"I never turn down jobs, no matter what it is; even if it's at the last
minute, I still do it.
"Take any opportunities that are given to you--even working for free,
to gain experience and contacts."
Professional Profile: Brian Erzen, Art Department
Production Assistant, Art Department Swing, Set Dresser
Although he was uncertain about what career to pursue, Brian Erzen
knew he "wanted to work in the entertainment industry." A Connecticut
native who studied communication at Middletown Community College,
he was intrigued by the visual
aspect of movies, television
shows, and some music videos.
After his best friend moved
to California at the end of 1998,
Erzen set a goal to do the same
by the following August. "It
was a weird pipe dream--I
had never been to California,
but I knew I had to go." A few
months later the friend phoned
to say he was sharing a place
in Venice and they were
looking for an additional
roommate. Erzen committed
to be there in six weeks.
"The key thing I did
was ship all of my stuff to
California--30 boxes of clothes,
CDs, DVDs, my computer, sound system, everything--to my friend in
Venice. I sold off a lot of my furniture and gave other pieces away. Then
I threw myself a going away party!" With a friend, Erzen drove cross-
country to California.
"It was extremely difficult when I first came to California," he says.
"I had a job set up and it fell through." Undaunted, Erzen obtained a
copy of the LA 411 [411 Publishing, published yearly] directory and
called every postproduction house in Venice and Santa Monica, eventu-
ally landing an internship. After three weeks, he was hired full time:
9 to 5, Monday to Friday, for $300 a week.
Slowly, Erzen began to meet people and was hired as a production
assistant. He also worked as an extra. "I'd never been on set. Working as an
What do you like
least about your job?
"What I like least is the
politics. I don't have
nepotism working for
me, so that sometimes
makes it tough to land
jobs . . . It can sometimes be difficult having
someone with less experience tell you what
to do. You just have to learn to grin and
bear it."--Brian Erzen
What do you love most
about your job?
"I love the creativity. You solve problems and
you're thinking on your feet."--Brian Erzen
VOICES OF
EXPERIENCE
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