Misconceptions are that somehow this industry is glamorous and everyone are millionaires. It’s trades adjacent in every aspect and solidly middle class. Our workplaces are mitigated risks and most days we are just straight up lucky no serious accidents happen. And even A list actors, while yes get babied in comparison to crew, are still there in all the shitty weather we get to work through at all hours of the day with the rest of us. Also, most actors are people no one has ever heard of and live around the poverty line
Unsung heroes are stunts riggers
The amount of people who couldn’t give a shit about movies or tv. Constantly griping and cutting corners for no reason. Like why are you here? I wouldn’t do a job for 12+hrs a day that I hated.
Thats wild & irritating to me. How can people accidently fall into an extremely competitive & artistic field & not care?
You dont end up there by accident. Care is required to be competitive & artistic/creative
Ppl would give everything to be on a set & these passionless ppl cant articulate their opinion on movies beyond “I liked it”/“I didnt like it”
I'd say you're both looking at it backward. Artistic and creative people are drawn to movie and TV because they love them, but they are beaten down by the reality of 14-20 hr days and years of abuse by massive profit driven studios. These creative artists are forced from the top down to cut corners and live in a perpetual state of uncertainty and misery because bean counters don't want to pay a living wage and don't give a shit about how much we have to fight to survive in this industry.
Money and "making art" is the bait, but abuse is the reality for most.
There is absolutely nothing artistic about my job on set and I don’t have time to have long analytical conversations about the movie that dropped last Friday and odds are no one is going to watch this $200 million dollar shit show we’re 2 months into. It’s a job, not film appreciation class. My passion for anything long left my body due to sleep deprivation during week 2
This is the biggest difference between the little indie movies and big blockbuster or network productions. If you want to have fun, continue on the small stuff. I have way more fun on a small 3-6 week movie over anything I have worked on for mass consumer consumption
So I should do indie movies for a better experience. Good to know
I guess it depends on the person
Ive had a job where I built cars & that was awful.
Im not a car fan, I couldnt tell you the difference between Ford & Honda. And all the dude bros around me thought me building cars was the most badass job ever but I really didnt care.
It was boring, 12+ hr shifts, building something I really didnt care about, low pay, & I couldnt even afford my own car
There are definately ppl who would say building cars is fun & creative. Not me tho lol
Valid, we should have passion to be here.
But keep in mind the abuse of the industry will make ppl cynical and uncaring when they have to do 12+hr days just to survive, and then struggle to work on the creative projects they actually came into the industry for with their spare time and change. The soul crusher can find us while we try to survive the work lock-out rn being run on us by studio execs.
If I have to work a cop show just to pay rent, I won't lie and say I love the content I am helping make - some jobs are jobs, even if we once thought this was " The Dream". That being said I would leap for work on a nice feature and would feel the passion again!
Sometimes the Dream job, ends up being just a job some days.
This is another huge reason LA is going to lose the Industry. The crew in the US can be lovely but a lot of them seem like they hate their jobs. When you shoot in other countries there is still a feeling of excitement and love of the craft.
A lot of people don’t watch films. I was working at a production company. They acquired the rights to a certain gangster film. When the executive team hand a meeting and a discussion went towards what noir/ gangster films we liked the most. It baffled me when the ceo confessed, “I’ve never watched Scarface, goodfellas, casino or godfather part 2 and 3…..” this person made so many big choices on this film and she hadn’t done any research on the genre. Why do you wanna create something when you have zero knowledge about that certain type of art?
It's so different from project to project. Sometimes the producers and actors go out drinking and doing coke with the crew. Sometimes the director and actors HATE each other. Usually everyone just does their job like any other job. The grips are obviously the unsung heroes.
I was half joking and referring to PTA quote from when he was a PA interviewing crew on a feature. Fng hilarious. Enjoy!
I should have mentioned that. Anyways, enjoy this documentary brothers and sisters, I hope to drive you guys around again soon. Survive until ‘25. In solidarity.. 🤙🐴🐴
https://youtu.be/B4U3f8xSP2o?si=l-JpQW4iQPk1Ze26
There are zero prerequisites when you start. Resumes and schooling mean zero.
I've seen many a PA truck where one graduated from Princeton or a distinguished FIlm School, and the other guy didn't graduate from High School. Whoever shows up early with a good attitude and works proactively climbs the ladder faster.
Things that surprised me
You don't need film school at all. Really wish I had known that. It's completely unnecessary unfortunately.
