You’ve graduated at the top of your class at UCLA’s School of Theater, Television and Film; you’re armed with your future “Best Picture” award winning script; you’re ready to take the film industry by storm as the next Jerry Bruckheimer and you’ve finally landed a job at one of the biggest agencies in town… so why are you answering phones and taking coffee orders? Can it be that Hollywood is just not quite as glamorous as it may appear, or is this new job of yours, which borders on sweatshop-like abuse, all just part of “paying your dues” when it comes to making it big in the movie industry? The answer, it would appear, lies somewhere in between.
Every day, hundreds of eager, fresh-outta-film school, industry virgins pound the pavement from Burbank to Beverly Hills, desperate to get a job in the movie biz, but only a handful are “lucky enough” to actually land one. Problem is, a chance at success in a dog-eat-dog industry can come with a steep price – a price that often includes insanely long hours, demanding bosses and a high-stress work environment that rivals that of working in the Pentagon on a high-alert day. Beyond the pristine marble lobbies of LA’s most prominent agencies – CAA, ICM, UTA, Endeavor, William Morris and Paradigm – lies a staff of panicked agent assistants all hoping that that scalding hot cup of coffee they’re rushing to the 10th floor, the 1,200 script copies they need ready in 2.3 nanoseconds, the 600 calls that are flooding their boss’ multiple phone lines at precisely the same time - all will bring them one step closer to that coveted credit on the big screen.
While shows like the HBO series Entourage seem to exaggerate the Hollywood agent/tyrant through the character of crazed bigshot agent Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven), this depiction might not be too far off the mark. “I think the portrayal is accurate,” says Rex Lee, who plays Gold’s constantly ridiculed assistant Lloyd on the show. “If the portrayal is inaccurate then unfortunately it is because it does not go far enough. In the real Hollywood, the difficult and/or unpleasant bosses are really mean, bordering on abusive,” Lee explains. Coincidentally, Lee worked as a freelance assistant to various commercial casting directors for over five years prior to taking on the role. “I could definitely handle the tasks of Lloyd’s job in real life,” says Lee, “but I would be completely stressed out and perhaps unhappy because, while I am lucky enough to be an actor and walk away from Lloyd the character, an assistant has a really tough job in a tough environment.”
Typical tasks for an agent’s assistant include fielding calls, reading scripts, coordinating client appointments, making lunch reservations and so on…all at a speed of about 100 miles per hour. However, job responsibilities can often verge on the obscure when demanding bosses or cranky clients are on the receiving end. “Clients can be a little nutty at times and expectations can be ridiculous,” says one assistant working at a major agency. “We once had a client come in for a meeting, and before the meeting could start, she wanted dark chocolate with almonds. I had to run all over the building searching offices that I knew had candy until I found someone that kept those little Hershey nuggets in their office, and thank God she said those would do.”
Tough environment and all, many are lucky just to get their foot in the door and score an interview. “As with most people, I started in the mailroom,” says another assistant, “and I got that job through networking and personal connections… as they say, its not what you know, but who you know.”
“The interview process was insane for the trainee program,” adds another assistant. “I had ten different interviews in the course of a week and found out about a month later that I was accepted into the trainee program.”
Climbing the career ladder in Hollywood is near impossible without first downing a sizeable slice of humble pie as an assistant. “Many industry jobs require that you have experience at a major agency to even consider you as an applicant,” says one assistant. “Even if you don’t want to be an agent, it is an invaluable experience with networking possibilities. The hectic environment better be worth it... you work your way from the bottom up in this industry, and the harder you work now, the more successful you will be.”
John Lesher, head of Paramount Pictures’ Specialty Films Division, is a prime example of the hard work paying off. Lesher began his entertainment career as an assistant to UTA partner Jeremy Zimmer before becoming an agent at Endeavor and finally landing the position at Paramount in 2005. Some success stories even border on miraculous events, like the story of Ben Dey, a CAA assistant working in the mailroom who recently successfully pitched his idea for a comedy to producer Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment. Dey attended an annual meeting at CAA where assistants are given a rare opportunity to pitch their hearts out to Hollywood heavyweights. Dey’s big break gave hope to assistants everywhere striving to be in the right place at the right time.
Whether working your way from the ground up or finding success while still at the entry-level, it appears that the much-anticipated pay-off will happen eventually – that is, if you are first willing to brave the constant chaos, crappy pay, and wonderful world of multitasking.
Some may even argue that the ability to meet some incredible people and make some great contacts as an assistant might be pay-off enough. “There has been plenty of networking opportunities, especially within the company,” says an assistant. “Everyone is so plugged into the industry that no matter what you are interested in, there is someone who can help you out or teach you something.” According to The Princeton Review, working at a talent agency is considered one of the best entry-level jobs one can get st the start of a career in entertainment. Many in the industry claim, “It’s the graduate program in entertainment.” After all, where else do you have access to the best talent, most exclusive events and biggest power players in town? “I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people and go to amazing events and parties ranging from television tapings to award show after-parties and celebrity birthday parties,” says another assistant. One undeniable fact of the biz is that agencies are networking meccas.
So if you’re brimming with a passion for showbiz (you’re going to need it) and have skin the thickness of armor, life at an agency might not be so bad. “Although it is chaotic and often challenging, it is worth it,” says one assistant. You never know, you might go from sharing an elevator with Sam Raimi to producing the next big summer blockbuster.
Bookmark with:
