Working in Rentals

[Luke Kokinos]

Hey all,

I am a high school graduate. I have worked with RED cameras for a few years, I have directed/shot/edited 2 feature films. I am interested in coming in at an entry level position at a rental house. Any advice? Do I have to go to college to be considered? Should I intern at a local house first? Looking for any and all thoughts on the matter.

Thank you in advance,

 

[Carl Epstein]

You may try calling Lensauthority.com and asking for the tech support guy. He has been very helpful for me in the past and they are a lens rental house also.

 

[Marc Wielage]

My advice: if you get an entry-level job, be humble, listen to what they tell you, come in early, leave late every day, and soak up all the information. No matter what you know or what you've done, there's always more to learn. Be prepared to have to deal with difficult people, and have an even temper. Be prepared for this process to take at least a couple of years. You will eventually make enough contacts that you should be able to move on to a better job after a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Marcus Friedlander]

My advice: if you get an entry-level job, be humble, listen to what they tell you, come in early, leave late every day, and soak up all the information. No matter what you know or what you've done, there's always more to learn. Be prepared to have to deal with difficult people, and have an even temper. Be prepared for this process to take at least a couple of years. You will eventually make enough contacts that you should be able to move on to a better job after a reasonable amount of time.

Holy hell this is so on point!

Working at a rental house is a great idea that will definitely push your career forward. But, always remember, that while experience and knowledge is important, so is humility. If you walk into that job with the proper mindset, a few years later you will be well on your way to doing exactly what you want with your career!

And, if you ever move out to LA, working at a rental house is an amazing way to start building your professional network. It worked for me! I got my first consistent RED AC gig through the rental house that I worked at. And, now, only a couple of years later I run my own production company and own an EPIC DRAGON package. All thanks to the looooooong hours that I put in, and the connections that I made, working at a rental house.

 

[Marc Wielage]

And, if you ever move out to LA, working at a rental house is an amazing way to start building your professional network. It worked for me! I got my first consistent RED AC gig through the rental house that I worked at. And, now, only a couple of years later I run my own production company and own an EPIC DRAGON package. All thanks to the looooooong hours that I put in, and the connections that I made, working at a rental house.

I left out the most important thing: have a great attitude and don't complain. That doesn't mean you have to roll over and just take abuse, but it does mean you have to be positive and come up with solutions, not dwell on the problem and just whine and moan. I know of cases where people have been hired and kept their jobs mainly because they were nice to deal with and had an upbeat disposition.

 

[JD Butler]

In agreement, working at a camera rental house is a great way to educate yourself technically and make good connections especially for camera assistants.

You definitely don't need a college degree. They would just want to know if you have technical experience when it comes to camera equipment (how to handle lenses etc.) You may get started at a lower position but you can usually get promoted very quickly if you know your stuff.

It may not seem like the best job (could be repetitive and usually low pay) but the connections you make and experience you gain is valuable.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

I know of cases where people have been hired and kept their jobs mainly because they were nice to deal with and had an upbeat disposition.

+1
Marc is right (as usual).

 

[Luke Kokinos]

Thank you all very much. This was very helpful!

 

[David W. Jones]

My advice take it or leave it... Continue school, and get a Bachelor's Degree. There are going to be jobs in your future which you might really want, but won't even be considered for without the degree.

All the best!

Dave