How To Mingle With The Stars: Volunteer!

Have you ever watched an awards show and thought, “Wow, I wish I could be one of those seat-fillers who get to sit in a star-packed house rubbing shoulders with the best in Hollywood"? Well, you can! Many awards shows, including the SAG Awards, American Music Awards, and even the Oscars, use seat-fillers to fill empty seats when a star is either on stage or elsewhere in the building, so when TV cameras show audience shots, there are no empty seats. For more information on how you can be a seat-filler, visit seatfillersandmore.com.

If you want to participate and be hands-on in the entertainment industry, but being a seat-filler is not your thing, here are other great opportunities for you to mingle with the stars:

New York Fashion Week

Top-notch fashion designers take over New York City in February and September each year for the country’s biggest fashion extravaganza, New York Fashion Week. To put on this huge spectacle, it requires hundreds of volunteers working in various departments to ensure a smooth experience for designers and attendees. 

 To sign up for volunteer opportunities, visit www.risenyfw.com/volunteer.

Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is a world-class venue that presents nearly seventy concerts annually, and each summer brings the finest talent from around the world to Los Angeles. With the huge productions right around the corner, the venue is looking for volunteers. 

For more information, visit www.hollywoodbowl.com/support/more-ways-to-support/volunteer-opportunities

SXSW

Every year, the South By Southwest festival takes place in Austin, Texas, and celebrates an array of media and attracts some of the biggest names in entertainment eager to exhibit their works. Whether your into films, music, or other types of interactive media, SXSW is the perfect place to experience it all! 

To learn more about volunteer opps, visit sxsw.com/volunteer.

Comic-Con

San Diego Comic-Con is probably the biggest pop culture event in the country, which means they need a solid team of volunteers to keep the whole thing running smoothly. With the biggest names and studios in the biz flooding the city every summer and tickets being so in-demand and selling out quickly, a great option for being able to attend the event is to sign up to volunteer. And if you can't make it to San Diego but still want to have that cool Con experience, check out other Cons in or near your area to see if they are looking for volunteers.

For more info about volunteering at SDCC, visit comic-con.org/cc/volunteer.

Film Festivals

Film festivals happen all over the country throughout the year and are designed to connect the movie-loving public to critically-acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent. Every film festival, whether it be the big ones in major cities to smaller ones on the outskirts, relies heavily on hundreds of hard-working volunteers to lend their talent and efforts to ensure a smooth event. So if you're interested in filmmaking, these are definitely the places to be. And don't think just because a film festival is a little bit more obscure that that means you won't see some stars -- many celebs still go to these smaller fests in order to showcase their indie projects!

To find a film festival near you, check out this Festival Directory.

These are just a few of the opportunities available for those of you wanting to take part in some of the industry’s biggest events. Let us know if you get to go, we’d love to hear about it!