Laid off from a radio/video role and trying to move into LA production — looking for advice
So my background: I was recently laid off from a radio station where my main job was filming and editing live music sessions and interviews, then posting that content to YouTube and social media.
Over the last few years, I helped build up the video side of the station into something that did not really exist before. It gained some steam and developed a decent following, but the station decided to eliminate my position, which effectively ended the video portion of what we were doing.
Feelings aside, I do feel fortunate that the job became a huge learning experience. I learned by doing, and I’m leaving with a broad set of skills that I feel confident about.
Where I’m less confident is this: what do I do next, and how do I start finding my way into production work?
Most of the contacts I made are in radio or the music industry, and I’d like to move beyond those two worlds. My college background is in music business, and I didn’t really discover this passion for production until a few years after graduating. Between that and a lot of self-teaching, I don’t feel like I have a strong foundation in how the film/production industry actually works. I only have some glimpses of it through music, radio, and broadcast-adjacent work.
I also never really worked as part of a full crew. It was mostly me on cameras and my coworker running audio, with both of us figuring things out as we went. I’m not afraid of being the new person, or of the awkwardness and stumbling that comes with learning a new environment. I just don’t know where to start.
I’ve briefly looked at sites like ProductionHub and EntertainmentCareers, but I’m still not sure what the best first move is. I also know I probably need to start narrowing down a path. I’m 38, so while I’m not opposed to starting over in some ways, I also want to be intentional about it.
If I could choose, I really enjoy camera work. I like being behind the camera, framing shots, moving with the subject, and figuring out how to capture a moment. I understand that doing that at a higher level, especially in a more serious production environment, means I’d have to learn how things are done on proper sets and probably work my way up. At the same time, I do have experience across a lot of areas because I was doing almost everything myself — just not in a formally trained crew setting.
Also, for better or worse, working for the same company for 15 years has not really trained me for the project-to-project world that seems to define a lot of this industry.
Long story short, I’m looking for advice you’d give to a 38-year-old trying to break into the LA production world with some real experience, but not necessarily the traditional industry background.
Where would you start? Are there specific job boards, groups, hangouts, forums, or networking spaces I should be paying attention to besides this subreddit? Is school or some kind of vocational training worth considering at this point, or is it better to get on sets however I can and learn from there?
Any advice is appreciated.