getting jobs. There are job boards, but none of them mean anything. Even
though the irony is that I've gotten two jobs in my career--which were
both significant--by answering ads in Daily Variety, believe me: that's total,
total, total luck. You have to find ways of seeking out people who need
help. I was fortunate enough to find them. To work in this business you
have to find ways of finding people who are looking for help.
"People would come to me at Propaganda all the time, which was a
big, busy production company, and ask, `What's the best way to get in
here?' I would say, `Sit at the cappuccino bar,' because suddenly a job
would get awarded and a producer would be in need of a PA. The
regular guy wasn't answering back and you're sitting there--you might
get the chance. It's horrible to tell people, because you can't just hang out
at companies, but it's an example of a way of saying, `Try to seek out
those who need help and network the best you can.' Try to be persistent
without being too much of a pain for people. Immerse yourself in areas
where the activity is going on that you want to work in. If you find your-
self in the middle of the country, where absolutely no film production is
going on, you have two choices: you can see what the local television sta-
tions are doing, or if that's not an opportunity, then you've got to go
where the work its--you've got to go to Hollywood or New York or
someplace where there is some activity; someplace where you can be in
the right place at the right time."
Professional Profile: Tim Clawson, President, Rialto Production Group
"I have always been a big movie fan," states Tim Clawson. "It proba-
bly goes back to when I was in high school. I went to the movies every
weekend and saw everything that came out, and I studied the old
movies. I really enjoyed film.
Growing up in Southern California, he had ample opportunities to be
exposed to the film business and industry icons like the Hollywood sign,
Grauman's Chinese Theater, and the many studio lots. As soon as he was
16, Clawson frequently drove an hour north to Hollywood, just to drive
past them all, reinforcing his desire to be part of the business.
He began making Super-8 movies at an early age. Junior and senior
high school brought many more opportunities to study filmmaking and
work on student projects. Clawson went on to study film at Orange Coast
College and then transferred to University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA). Both schools had excellent programs where he learned the nuts
and bolts of filmmaking.
Upon graduation, he created a résumé outlining his student film work
and the various screenplays he had written. Then came his first timely
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