studio, the financier, as well as to the outside world, anything that is
going on with the film at the location spot."
Specials Skills and Education
Unit publicists must possess strong verbal and written communication
skills. Their job is to excite others about the movie they are working on,
through written materials and verbal communication. "Because commu-
nication is such a big part of the unit publicist's job," says Swank, "you
want to get a degree in a subject where you are forced to write a lot of
papers. My degree is in English literature. History is a good degree to get
because you have to analyze the past and write about it--which is a big
part of what a unit publicist does. A political science degree or any of the
liberal arts are good." People skills and adaptability are other important
talents of a successful unit publicist.
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
Swank suggests reading Steve Rubin's book Reel Exposure. Serving as a
production assistant is a good way to gain practical experience on set. Offer
to work for free with another unit publicist on a small independent film.
Life experience has prepared Swank for her job as unit publicist. An
example she points to is a shoot that took her to Morocco. Having previ-
ously spent time in a Muslim country, she understood the cultural differ-
ences. "When I arrived off the plane, I was wearing a dress. My upper
arms were covered and my knees were covered and I wore this stupid
hat . . . It made the Moroccans respect me all the more because I didn't get
off the plane in my Banana Republic safari shorts and tank top. I knew I
was going to a Muslim country and I came prepared for it. Being a woman,
in a very male dominated society, they respected me all the more because I
played it by their rules and was very respectful of their customs. A unit
publicist is someone who has got to be a jack-of-all-trades, and understand
that the movie is the first and number one priority."
Professional Profile: Cid L. Swank, Unit Publicist
"I have always loved movies. They were a big part of my life growing
up," says Swank, who was raised in Asia in the '70s. American television
programming was very limited in Asia at the time; movies quenched her
thirst for American culture. "My parents were always taking us to the
movies. It was like a family night: on Sunday we would go to a movie
and out to dinner . . . it was such a positive childhood memory."
Swank returned to the United States and enrolled at University of
California Los Angeles (UCLA). Although she considered a degree in
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