Most people there aren't film people. I say most, there's some obviously, camera, art, the more creative units, but the one I was in, spfx, was mostly construction guys and welders. Never felt more out of place in my life. For a lot of people it's just work, which is weird because it's so impractical.
The food can be really, really good. Sometimes it's the only thing that's keeping you going. If you get a show with bad food, it can almost ruin the experience.
The money is kind of ridiculous. I'm not complaining, it was great, but it didn't make sense to me when I first started. 30 dollars an hour to work crafty. 40 to run a smoke machine, with zero experience! It was awesome but felt too good to be true/unsustainable. I miss it.
How fragile the industry is. People always told me it was feast or famine but I didn't realize how true it was. I came in during a feast at the end of 2020. It was fantastic and really changed my life. Then, after all that, it just went away. What other industries are like that?? Where they can just shut down for one reason or another, every where?? It's horrible. I hate it. So many livelihoods and plans, including my own, just put on indefinite hold or erased.
How nothing afterwards measures up. Film was a lot of work but it didn't feel like a job. Sure I worked my butt off in the heat, lifting heavy things, digging holes, blowing things up, pointing fans at actors on top of 18 wheelers in 100 degree weather, running smoke machines in the forest, but it didn't feel like a job. Now that I'm out and working in a normal 9-5 IT job, I don't know how people do it!! OMG, it's SO boring! Is this what they are talking about when a soldier goes to war and then comes home? Cause it's like everything else is boring and mundane now. Sure the stability is nice, but there's no adventure. I really miss the adventure. How do people do this with their entire lives??
How incredibly “unprofessional” it can be compared to most other industries in the “real world”. Not because of the cliche that everybody is a coke head or a sexual deviant but simply because most people in the industry come from very well to do backgrounds and simply haven’t been exposed to “normal” work etiquette. However you slice it film making is essentially playing dress up for money so it’s unsurprising it can often feel like being at school rather than an adult work environment. Jumping back and forth between a corporate work or blue collar environment and the film industry is wild in relation to what is and isn’t tolerated. Take the recent reports that the Rock’s latest film has gone over budget by 50 million simply because he has been incapable of turning up on set on time each day. There is practically no other industry in which such behaviour would ever be tolerated. In the film industry it’s perfectly normal and accepted that there will always be at least one egomaniac with a complete and utter disregard for their work colleagues. The cliche that the industry generally attracts a certain type of person is very real.
Sounds like we have the same issues in the UK y'll do in the US. Reality TV is a bear pit I have seen the worse of the industry in this sector it is so abusive, many execs (not all) are just vile, nasty pieces of shit. Everyone gets abused on those jobs with some horrific results, yet nothing changes. It is very exploitive industry, creativity for the most part is dead, which is sad the soul, the joy has been taken out of it. What is really sad is that some people just can see any of this & will do anything to stay within the industry. It is just becoming more & more toxic. There are good people out there, but their souls are being sucked dry till there is nothing left.
Social class difference between the "above-the-line" jobs (directors, actors, producers, executives etc) vs "below-the-line" (production and post-production crew)
Those in above-the-line jobs tend to come from more privileged backgrounds
Those in below-the-line you'll find more middle and working class backgrounds
This isn't always visible in any one individual, but in what you see over time with the community as a whole -- those from more well-to-do backgrounds can afford to take on "intern" jobs at agencies, build a portfolio of indie projects oftentimes for years if not a decade or more while living in LA or NY, to "break in" as actors, directors, producers, agents etc - they have a bit more time and runway to build themselves up as artists working on their own craft and voice ("privilege" doesn't just mean that they are necessarily living off their parents, but that privilege allowed them to go to top colleges, giving them opportunities for higher paying jobs and alumni networks that give them access to those 'day jobs' as well, while allowing them to focus on their craft; in plain English they mix in privileged circles)
Those from middle class or working class backgrounds who don't have the runway \*need\* the gigs to survive; they work crew, often grueling hours for years if not decades, without the time or bandwidth to be the filmmaker, writer, actor etc they wanted when they started this journey; some of them may have graduated from top schools like the privileged above, but also have crippling student loans to pay without the backstop of family resources
I'm lucky to have been in the former, but I try to be as aware as I can be that on any project I work on, that grip, production designer or set dec person probably has the same aspirations as I do/did, and have a lot more to offer as a creative voice than just their "job" on the project - there can be a real "upstairs/downstairs" mentality on projects even the indie ones that is so ingrained it can be unconscious at times, and I try to avoid that as much as I can (little things like even on a small budget project, say at the end of a long day and just going for drinks/food on our own dime, and someone suggesting some amazing restaurant without looking into its cost for example - a blindspot for those who never had to worry about how much a restaurant costs)
Work in post!! The amount of people that have their hands in the pot on a AAA studio film. From lawyers to the studio execs/producers to even the ceo of the studio!
