Tag Archives: Hollywood jobs

Film Career: Professional Set Painter

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What is a set painter?

Set Painter Jobs

If you are a professional painter and want to expand your career, consider being a set painter for the film industry. This article explains how you can become a set painter on a movie production.

Being a set painter is not being a painter of army paint sets. Though young and old kids enjoy the hobby of painting a whole regiment of army paint battlefields set, this is a real job on a film set design.

When hired, you arrive with your paint supplies ready to paint the set or stand by if they need a quick touch-up while filming a scene.

If you are a professional painter or like to paint houses, buildings, and fences, and want to expand your career, consider being a set painter for the film industry.

You meet talented people from all over the world. The pay and benefits are exceptional, and you work in a very creative environment. You’ll meet movie stars!

Runaway Productions Create Local Film Production

“Runaway productions” is a term used to describe films produced outside of Hollywood on location. The film industry coined these words because productions often move away from Hollywood to make more money. It is not profitable for Hollywood, but it is excellent for you to live outside Hollywood and get a job in film production as a set painter.

Certain cities, like Seattle or San Francisco, invite runaway productions to film in their area because they want the money. Some, including states, offer credit or tax incentives, like Massachusetts or Georgia, to save film production money.

Build your contacts—use business cards—to procure more work after the film wraps.

Cold Call Film Offices

How Do You Get Hired onto a Film Set?

Pull out your yellow pages phone book and call film commission offices to see if they can add you to their list of set painters available for work. The idea is to get a set painter job on a film production that comes to town or within a 100-mile radius. Work on the production to start developing your resume, including film credit.

Start as a set painter on a film as a non-union member. Build your contacts—use business cards—to procure more work after the movie wraps.

You might get a gig as the head painter or standby painter.

Become the Lead Painter

Discover how quickly you will advance to another production. You might even get a gig as the head painter or standby painter. The secret to doing this is getting to know the production designer of each job you get in film production. Say something like, and mean it, “I want to work with you again.” It can escalate from there.

Carve a little niche for yourself as the only painter in a 100-mile radius who works for films, television, and commercials.

Work Within a 100-mile Radius

Establish yourself as the lead painter in this 100-mile radius. That way, your reputation leads you to more work. One production designer will tell another production designer, who will tell another, and well, you do the math—that’s a lot of painting gigs.

Remember that word of mouth is the best impression of whether or not you work in this industry.

Keep in mind that word of mouth is the best impression on whether you work or not in this industry.

Painter’s Success Story

Steve is a scenic artist and head painter who paints movie sets. He makes the wood look like metal. Metal looks like wood, the old look new, and so on.

In the movie production of Don Juan Demarco, the crew painted the whole town while Steve put moss in the fountains and used dark green auto paint on the water.

How did Steve get his first job? He told a carpenter he worked with, who was going on to a TV series production, to call him if they needed any painters. They did, and he went to work in the paint department.

Steve studied art in high school and worked as a construction draftsman and illustrator in the Army. He then attended the Art Institute of Chicago for a year. For over fifteen years, he has designed and painted television sets.

He joined Seattle IA Local 15. However, the union was not doing what the members needed to find work in the film industry, so Steve pitched in and helped form Local 488, a local union for studio mechanics. After he moved to L.A., he joined 729 local painters but kept his membership in Local 488.

How Much are Union Fees?

Fees vary by the location of each local union in each city. The LA Local 729 is the best union to contact for more information.

Steve says working in films is a team project. If you get the reputation of being hard to work with or self-centered, the word gets around. Dealing with high pressure, tight deadlines, and last-minute changes is essential.

“But, those in my position, a seasoned set painter, at my level get jobs on our own.”

Film Production in Various Cities

Steve says the union has helped him get work by being a member. “But those in my position, a seasoned set painter, at my level get jobs on our own.”

In addition to Seattle and Portland, Steve worked on features in Minneapolis, Memphis, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Hong Kong, and Twin Falls.

Of course, he always worked on shows in Hollywood, even before moving to Los Angeles, the heartland of moviemaking.

