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Creative Jobs in Hong Kong

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  1. #1

    Creative Jobs in Hong Kong

    Hi, I just want to ask that where can I find jobs in the local film industry. I know it's very hard, and unless if your mandarin/cantonese is perfect or you have contacts, it's near impossible, but I'd still like to know if there's hope. I'm a self-taught filmmaker, skilled in the post-production area and video production as well, although never worked for a company or professional but I do believe I've got the skills and talent required. I just want to ask is there any place I can go to or any particular office or website that posts jobs in the film industry. I'm willing to start anywhere, be it production assistant, or assistant to a team, or assistant in post-production etc.

    Thanks.


  2. #2

    Join Date
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    RTHK
    http://www.alivenotdead.com/

    Unfortunately there's not much in hk if you're not a Cantonese speaker, There's a lot more opportunity in Singapore.

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  3. #3

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    Put something (good) on YouTube and they'll be knocking at your door. Put your money where your mouth is, (crafty) man.

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  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by joyojc:
    Put something (good) on YouTube and they'll be knocking at your door. Put your money where your mouth is, (crafty) man.
    If you're gonna take that advice, start here:

    craftyman likes this.

  5. #5

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    You know what, for 45 seconds that was mildly entertaining.


  6. #6

    Thx anyways.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by craftyman:
    Hi, I just want to ask that where can I find jobs in the local film industry. I know it's very hard, and unless if your mandarin/cantonese is perfect or you have contacts, it's near impossible, but I'd still like to know if there's hope. I'm a self-taught filmmaker, skilled in the post-production area and video production as well, although never worked for a company or professional but I do believe I've got the skills and talent required. I just want to ask is there any place I can go to or any particular office or website that posts jobs in the film industry. I'm willing to start anywhere, be it production assistant, or assistant to a team, or assistant in post-production etc.

    Thanks.
    Hi there,

    Not sure why you want to look in HK, since it's a very local market that will usually command good Cantonese and Mandarin skills just to even communicate with the crew/director.

    That said, it's not impossible to get your foot in the door. Make sure that you can show off the skills and talents you claim that you have by either having a show reel, vimeo account, youtube channel, etc. Your work will be your CV, so it's important to have that available. Print off business cards linked to your work, and once you have all that prepped up, network like crazy! Be creative with where you meet people. For instance, my spouse got work through contacts he met through polyglot meetups (he speaks zero Canto/Mando, what irony!). He's a filmmaker and director.

    If you don't have a lot of work to show, try to create some yourself, or consider studying a course in HK. Studying is a great way to give you confidence and fine-tune your skills as well as open you to a wider network of industry contacts. Or reach out to some film students and offer to post-produce their work.

    Be prepared to work for free if film is really what you want to do, and to work a lot to even put a foot in the door. I hope that you are aware that this industry is mostly freelance, so you will need to be your own salesperson - and competitively priced (local charge rates are VERY CHEAP compared to expats..). Good Luck!

    ps. Mandy.com works well outside of Asia, but some people still use it here...
    craftyman likes this.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Gretina:
    Hi there,

    Not sure why you want to look in HK, since it's a very local market that will usually command good Cantonese and Mandarin skills just to even communicate with the crew/director.

    That said, it's not impossible to get your foot in the door. Make sure that you can show off the skills and talents you claim that you have by either having a show reel, vimeo account, youtube channel, etc. Your work will be your CV, so it's important to have that available. Print off business cards linked to your work, and once you have all that prepped up, network like crazy! Be creative with where you meet people. For instance, my spouse got work through contacts he met through polyglot meetups (he speaks zero Canto/Mando, what irony!). He's a filmmaker and director.

    If you don't have a lot of work to show, try to create some yourself, or consider studying a course in HK. Studying is a great way to give you confidence and fine-tune your skills as well as open you to a wider network of industry contacts. Or reach out to some film students and offer to post-produce their work.

    Be prepared to work for free if film is really what you want to do, and to work a lot to even put a foot in the door. I hope that you are aware that this industry is mostly freelance, so you will need to be your own salesperson - and competitively priced (local charge rates are VERY CHEAP compared to expats..). Good Luck!

    ps. Mandy.com works well outside of Asia, but some people still use it here...

    Hi, thanks for that. You know any particular place or company where I can start by showing my work?

    Thanks.

  9. #9

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    Well. You've completely missed my point of networking, and freelance... And it looks like you have no idea how the industry really works... Here's a tip: there is a hk film meetup, try meeting them, or buddy up with a film student. Thats a good start. Good luck.


  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Gretina:
    Well. You've completely missed my point of networking, and freelance... And it looks like you have no idea how the industry really works... Here's a tip: there is a hk film meetup, try meeting them, or buddy up with a film student. Thats a good start. Good luck.
    I understood perfectly what you meant, I was just asking since your husband may know a company or two where I can show my work around, that's all. I already know the measures/steps you've mentioned in order to get me started, I was just hoping to find someone here who could give me a specific place in order to avoid spending time networking and stuff. I've tried all that stuff, guess what, it's been 3 years and still no luck. Maybe I'm using the wrong approach or maybe HK just isn't the place for this sort of stuff.

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