Strong CVs are what make recruiters, employers, and hiring managers sit up and take notice. To help pump up your curriculum vitae and take the next step in your filmmaker career, it’s a good idea to consult a well-written filmmaker CV example like the one below. You’ll also find useful writing tips on how to properly format your CV, what information to include, and missteps to avoid to boost your chances of landing an interview. Be sure to put the information to good use when drafting your own tailored CV.
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Highly imaginative filmmaker with a solid six years of experience making a variety of films for a variety of industries. Strong passion for creating independent films, but also have a knack for creating commercials, commercial productions, documentaries, and short films. Knowledge of the latest camera, video, and audio equipment and editing software. Enjoy working with a variety of actors and crew members at many different experience levels. Also have a knack for bringing out the best in an actor, script, or production.
- – Well-honed time management skills, which are essential to keeping productions on schedule and cast and crew on task.
- – Written and verbal communication skills allow me to coordinate with cast and crew members and other individuals essential to making sure a production is successfully started and completed.
- – Creative skills necessary to interpret scripts, make necessary changes to scripts to improve the production, and help cast members bring the scriptwriter’s vision to life.
- Assist with casting to make sure the right actor/actress brings out the most in the role and works well with other cast members.
- Direct cast members to see that they understand their character and the part they play in the entirety of the production.
- Secure funding for productions, often doing so at least 5 percent below budget and well above expectations.
- Work with other crew members to ensure the production remains on schedule, that it looks its best, and that the final product is as polished as possible and matches the head director’s vision.
- Investigated potential documentary subjects to understand their relevance and what would be required to create a solid production that conveys the right message and meaning.
- Interviewed documentary subjects and participants to uncover their stories and to imbue the film with their voice.
- Shot, edited, and added music tracks and selections to documentaries.
- Reviewed scripts for flow, proper character development, consistency, and for errors.
- Assisted the director, assistant director, and script supervisor in their tasks to ensure the production went smoothly and remained within budget.
- Recommended changes to productions and offered suggestions, most of which were used and saved the cast and crew time and money.
Besides making films, I also enjoy watching them, especially those in the suspense and neo-noir genres. On the weekends, I like going for bike rides on the paths close to my home and venturing up into the hills when the weather permits. I like to read biographies of filmmakers to better understand the craft, improve my filmmaking abilities, and broaden my creativity.
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Questions for Your Filmmaker CV
Although at one time objective statements appeared on many CVs and resumes, today employers expect to see a professional summary instead. If you consider that each section of your CV should convey specific pieces of important information, you will understand why this makes sense: employers understand perfectly well that you submit your job application with the goal of obtaining the job.
Reading the professional summary in our filmmaker CV sample, you can observe how the applicant uses this space to promote herself as a top candidate. You can write an objective if your situation falls into one of the few exceptions where an objective statement can address an employer’s concerns. These scenarios include a significant employment gap, a career change, or a first job.
Your experience section should describe your previous positions in terms of responsibilities, achievements, and skills you used or learned on the job. One effective way to format this section is to list your job title, employer, and dates of employment as a header, then list your job responsibilities and other information, setting off each item with a bullet point.
As you compose this section, you will need to decide which information is significant enough to include. Our filmmaker CV sample contains an experience section that fully explains the candidate’s contributions to each job she held. She also uses the effective technique of starting each bullet point with a strong action verb.
The education section of your CV should list your degrees in reverse chronological order. Candidates with relevant work experience do not need to include many details in this section. Generally, you should state the type of degree, the area of study, the name and location of the granting institution, and the year you earned the degree.
Recent graduates or those with little or no work experience may want to give greater emphasis to their academics. In such a case, you may want to describe relevant honors, student activities, and specific coursework.
Use the qualifications section to showcase essential skills. One common approach is to create a bulleted list of between six and eight items, which should consist of a mix of technical and soft skills.
Our filmmaker CV sample demonstrates a different approach, in which the applicant writes a short sentence describing how she uses each skill to contribute in her role as a filmmaker. This way, she demonstrates an understanding of why each qualification is so important.
An effective CV tells employers about your unique strengths and experiences. Combine an adherence to the conventions of proper CV writing with engaging content that demonstrates your outstanding qualities. If that sounds like a tall order, using the right tools can help you find your way. Our customized resume builder offers a stress-free guide through the composition process.
Filmmaker CV Must-Haves
What Does a Filmmaker Do?
Filmmakers work on a variety of productions and might be referred to as producers or directors. Some of their more common tasks include budgeting, scripting, hiring crew members, and casting. Specific duties depend on the production and the overall level of responsibility the filmmaker has. They might write their own script, buy a script from a screenwriter, or ask a screenwriter to craft a script for them.
On the production side of making a film, producers often raise money, help hire the crew and director, and set the film’s budget. The job might also call for approving of changes to the production and ensuring everything is finished and wrapped up on time and on budget. There are several components to being a filmmaker, so be sure your CV shows you’ve got the skills, experience, and drive necessary, as you see shown in the filmmaker CV example above.
Tips for Creating a Great Filmmaker CV
It’s a good idea to refer to a few best practices while drafting your CV, such as the following:
- Do be sure the length of your CV matches your level of experience. Entry-level CVs should be no more than a single page while expert-level CVs should be no longer than two pages.
- Don’t add any details to your CV that don’t pertain to the job or your professional life. This means leaving out non-essential personal information and anything that has to do with your religion, race, or political opinions.
- Do be sure to write out numbers up to and including nine. Using numerals for numbers 10 and up is fine, and the same is true if you have a blend of numbers that are greater and less than 10.