ensure they have the information and tools they
need, or listens to music for song
ideas to pitch to a director.
POINTERS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
Become a member of industry organizations and
volunteer to work at seminars
and other events so that you are in a situation
to meet people and develop contacts.
Learn all you can about the industry, such as
the names of important players. Become
familiar with a variety of musical styles,
songwriters, and recording artists. Once you
have gained a good base of knowledge, then
apply for an internship or assistant posi-
tion to get a foot in the door.
TODD HOMME, DREAMWORKS
Todd Homme grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada
"where everybody freezes and
every boy learns to play hockey." As a boy,
Homme was torn between dreaming of a
CASE STUDY:
THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS
JOB:
"Arguing about money. That is a short sentence
about a big subject. I
work for very conspicuous people in this
business, and we're riding the
crest of our recent success. We've had Steven's
[Spielberg] picture,
Saving Private Ryan, win several Oscars,
including Best Director.
Then most recently, American Beauty, which was
a small film, done
for a modest budget with a first-time director
and a first-time writer
(both of whom won Oscars), together with a
young cast. In many
respects, it was a small project. The fact that
there are three guys that
run this company [David Geffen, Jeffrey
Katzenberg, Steven
Spielberg], that are very big in the industry,
doesn't mean every project
has an enormous budget. Sometimes you get tired
of explaining that
we have budgets and limits we have to live
within."
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
"Variety. There are all kinds of commingling of
people, ideas, atti-
tudes, and challenges. There is always
something new. I like working
with the people in creative disciplines that
are the best in their given
field. You get to talk with them and ask
questions about their own
journey. That is pretty
wonderful."
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