Written by Julia Blackwell
Adapting Your Theatre CV
At TriForce, we speak to many talented people from a wide range of backgrounds, and we love hearing about what your experience can bring to the world of TV! Recently, we have noticed people with a background in theatre both contacting us directly about transferring over to TV, or applying to the roles on our TCN Talent Pool.
Whilst there are people who regularly work between these two fascinating mediums, we also speak with people who are unsure about what will make themselves and their applications stand out. So last month we decided to outreach to those working in theatre to find out a bit more about what their key transferable skills might be, and to encourage people to tell us how good they are!
Below are some tips on how we think you can adapt your theatre CV to roles at various levels within the world of TV.
Laying Out Your CV
Remember that the person looking at your CV will most likely never have met you and will not know anything about your experiences. They are also likely to be looking over a large number of CVs, all from people wanting to prove that they are the best person for the role. So make sure yours is clear, concise (no more than two pages) and easy to read!
When you have a range of jobs and work experience it can be difficult to know how to divide your CV up. For example, if you direct theatre, but also work as a teacher and have a small company for filming showreels – it can be difficult to know how to order everything you’ve done! Once you have checked that your name and contact details are clear and correct, subheadings can be a great way to guide a recruiter through your career history.
Key Skills
A Key Skills section can be a fantastic way to highlight what you can bring to a role, or what will make you stand out to a recruiter. For example, we chat with a lot of people who can speak multiple languages but have not listed this on their CV. If you can speak more than one language or can use specific software or equipment then make people aware! We also advise about 3 – 6 bullet points if you would like to include a Key Skills section.
Creative Industry Employment/Experience
You may be someone who has only worked in creative industries, or you may be someone who also has another job such as teaching or within hospitality. If you do work in more than one industry then the use of a subheading such as, Creative Industry Employment, can be a great way to ensure that the creative work the recruiter may be after can be easily identified. At the same time, this allows you to list work in a clear and chronological way.
Don’t presume that others know what your job(s) involves! The same job title can mean different things, and different people may have various understandings of that role. So tell us about your work. About 3 lines that summarise what you did on a job are a great way to give someone an overview of what you learnt in a role. Make sure to also mention about any shadowing or volunteer work you may have done as this really helps us to understand your experiences so far.
Other Employment/Experience
The work that you do/have done outside the TV and Film industry will also involve transferable skills that can be of huge value within TV. Even if you cannot see it yourself, there are a lot of roles out there that require for example, strong communication skills, admin and being able to adapt to working withrange of people within a fast-paced environment. Hospitality, teaching and working front of house are all examples of roles that can develop these attributes. So again, let us know!
Education
What you decide to include about your education can be dependent on the role you are going for. For example, if you are applying for a role in Costume and specifically studied Costume as part of your studies then this can be of value to include. It demonstrates that you have a strong interest in the area. If your study is unrelated then you may still wish to include your most recent, or highest level of education. A simple line that includes your qualification, grade and institution is absolutely fine.
And finally… GDPR statement! It’s a good idea to add a line about General Data Protection Regulation to your CV. For example, I give permission for this CV to be shared for GDPR purposeswill allow employers to keep your CV on file and share it with others. It may be part of what gets you to get your next job!
Examples of Roles in Television
There are numerous roles in theatre that many people have never even considered, and it’s exactly the same for TV!
Below are a few examples:
Costume Designer
Costume can be a wonderful area of TV to transfer into. You will collaborate with Directors and Producers to break-down a script and use carefully crafted visuals to tell audiences about the characters, and the world around them. You will need to navigate responsibilities such as working with budget constraints, communicating with your team and using your knowledge and skills to enhance an overall production through both costume and creativity!
If you are transferring into TV you may have to start in positions that are deemed more entry level from what you are used to. However, this will help you gain the skills needed to build yourself up within a new medium. There are various roles such as, Costume Trainee, Costume Standby, Costume Maker and Costume Design Assistant in which you can gain valuable experience as you move up towards Designer.
Prop Master
Prop Masters take on a vital role within the Art Department and communicate with many others to help identify what is needed for a set and/or scene. It can be an incredible area to work in and one that you may be interested in if you enjoy a hands-on role! You will be expected to do your research, to make decisions when comes to what to hire, and to take the lead when it comes to transporting the props that are needed on production.
To become a Prop Master, you will need to be an organised individual with a talent for craftsmanship. To learn more about the role and advance towards this more senior position you will need to work your way up in the Props department. Roles can include, Standby Props, Dressing Props and Assistant Props Master. Similar roles within the theatre can help you to stand out when applying to these roles in TV. Just make sure to highlight your skills!
Script Editor
If you enjoy working with scripts and supporting writers with their story, then a Script Editor may be the ideal role for you! Script Editors work closely with writers and others in the development team to help the bring a script up to the best possible standard. It’s a creative role that also requires you to consider budget, time constraints, and what is physically possible within a script.
You may be a playwright, or you may read scripts for a theatre as a Dramaturg. If you think that a Script Editor is the job for you, then look out for opportunities such as Script Reader. From there you can advance into roles such as Script Secretary, Researcher and Assistant Script Editor as you make your way up the Development ladder. All of these are wonderful roles that can help you discover what is right for you within TV!
Gaffer
The Lighting department is an exciting area of TV and one that you may already have considered if you are a Lighting Technician. In TV, the Gaffer works closely with the Director of Photography (DoP) to light a scene. As a Gaffer, you will work with the lighting team in various environments, work quickly and efficiently between shots, and be responsible for the safety of your team as you work with lighting equipment and electricity.
To become a Gaffer, you not only need a strong understanding of light and important electrical and safety knowledge, but you also need to work your way up to this role. Gaffer is senior position, but there are plenty of opportunities to learn from as you experience different jobs. Look out for Lighting Trainee roles. You could also take on positions such as Spark and Best Boy. All of which require people with a creative eye and technical talent!
Location Manager
A Location Manager does exactly what you would expect them to do, they manage the locations for a TV programme! It is an interesting and important part of a production. A huge part of this role is of course finding the locations, negotiating logistics with whoever may own the location and ensuring that everything is safe for the shoot. It is an interesting role that gets you out and about and allows you to speak with a wide range of people!
If you have an interest in locations and the ability to visualise how a scene may fit within a particular space, then Locations could be an incredible step for you! Locations can also be a good way to enter TV in general as it gets you speaking with people. Roles such as Locations Marshall, and from their Locations Trainee or Runner, are what you need to keep an eye out for. Alongside any experience you may be able to gain at various live or outdoor events.
First Assistant Director
You may have heard of an Assistant Director role and in TV there are three main levels to this. The First Assistant Director (1st AD) is the most senior AD position. In this job you will be a crucial part of not only planning a filming schedule prior to the shoot, but also breaking down a script, being out and about on recces, and being part of managing a set during the production so that the director can focus on their own role. It’s a very busy but exciting job!
For this role, you need to be used to remaining organised and calm in hectic and fast-paced environments. So let us know where you have utilised such skills! And of course, as with all the above roles, the 1st AD is a senior position that requires experience. If you are at entry level for TV, you need to be looking for a Floor Runner position as this will enable you to assist with a shoot. From there, there is Crowd AD, 3rd AD, 2nd AD and finally – 1st AD!
We hope that this has been a useful overview for you of how to make your CV stand out, and has given you an idea of what jobs are out there in the ever-changing landscape of TV! If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at TriForce. We would also love to know what your specific skills and interest are, so that we can offer advice along the way, and look out for opportunities that may interest and suit you.
TriForce Creative Network (TCN) contact email:
[email protected]
ScreenSkills Job Profiles:
https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/