How to Find Film and TV Work Without Industry Contacts

Guide for creatives · 3 min read · By Ripple One

Everyone tells you it’s who you know. Nobody tells you what to do when you don’t know anyone yet.

Here’s the honest version: a lot of creative work, from runners and assistants to editors, designers and crew, gets filled through recommendations, often before a job is ever advertised. That’s frustrating if you’re starting out, changing careers or simply outside the usual networks.

The good news is that you don’t need a famous contact. You need visible proof of your work, a short list of the right places to look, and a handful of people who can vouch for you. Here’s how to build all three.

1. Get specific about the role you want

“I’ll do anything” sounds flexible, but it makes you hard to remember and hard to recommend. Hirers think in roles: production runner, junior editor, sound assistant, motion designer, location scout. Pick one or two target roles and write one sentence for each describing what you can do on day one.

Quick tip: If you cannot describe your target role in one sentence, a hirer will not be able to describe you to someone else either.

2. Build proof, not just a CV

A CV says what you claim. A portfolio shows what you can do. Even with no paid credits you can show:

• Short films, edits, designs or sound work you made yourself
• Student, volunteer or community projects, with your exact role clearly stated
• A short breakdown of one project: the brief, what you did, and the result

Keep it to three to five of your best pieces. One strong, clearly explained project beats twenty unlabelled ones.

3. Go where the work is actually posted

Different corners of the industry advertise differently, so cast a wide net:

• Creative job platforms and marketplaces, where roles are posted openly
• Regional screen agencies and film commissions, which often run trainee schemes, crew directories and job boards
• Industry groups and communities for your craft, on LinkedIn and social platforms
• Production company career pages, especially for entry-level and trainee roles

Set a weekly 30-minute routine: check the same five places, apply to the best matches, and log what you sent.

4. Make cold outreach short and useful

You can message someone you don’t know, as long as the message respects their time. Try this structure:

1. Who you are in one line
2. Why them: one specific thing about their work
3. What you’re asking: something small, like “Could I send you my portfolio link?”
4. A link to your work, not an attachment

Keep it under 100 words. Do not ask for a job in the first message; ask to be considered.

5. Say yes to small credits and collect references

Your first credits will probably be small. Take the ones that put you on a real team, then do two things after every job: ask for a reference while it is fresh, and add the credit to your portfolio the same week. A short trail of “this person was reliable and good to work with” is what turns strangers into recommenders.

6. Stay visible without being annoying

Post your work, update your portfolio when you finish something, and follow up once, politely, if you’ve heard nothing after a week or two. Most opportunities go to the person who was easy to find at the right moment.

Your first-month checklist

• Choose one or two target roles
• Pick three to five portfolio pieces and write a short context note for each
• Choose five places to check weekly
• Send five short outreach messages
• Ask for one reference after your next job

Related reading

• How to build a creative portfolio that actually gets you hired
• Why references matter in creative hiring
• How to set your freelance rates as a creative