Since 1973, the Maine Media Workshops have seen some of the most talented filmmakers, photographers, and writers pass through its doors. The program started as a summer camp of sorts for amateurs and professionals alike wanting to hone their skills while enjoying a week along the beautiful coast of Rockport, Maine. Over the years, students have had the opportunity to work with and learn from Hollywood’s heavy-hitters: Vilmos Zsigmond, Oscarwinning cinematographer on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Black Dahlia, and The Deer Hunter; Alan Myerson, Emmy-winning director of everything from The Love Boat to The Larry Saunders Show to Boston Public to Lizzie McGuire; and even Gene Wilder. The names are impressive, but what has always set the workshops apart is the intensity and quality of the program. The family-style lobster dinner at the end is an added bonus!

Selection has always been a big job at the Maine Media Workshops. From January through November, the organization needs instructors to teach weeklong classes in the 500 or so courses they offer. For any small company, doing that kind of staffing blitz year after year would be challenging. For the staff at the Maine Media Workshops, there’s an added degree of HR difficulty. With the exception of the skeleton crew of full-timers, the organization is entirely served by week-to-week temporary workers. In the time it takes most new hires to get their employee handbook and complete their W2 forms, the instructors at the Maine Media Workshops are already moving on.

“Just because somebody is good at making images doesn’t make him or her a good teacher,” explained Elizabeth Greenburg, director of education. “What makes a good teacher is someone who is generous enough and open enough to share her life, her experience, her career and her knowledge 24/7 with students.” The Maine Media Workshops have a very specific culture and that is part of what attracts students. The instructors become mentors and coaches who are expected to dine with students, participate in social events, and be available to students to discuss an assignment or just to “pick their brains.”

Selecting a perfect balance of professional experience, leadership, and generosity isn’t something you can do in an interview. The best way a potential employer can do a background check (vetting) and assess someone’s performance is through personal recommendations. That, of course, requires a lot of scouting and many contacts. With no time or budget for on-the-job training, the HR department likes to reach out to people who, like Greenburg, were once students so the potential new hire truly understands what it takes to perform to the Maine Media Workshops’ standard. In addition to personal referrals, the program directors are always looking for places to connect new people with the school. Festivals such as Sundance are perfect places to recruit like-minded talent.

Compensation is surprisingly not an issue for the big guys and everyday professionals alike. Although the Maine Media Workshops pay a fair wage, the real compensation doesn’t come in a check. “No one comes here for the money,” said Mimi Edmunds, fi lm program manager. “They come here because they love it.”

Discussion Questions

1. Why might the instructors at the Maine Media Workshops be vetted very carefully if they are teaching only for one week?

2. The Maine Media Workshops recently expanded its Web site to serve the needs of an increasingly global audience for the school. Would e-cruiting be an appropriate recruiting tool for the Maine Media Workshops? Why or why not?

3. Complete a job analysis for one of the courses at the Maine Media Workshops. Then create a job posting for that position. Include a full job description, qualifications, and a realistic preview of the job for the applicant.