By Mariana Montoya
A freelancing in entertainment workshop was given on Monday by professor and scenic designer Francois-Pierre Couture.
Students were exposed to advice, as well as different examples and scenarios of what can happen while pursuing a career in costume design or acting.
“I think this was really important for us students to know and understand what to expect when you are going for any of these careers,” said Maria Fernandez, a sophomore student at East Los Angeles College.
Couture made emphasis on students learning how to organize their time accurately and the importance of having good network.
“The key to surviving in this business is by learning to juggle your schedule,” said Couture.
He repeated to students the importance of always having their calendar up to date and learning how to communicate their needs to the directors.
He explained that it’s important to have strong communication with the director so there are no misunderstandings in any areas such as the sets or even the monetary aspects of the production.
Along with that, Couture encouraged students to make sure to have everything written out in emails or in contracts, as a form of keeping record for themselves and for the directors.
He highlighted the value of always looking for ways to broaden their experiences. Students should be willing to work on smaller projects first before going onto bigger ones.
Throughout the presentation, he made sure to remind students the importance of having a presence on stage, as well as in future engagements to be memorable for directors.
“The one thing I would say is the way you are going to work is through your contacts,” said Couture.
“It’s through the people you know and how you work with those people.”
Couture advised that the best way for students to broaden their network is to transfer to different schools and get involved in different projects.
He also showed students different examples of agreements and contracts he used in the past.
“I really enjoyed this workshop. It really opened my eyes about what the business is truly like,” said Fernandez.