Here's how you can forge a thriving career as a film publicist.

You dream of a life in media/journalism/PR/communications; when entering the field remember the cardinal rule: always know your subject/client and the A.P. Stylebook is your bible. You are representing yourself as the authority on your topic/subject area. When you approach people, they assume you are well versed and look to you for knowledge. So, before you step out of the gate with your tail blowing in the wind (so to speak), do just that -- make yourself the authority on your subject. Become the go-to-person for information on what you cover. That entails research, preparation and studying – relentlessly.

Many people ask if you even need a public relations education to start a career in public relations but for early career jobs, the degree is instrumental. Understanding how to write for media relations and understanding how to write press releases are very important skills. Journalists get flooded with so many emails on a daily basis from people saying that they're PR people but because of a lack of understanding of the relationship between a publicist and a journalist, those emails get trashed. Many of my journalist friends criticize PR people's lack of writing skills when they approach them. I take those comments seriously and make sure that when I'm drafting a press release or pitching to the media, I use tools that I learned in school.

Having a curious eye and mind will propel you forward and keep you ahead of others. Research becomes the basic foundation of your platform. People recognize your curious ability and seek you ahead of other casual individuals.

One of the most successful ways to break into any business is via an internship while in college. Apply early and do multiple internships while in school while taking classes, or during summer breaks if your class load is heavy. If you’re in or out of school, network with anyone you know who’s in the industry or a related industry. Speak to anyone in the industry, connecting on LinkedIn or email, who will shed light on their position and is willing to speak to you in an informational conversation. Deeply research the film business to see what aspect is the most interesting to you.

I personally didn't start with a degree in comms, journalism or PR - I did film studies while at university, but it was a growing personal interest in film publicity that led me to start educating myself in my spare time on how it all works, how publicity teams are made up, how they operate, their usual press cycles and schedules. I think the most important thing is having a strong interest in the sector, because then it'll push you to learn more, expand your network, and eventually, you'll speak to the right person who might be able to help advance you.

Knowing what interests your community/clients help in discovering the best needs for your clients. Curiousity can be a useful tool for building much needed resources.

Not to age myself but back when I was graduating from college, the idea of a paid internship was not a thing and so I couldn't afford to take a free internship in New York or Los Angeles. To build experience, I worked with nonprofit organizations and community organizations who were trying to establish a communications team. Because of this, I learned different skills like social media management, content writing, and some copywriting skills... these are NOT typical PR skills but they've been helpful in allowing me to gain experience. As a writer, I recommend reading to gain understanding. Read press releases, they're typically in the "news/press" portion of organizational websites.

The way in which I grew experience was actually through becoming a freelance entertainment and culture journalist, which gradually grew as a side hustle alongside my uni studies throughout the three years I was there. Effectively, I thought "to be a good journalist, you need to know how film publicists think and operate", so I began reaching out to every film publicity company, publicity department of distribution companies, and even some production companies to get on their lists, interact with them a little more, and gradually I built relationships with key people at PREMIER, DDA, organic., WayToBlue and others. Connections are key, but so is perseverance!

Film festivals are definitely a great way to get some more face-to-face time with film publicists and distribution companies, but you'd also be surprised how many are up for doing a 15-minute Zoom coffee chat. When I realized film publicity was something I wanted to do, I reached out to a number of publicists I had kind of been working with as a journalist to ask how they got into their roles and what they saw were important steps in getting there. Not only do these conversations help you understand the world from someone who's in it, but it makes them remember you as someone actively interested in film publicity.

Most of the film industry is about networking. For an aspiring entertainment or film publicist, it helps to go to film festivals or workshop events for independent filmmakers. Indie filmmakers may not be looking for PR at the time but offering to consult is always helpful. Again, in MY experience, so much of PR today has been mixed with marketing and I've been more likely to get work with filmmakers as part of their social media team while sliding in some PR tactics here and there.

This is where the blending of disciplines comes in. I didn't learn a lot of digital (besides content management) or social media marketing in school so I learned that all on my own. Understanding how the social media landscape works is essential to PR today.

This is definitely one of the areas that I learned a lot in quickly when I first started - obviously if you're anywhere from 18 - 25, you know social media inside and out, and we all think new media is the way forward. But ACTUALLY! It's just as important to be well-versed in legacy media, especially newspapers like Metro, Evening Standard - even the showbiz section of the Daily Mail can sometimes make or break a campaign. Reading newspapers more often, reading magazines, getting an insight into who's writing for what regularly can help you get a big head start when you're starting out in publicity. It's one of the few things I wish I'd known before I started.

Reading is a big part of PR and so understanding the media landscape and what's popular in the industry is important. Read trade publications and media like The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, etc.

Pretty much what everyone else is saying here - reading, reading, reading. I read Screen Daily, Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter everyday just out of interest - keeping up on what's happening in the wider scale of the industry is very important, not just so you stay well-informed, but sometimes you can see ripple effects of things that will eventually affect you. Podcasts like Ringer/Puck's The Town are also fantastic, that's basically a bi-weekly crash course on the hotter topics of the week - find your niches (i love acquisitions and development news), and really hone in on them, and you'll find your passion for reading the trades in no time. It also helps you understand how to write trade releases!