Where can i start my entertainment career?

Hi Miriam,
I like your ambitions, its super awesome that you're into all these things! But as many of these pro's said try to focus on one or two jobs!

I have done some work as a photographer while I am in college. You can make some good money if you know what you're doing! I have worked with a lot of with local Bay Area bands, shooting concerts. I do the occasional portrait gigs too. You got to constantly NETWORK and
HUSTLE to seek leads for photography gigs. It definitely does help a lot if you have awesome gear and good photography skills but you gotta be able to:
1. market yourself (pro-tip if you don't have a instagram page and facebook page just for your photography, you should get on it ASAP, social media is popping right now!)
2. Have some business skills. Know how to get client and figure out how to generate profit.
3. Have great people skills. If your clients leave having a great experience they most likely will recommend you to their friends! which leads to more money! :D
If you can accomplish all that I said or believe you can learn all those skills photography will be an AWESOME career for you.

For personal training and music production I have no personal experience doing either job but I do have friends who are in those industries and I can give you some insights from my experiences interacting with them.
Personal Training(PT)
1. Super obvious things to think of but-Are you in shape? How much do you know about fitness? Are you good at teaching others? Do have the ability to motivate others?
2. Do you want to be a PT for a gym or freelance PT? With freelance you need to more business savvy and figure out how to get clients. With PTs at a gym you get more support, the gym will give you clients.
3. Also do you have a PT license? It normally does help if you are certified! In fact if you want to be a PT a gym most of the time they require you to get some sort of certification.

Music Producer
You need to hustle and have business skills for this too. What genres are you interested in(narrow it down to one or two genre you want to focus on and get your skills sharpened!) ? How many musicians do you know? How big is their reach? Can they recommend you to other musicians (new clients!)? Do you have a music portfolio of stuff you've produced, that others can see (youtube, bandcamp, soundcloud, etc.)

Honestly there are skills that you need that will help you in all of these industries. I don't know your exact talents but if you have the talent in any one of those industries go for it! You have to focus on one of those industries that you love the most and you can potentially succeed. You just got HUSTLE, HUSTLE, HUSTLE. Also NETWORKING is a major key. There is not one sure fire way of being successful, everyone has their own journey. But if you keep on putting in the work eventually you get recognized and you will get onto the path to success. It will be rough at times and you might want to quit but you just go to keep on working! Also if you need to get a job in retail or the food industry to help you pay the bills while you are pursing your dreams don't be ashamed to. A lot of people are in a similar place as you!

I hope this was helpful and if you have any further questions let me know in the comment section and I'm glad to help you out to the best of my abilities!

Cheers,
Ben

Hi. I would say focus. Choose one area out of all the things you list - the one that you can truly earn a living at doing - and give it all you've got. Keep the other interests as hobbies, part-time. The areas you listed - some aren't even related. And it is wonderful that you have so many interests! But I don't know any professionals who excel at what they do by doing many different things. They usually do one thing best. You can do all of the things you mentioned - just not all at once! Not and do them with excellence. Focus. Pick one. Keep the others as hobbies. And if the "one" you pick doesn't work out, move to one of your others. But it takes TIME. All of these things you mention take TIME and DEVOTION - years and years of practice, study, and hard work. So you best enjoy the process! Good luck!

Wow that is quite a lineup of ambition. First you say you're in a tight spot, but how so financially, time? Let me get right to it by saying your all over the road and you need to pick one as a professon and a second as a hobby. You could combine you passion for dance and photography many people do that. However, all of the areas you are interested in is a different diseplne and require a personal investment of time, money and energy.

I think what you mean when you say "I'm in a bind" is "I have a dilemma." But you're right that you can't do ALL those things -- at least not professionally. Don't forget that, whatever you do, you'll be in competition with a lot of other people for the good jobs and a lot of them will be very good at what they do. It follows, then, that you will need to be very good at whatever you choose, too. So... do what you love to do because you'll be doing a LOT of it!

I can only speak to you about photography, because it's what I know. If that's what you choose to do in life you'll need to learn it forward and backward (the same as with any other job). Learn the rudiments: light, color, shape, texture. Study art, study the old masters, study the impressionists, study cubism, dadoism, minimalism.... everything. Learn how light behaves under different conditions, in sunlight, shadow, rain, fog, at night; learn how it reveals (or hides) shapes; learn how its color changes; learn what is pleasing (to you) and what isn't. Learn composition; learn why different shapes and arrangements capture the imagination and why why some don't. Learn all this even before picking up a camera. Learn what you like.

Then learn how a camera catches and processes light. Understand that the camera doesn't see what you see. Learn to see the little segment, the little slice, of what you see the camera will "see." Learn how to manipulate the resulting image to produce the scene you have in your mind. That scene can be realistic or imaginary; think back to the art you've studied.

It's complicated but it's fun and rewarding. It's the same feeling you get when you do something difficult successfully. It's a wonderful, satisfying, like chocolate cake with raspberry icing.

Finally, do what you HAVE to do as a profession. Do the other things just for the enjoyment of doing them.

Tight spot indeed. Photography isn't a "cheap" market to enter depending on what you want to do. You didn't say what you want to photograph?

Landscapes? Sure, you can get in cheap, you need a camera and either a 50mm or wider and a tripod and you can shoot landscapes all day.

Weddings? Here comes the $$$ You need at least one camera AND a backup along with at minimum a wide (16-35, or 14-24 for Nikon) and 70-200, in addition I'd also suggest a 24-70. Now, flash equipment, as some reception halls are dungeons and even at ISO 12,800 you aren't going to get great photos unless you want to spend even more money on 1.2/1.4/2.0 glass which the lower the number the more $$$ you are going to spend.

Portraits? Much like landscapes, you could start with one camera, a 50 and add either an 85 or 100. A large reflector in lieu of lighting equipment until you can afford it.

In the end, your work better be stellar and PLEASE don't undersell yourself. Shoot friends and family, build up a portfolio. Don't go posting on CL for shooting something you've never shot before. Ask a local pro in the specialty you want to work to see if you can become an intern, even if unpaid. Experience is paramount as well as KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT. KNow your limits, know your cameras limits, know your lenses limits and your lighting equipment limits. Unless you of course have money like Annie Leibovitz who basically has someone set up everything for her and she just comes in and presses the button after posing the subjects....

Hi,

I think that it is wonderful that you have so many interests and talents. I think what i would suggest is that you pick 1 or 2 of your favorite interests and focus on those. To be successful at something requires faith, discipline and perserverance , ( not my favorite words either). Nevertheless, they are the surest way to success. There are always setbacks , which ever road you choose. these qualities give you the best chance of achieving your goals.

good luck, Jeff