Entertainment

Entertainment

Jump to a section:

Roles and Work Environment
Skills and Training
Industry Timeline
Find Opportunities
Applying and Interviewing
Additional Industry Resources

Roles and Work Environment

Entertainment companies include everything from film, radio, sports, and television to (now) tech companies that provide entertainment content on demand. In general, the roles in this industry include creative and production roles. Like any business, though, there are also those who work behind the scenes, such as talent agents, marketing managers, entertainment lawyers, and distribution workers.

Below is a sampling of roles you might find:

Examples of Entertainment Jobs:

Actors
Broadcast Engineers
Camera Operators
Comedians
Digital Agents
Film and Television Producers
Music Producers

Below are some additional resources to find opportunities:

Skills and Training

Computer
Digital Media
Drawing and Design
Information Management
Music and Acting
Organizational
Performance
Public Speaking
Technical
Writing

Industry Timeline

The recruitment timeline in this industry is based on position vacancy. The following example highlights a sample recruiting timeline for the entertainment field.

Red Light Management

Red Light Management is one of the largest independent music management companies in the world, which was founded in 1991 in Charlottesville. Its current artists including Dave Mathews Band, Dierks Bentley, ODESZA, Bastille and many uniquely talented artists from all genres. Its spring internship (January – May) application usually opens from September to October. Its summer internship application (May-August) starts in the middle of February and ends in early March. Its fall internship (August – December) starts at the end of June and ends in the middle of July.

Disney Animation Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Walt Disney Animation Studios offers two internship programs: the talent development program for college graduates, and the art and production associate program for current college students. Positions are available in the story, visual development, modeling, animation, layout, texture or background painting, effects animation, lighting and compositing, technical (character, hair/cloth, look, effects or pipeline), production management, and post-production. Although most work will be limited to one area of Walt Disney Studios, a variety of assignments may be expected, depending on skills and placement. The application deadline for the talent development program is April 20^th and October 20^th. The talent development program offers 3,6 or 12 month paid positions for Fall and Spring seasons. The art and production associate program deadline is April 20^th. The program only offers 8 or 12 weeks summer internships.

Find Opportunities

On-Grounds

Off-Grounds

EntertainmentCareers.net—Jobs and internships
Showbizjobs.com
TVJobs.com

Applying and Interviewing

Resumes and Cover Letters

Your professional resume should address skills needed in your desired field and special accomplishments or results-oriented tasks you performed in previous work. Depending on the specific job function you hope to fulfil, those skills might include:

Critical Thinking
Creativity
Leadership
Broad Content Knowledge
Ability to Improve with Feedback
Savvy with Technology

(SNAAPShot 2013)

When it comes to choosing a format, some arts or media organizations may be more tolerant of design-heavy resumes that use color, graphics, or otherwise veer from the traditional one-page resume. Keep in mind that, regardless of the field, hiring managers are more interested in quality content (what have you done?) than visual appeal. In fact, some employers view non-traditional resumes as a tool for masking a lack of experience. Don't let this be you! Use work samples and your online portfolio to show your design skills so you can keep your resume content-focused.

Actor/Performer Resume

If you are pursuing a career where you’ll need to market yourself to talent agents and/or for casting calls, you need a professional headshot and an acting resume that includes different information than an employment resume document. Union affiliation, personal details, and a list of major roles should still fit on one clean, organized page, if possible.

Interviewing

Many of these companies are moving to using screening tools instead of conducting first-round phone interviews. This means that you may be asked to complete a short video interview to submit after your resume is received. Some video interview systems allow you two chances to record and submit your answer, whereas others only give you one chance. For this reason, we recommend you practice using InterviewStream. Interview Stream is an invaluable tool available to all UVA students that allows you to practice video interviewing and review your responses to improve your answers. You can also submit your interview answers to a counselor for help. Practice makes perfect and this is a great tool to start building your comfort and communication skills.