Breaking Into Hollywood

Jay Trautman with Spike Jonze and his Oscar.
Late on Oscar night with Spike Jonze.

If I could break into Hollywood, so can you!

Have you ever thought about working in Hollywood but thought breaking in was impossible?

What if I told you that you don’t need connections* to get your career started?

What if I told you that you don’t have to win the lottery with a spec script or roll the dice making a “no budget” movie?

What if I told you that there are jobs in Hollywood where you’re on set, going to work with celebrities  as your co-workers, contributing to making movie magic and getting your name in the credits?

When I was just out of college working in a cubicle, I wouldn’t have believed you.  And I definitely wouldn’t have believed that just a few years later I would end up working on an Oscar-winning movie with one of my heroes.

*You will need connections to keep your career going.  This entire industry is built on connections, but you don’t need to have a connected parent or uncle to break in.  I can show you how to make connections, grow your network, and build success.

How I Broke In

I grew up loving movies and storytelling, but I never considered Hollywood to be a “real” career that normal people could be a part of. 

So, I went to engineering school and got a job in a cubicle.  If you’ve ever seen Office Space, that’s what that was like.  I started looking for a way out almost as soon as I got in.

After three years of writing during my lunch breaks, I just couldn’t take it anymore.  I quit.  I was already living in Los Angeles, but I didn’t have any idea what I was going to do next.  I was writing but not making any inroads.  I was playing in bands that nobody was interested in seeing.  I got rejected by my neighborhood coffee shop when I applied for a job because I didn’t have enough experience.

I was also filming my friends’ bands and editing music videos for them.  People saw I was interested in film and TV and started sending me leads for PA jobs. 

I worked in many different departments on many tiny jobs before I realized how much I could learn by being a part of the editing process.  Eventually, I got myself into the Editor’s Guild, worked my way up to bigger and better projects, and built an IMDB profile I’m extremely proud of.

Jay Trautman standing in front of the Licorice Pizza edit.
In the Licorice Pizza cutting rooms.

What Can Hollywood Onramp Do For You?

Over the years, many people have reached out to me with questions about how to get started in the industry. 

I’ve had coffees, lunches, phone calls, Zooms, and I typically find myself hearing the same stories and giving the same advice. 

The people I’ve mentored have gone on to work on major movies and TV shows, so I figured some of my advice must be working. 

I would love to help you get your first job in Hollywood and build your own onramp to a successful career.