How to Become a Location Scout

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Production designers, artist directors and directors need competent location scouts. Source: Rafal Maciejski

Have you ever thought of being a location scout or manager?

Location Scouts and Location Managers

Do any of these jobs interest you in having a career in film? Read on and let me know your thoughts on being an art director, location scout, or location manager. All three jobs place you right in the film industry—right on the set, working with the producer and director.

Location Scouting: A True Art Form

Location scouts get hired early in the pre-production phase of making a movie. Location scouts or location managers work with the art director and director to find the ideal location for a particular shot in a film scene.

Nathan works all over the world as a location scout. “You are trying to interpret the script while finding the right location that can make all the difference in the movie.”

He makes the director’s job easy because he finds the environment suitable for the story. A location scout finds the house for the perfect location to shoot the scene. It makes all the difference in the world to be sharp and intuitive as a location scout.

Norman Reedus of “The Walking Dead” gives homage to the location scout.

The Ingenuity of the Location Scout

While it’s true that the art director and director get all the credit, it all starts with the ingenuity of the location scout.

The location scout will find the location for the director and then get the director’s approval. Usually, when the film goes into production, the location scout will switch hats and become the location manager.

Location Scout Salaries

A location scout is a glamorous job, but the pay is not outstanding. On average, an independent contractor location scout makes around $81,000 to $111,000 a year.

Location scouts who work for a production company will make about half of what an independent contractor does, but working for a production company guarantees a steady paycheck.

Do Location Scouts Travel?

Some reports on the internet state that location scouts travel around the world. If they work for a production company, of course, that could be true. But most location scouts work in their local area.

If they are independent contractors, they work in their local region.

One particular scout works in the Northern California area and rarely travels. He would only if a former client asked him to scout for production outside of his jurisdiction, but that was very rare.

Financially, it is easier for a production company to hire a local scout because they are familiar with the area.

There are times when a production company cannot hire a local scout because no local scout is available in the area. Then it would make sense to hire one the company has worked with before since they have an established rapport and work ethic.

Being a location scout for a film can be a rewarding experience.

Scout to Manager

Some location scouts stay with the production after scouting and become the location manager. The reason for this is that a location scout often helps with permits and other city regulations for the production even before filming begins.

Since the location scout is familiar with the locations and working permits, it makes sense that the production company keeps them on the payroll.

The location manager handles all the logistics of using the location, such as permits and approval from local governments. Whenever problems arise on-site, it’s the location manager’s responsibility to handle them.

Such things that could arise are noise control or crowd control. Even when the electricity goes out, the location manager quickly remedies the problem.

They are responsible for ensuring that filming can continue at that location—because time is money in film production.

Being a location manager is a bit tense at times. Nathan is an independent contractor, and he has a lot of freedom. “I am pretty much my own boss.”

Location Scouts Work With The Artistic Director

Art directors work closely with the production designer. Together with the location scout, they design the physical environment of the film set. Their job is to create the mood that the script dictates to the director.

Art directors supervise many different people in the production, such as illustrators, scenic designers, model makers, carpenters, painters, electricians, laborers, set decorators, costume designers, animal makers, and makeup and hairstyling artists.

Art directors are architects or come up through the ranks of theater designers or set designers. It is not uncommon to hear how an art director favored carpentry or stagecraft in school.

After finding the location and working with the location manger, the artistic director molds any area and turn it into what gives life to the characters and energy to the story. They take an exterior location of a building and match the interior of the same building on a soundstage.

They stay on top of the latest techniques for creating any visual look the producer, director, or production designer needs to ensure the movie’s success.

Getting a Job in Hollywood

Any one of these positions provides an entry to the motion picture industry, whether in a major city or on location. You can move up to being an art director, production designer, or even a director from these positions.

Many begin these jobs in theater productions, move to film and television, and then move back and forth between the stage, film, and TV.

For these people, happiness is working in the entertainment field and making a living at what they like to do best—creating an environment that helps tell a story and make it real for the audience.