"How many tapes will I have to send to get my first job?"
This has now become, "How many DVDs?" or "How many YouTube or website links will it take?" but the basic question remains the same. This is almost more of a "Zen" type of question, as there is not a very good answer to this question.
I'll give you an example of my own experience, through finding three television jobs. My first job was the hardest. Right out of college, even with lots of practice experience, I sent out about 80, yes *eighty*, tapes. That was a friendly potpourri of actual VHS tapes (about half), DVDs (to those who allowed that about five years ago), and then a small smattering of website links. Out of those eighty tapes sent out (I just refer, as most TV people do, regardless of the medium sent, to anything sent to a station as a generic "tape"). I ended up with several interviews, and finally got one job offer. Without that offer, it's possible I never would have even made it into television in the first place.
The second job was much easier, bucking the trend for many. I was young and cheap, with two years of experience under my belt. I sent out about ten tapes (only two VHS this time, the rest DVDs or website links) and got several interviews, one near-job-offer, and one actual offer. I took it and went there.
The third job hunt took a more moderate amount. I sent out about thirty tapes, a little bit more picky about location and such this time around, and had several interviews/emails/callbacks. By the way, on the third job hunt I sent out zero VHS tapes, so that was a welcome medium to be now seemingly obsolete. VHS tapes were by far the hardest, and most time-consuming, medium to record to as you conducted your job hunt - even just a few years ago - and they cost the most to ship too.
To find out more about this section of the book - about the question "How Many Tapes Will It Take?" and other related sections, please click on the "Buy Now" link at the top of this page or click here.
Stay tuned for more excerpts from the book "So You Want To Be A TV Star?" or more personal stories from the author!
~Aaron Shaffer
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