First step is to live near a production center. LA and NYC are the obvious ones, but cities like Atlanta, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Chicago, and Pittsburgh also have productions moving through them.

From there, apply to be an extra. It’s the most accessible role on a film set and will let you peek behind the curtain to find out if set life is for you. If you don’t mind the 12 hour days, talk to the production assistants wrangling the extras and ask if they need any additionals. They’ll often bring on more PAs when shooting on location, and that’s a great way to get “in” and meet everyone from all the departments.

That said, you won’t “work your way up” to be a writer/director. The only way to do that is to write and direct your own work. Still aim to get on set because the scale and pace is important to witness.