How to Make a Film Resume
Types of Resumes One of the most unsung differences between the film & video industry and most other career paths is how resumes are formatted and presented. Since this is a visual medium--and most professionals have had at least some freelance experience that isn't considered a 'typical' job--our industry resumes can look quite different. And to top that off, each job within the video industry will have different expectations for how your resume should look. For example, a graphic designer's resume will look much different than a corporate producer's resume, and that will differ from a freelance DP's resume. In general, there are 4 types of resumes you can choose from. Professional Experience Resume - This is, essentially, a 'traditional' resume. It lists jobs you've held in the past, the responsibilities contained within, starts with an Objective statement and is easy for big corporate A.I. resume readers to auto-read. These resumes are typical for bigger production companies or corporations looking to hire 'producers' or 'videographers' in-house. 2. Credits Resume - Ever seen an acting resume? This is the same idea; list your professional credits and other pertinent information such as training, education, and awards. Typically used for jobs hiring professionals on a project-by-project basis or specific, dedicated positions such as DPs or Directors. This is the type of resume used in the film/television crew world, where they want to hire people with experience in certain positions. A showrunner has no need to see a traditional resume for a PA, they just want to know you've been on set and can do the job. Your credits do the talking for you. 3. Hybrid Resume - Combines aspects of the Professional Experience resume along with a list of credits. Typically used by folks who've held traditional "jobs" but also have impressive credits or projects they've worked on, such as if you were an in-house DP for a number of years, but also filmed 2 feature films outside of your "day job." If you're fancy, you may hear this referred to as your Curriculum Vitae or CV. 4. Infographic Resume - Essentially, these highly-art-directed resumes contain all the relevant information,...
