to the development executive to decide
what could be profitable for the company and
what audiences will enjoy
Experience can lead to advancement in
production development and producing

29. Social Media Coordinator
Develop strategies to increase fan base on sites such as
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites by outlining a
campaign calendar and conceptualizing tactics to increase
audience participation
Actively engage followers to transform visitors into advocates for
the brand
Collaborate with all divisions in the marketing and promotions
departments to create relevant content
Deliver regular updates to superiors on traffic and conversion of
visitors, and will submit new development plans for approval

30. Staff Writer
First step for aspiring television writers. Staff
writers are paid a weekly salary and contracted for
a designated period during the life of a series.

31. Duties
Gather with other staff writers to break down
script, develop plot points and flesh out
characters
Like improvisational actors, writers bounce
ideas off one another with the aim of adding to
the brainstorming. Constructive criticism should
be followed with a pitch for a solution.
May participate in first reads and rehearsals
with the cast and make notes and changes to
scenes that are not working well

32. LinkedIn
"LinkedIn is a social networking website for people in
professional occupations.”
Odds are when you apply for an internship or when you
contact a company for your event, they will search you up
on LinkedIn.
Not having one when you are in a business club and/or are
an aspiring business major implies you aren't serious
about your professional life. When professionals look at
your LinkedIn, it is also their first impression of you and
the first impression really matters.

33. Profile Picture
Pick a professional picture of yourself to upload.
It should be clear and you should be the only one in it
(no floating arms from #failcrops)
It also depends on what industry you want to go into,
I've noticed representatives from entertainment
companies can get away with more "Instagrammy"
pictures because it shows their personality a bit and
sets them apart from the people in monkey suits.
If you want to go into something more traditional and
conservative like finance or accounting, you should
probably opt for a more conservative and
professional picture.

34. Headline
This defaults to the most recent thing under
"Experiences", and if not, it will default to "Student
at the University of California, Berkeley".
Personally, I would create an original headline -- this
would help differentiate you among your peers and
among the other search results. But if you had a
prestigious internship or if you have had work
experience that you believe defines you, keep that as
your headline.

35. Summary
Your summary should have this structure -- introduction,
body, action step, and optional specialties.
Your introduction should state your year, major, and
school. The body should include some background
information on yourself (like the objectives portion of your
resume, but more detailed.)
The action step should be a sentence that welcomes the
reader to reach out to you.
Specialties is just a list of things that you are good at and
are interested in pursuing further professionally.

36. Tip
Look at the LinkedIn belonging to someone who
holds a title that you would like to hold someday,
or a professional you look up to in your industry
of choice, and try to emulate it.
Warning: if you look at someone's profile, it will
notify them and might prompt them to look at
yours in return. You can change your viewing to
"Anonymous" in settings.

37. Education and Experience
This could essentially be copied and pasted from
your resume.

38. Media
If you have created PowerPoint presentations, written
research papers, done case competitions, produced
films/videos, produced music -- upload it to your LinkedIn.
It will show people that you are so serious about what you
are doing that you have gone out of your way to work on
projects related to it.
Having physical work to prove that you have done more in
school than just schoolwork will score you brownie points
for sure.

39. Everything Else
Everything else is just a matter of you filling it
out all the way, this will help you get your Profile
Strength to 100%.

40. Your Presence
What is often overlooked by students on LinkedIn is their LinkedIn
presence. Just like how looking at someone's statuses on Facebook
and pictures on Instagram tells you a lot about a person, looking at
your posts and likes on LinkedIn helps other professionals get to
know you as well.
By sharing articles from the industry you are interested in, it shows
that you are on top of current news. By liking company posts and
statuses you show that you are engaged in the community.
Follow companies that you are interested in. Join groups that cater
to your interest. All of this will bring your profile together into a
cohesive professional narrative. This could also bring attention to
your profile from the companies you are interested in.

41. Your Connections
Try to connect with as many people as possible
without it being too awkward.
The larger your network, the better your profile
looks to other professionals. It shows that you try to
put yourself out there and try to meet people, which
is always a good skill to have.
Connect with friends, fellow students, club
members, counselors, coworkers, speakers you've
talked to at events etc.

42. Assignment
Please connect with me on LinkedIn
(search Rachel Kang) as soon as
possible. I will check everyone's
LinkedIn by Wednesday, March 12th
and email out my critiques and
recommendations the following night.

43. BCEC Retreat
Saturday, March 15th
Meet @ Shattuck Bart station
11AM to SF
Return around dinner time

44. Upcoming Events
BCEC Music Committee Tour: Fantasy Studios
Thursday, March 13
9:15 AM to 12 PM
The tour will begin at 10am, so we will be meeting at
9:15am on the corner of Shattuck and Durant to catch
the 49 bus down to the studio. We should be back in
Berkeley by 12:00pm or 12:15pm.