A crash course in networking for filmmakers.

Filmmakers usually like to spend as much time as possible focusing on creative things, like storytelling, lighting, composition, and character development, but the truth is that without a solid professional network it’s very hard to turn your passion into a paying career. Networking has been crucial for me both as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, and without prioritizing it as a part of doing business I don’t think I would have gotten to work for Netflix, National Geographic, ShowTime, VICE, or any of the other cool clients I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with.

The tough reality is that talent and creativity are expected at the professional level. What often separates the people who work from the people who don’t is the strength of their network. Who you know and you knows you is as important as your reel or online presence in my experience, and so I put together a full guide sharing everything I’ve learned in the last 12 years of networking in the documentary media world. And because I want to support this growing online community we’re all a part of and see all of you do the best work you can, I’m giving it away for free to fans of the channel. 

Taking the time to come up with a real networking plan, and then putting that plan into action by actually sitting down with the people you want to work with will pay huge dividends in the long term. Invest in your network and you can set yourself up for a career, not just a job.