HELLO so as I graduate and enter the real world (A HORRIFYING AND TERRIBLE THING) I figured it would be useful to COM students to impart a very simple but important lesson I learned in my time as a Film & TV major. That is the art of sending EMAILS! The type of email I will focus on here is emails with pre-exisiting connections. That means former internship bosses, family friends, professors, etc. Here is an example email I sent as a thank you to my former professor after my semester with her in class. This email was meant to keep me in her thoughts, and thank her for the opportunities she presented me. I have deleted some sensitive info.
“Hi!
Just wanted to email and say hello and say I am so thankful for last semester. It has definitely been a lot less interesting not working on _____!
I am meeting with my production coordinator from _______ on Monday, hopefully we might discuss post-grad options.
I am so appreciative for all the advice and everything you have taught me. Next time you are on campus I will come into the office!
I hope all is going well with your projects. ________ said it was very excited last time her and I caught up.
Thank you!”
A few things to note from this email:
1: Always start with thank you’s or flattery.
Remember that you are meek and nothing you are doing is THAT exciting. If someone like a professor or a boss gave you an opportunity, they are inherently making your life more exciting. Thank them for that! Remind them that they changed YOUR life! People love to feel useful and love to be reminded of when someone helped THEM get their first job.
2: Break things up into separate lines.
People in the entertainment industry notoriously have very short attention spans. DO NOT send them paragraphs. 2-3 sentences is the maximum per paragraph, and really try to keep things to 1-2 lines. It keeps each point clear and easy to remember.
3: Think about Order
While you don’t want to bury the point of the email (in this case to let my professor know I am seeking post-grad opportunities), you want to ease your way into it so you don’t seem like you are just soliciting for help.
4: Flatter AGAIN!
Flattery always goes a long way. Entertainment is all about EGO. Your email should serve as an ego boost to them.
5: Remember their projects!
Keep in mind that they too are a working professional! A great time to email someone is for a premiere of one of their shows, or just to keep tabs on what they are working on! It gives them a reason to respond to you and reminds them you would be interesting in working there!
6: Triple Check Spelling and Grammar
To stay on the safe side, keep your emails plain and worded simply! No one is going to hire you because you used a thesaurus to write an email. Make sure things are clear and concise and don’t give them a reason to think you were careless.
I hope this helps! Send away COM kids!