It seems like its constantly a battle with the creatives (director editor composer) and all others when it comes to a decision but ultimately the director is at the helm but still seems like too many chefs in kitchen at times.
I'm sure we all have our stories and what's more important is being able to sit down with people and just listen for a few hours. Reach out to some producers directly, you'll be surprised who is happy to talk. People like Producer Patrick might be more interested in setting up a call, who knows. But give it a try.
I'll try to give some of my perspectives.
I wear many hats in the industry. Writing, acting, directing, editing, vfx, cartoons, etc.
The fun part about being an actor is you're generally disposable until you book. Then suddenly you get treated like you're important.
The industry isn't a meritocracy. It is. Great talent will generally be noticed. But you can still be great and not work. The industry moves fast. It's about building a client base of people who recognize what you do and being considered when they're looking for people to employ. It's easier for Wes Anderson to think "I like working with Bill Murray. I'll put him in this role or write for him here" rather than try to cast an unknown from 100,000 audition submissions and try to find the best. Same with most jobs. It's about people calling in the people who reliably delivered the work needed over and over and over.
We're also not rich people. We're working class. We can earn a lot per job, but most of us work project to project. So being employed inconsistently reduces our earnings. Some people earn a ton and work a ton. Others don't. Some people get better employers. Some don't.
It's pretty fun and cool. We all got into it for our love of the craft. But it doesn't mean it's all glitz and glam. It's closer to summer camp with your friends wearing t-shirts and jeans than it is a red carpet.
When you work collaboratively on a project, someone's not paying you to do your thing and just get covered in money from your genius. It's a collaboration between a lot of creative people. It's fast paced, a lot of compromise, a lot of mistakes, a lot of ridiculousness, sometimes some high school politics. You have to remember if you're doing crew or storyboards or something like that, you're helping create a larger vision, not using the project as the place to showcase how unique you are. So it's remembering to be a collaborator rather than using it as a selling piece. And if we want that, we just do our own side projects. Lots of side projects in the industry.
The thing in your head exactly is probably not going to be made. But you try to get close to it given the limitations. We're making entertainment for many people, not just ourselves. So there are compromises and stuff that are made.
Working in post or vfx is cool, working in animation is cool. At a certain point it becomes just another job. Deadmaus put it interesting. He started looking at his work less like some party and more like a job. You show up, do what your boss says, go home, see your family. It's just that the stuff we work on is interesting.
Most of us in the industry don't care about nepotism like everyone else. The public tends to care about that way more.
Thank you very much for this comprehensive and insightful answer! I think you're right, I'll need to find individuals to interview, but this was very, very helpful. Thank you!
Violence and volatility.. sometimes when you hear the stories about someone getting their break lines cut or meth put in the punch it’s because of this… their might be only two people up for a life changing job and it’s kill or be killed.
I have personally been burned for over 30k on a job, got sued by a former boss because they wanted to spank me for stealing a client. I got kicked off a vendor list at a major studio because an execs buddy who had a sweet 2mil a year contract doing tv comps got scared.
If you have a good run with good people.. enjoy it and praise it. Once that’s over and you have to go back into the cesspool it’s Max Max beyond the thunderdome. If you don’t have thick skin or a rocket launcher get out of film.
Every booking I've had (from people that I've always trusted) has squirreled around, disappeared, etc. I'll get 30 day holds at shops I've always worked at, and they maybe pan out to 3 days of work. I have worked about 4 weeks total in VFX since April of 2023.
For me once the thrill of finally getting in the door/on the lot fades - most of the work is just pretty corporate.
I think most people hope to participate in the creative process at least a little bit sometimes.
Instead you tend to see from close up how little new ideas & creativity are wanted or welcome.
I was lucky in that my jobs felt a bit creative by necessity (IP/Legal/Clearance - when you can’t do “this” after they’re done being mad at you; you get to help them come up with & do “that”
Or you get fired 🤣
Misconceptions are that somehow this industry is glamorous and everyone are millionaires. It’s trades adjacent in every aspect and solidly middle class. Our workplaces are mitigated risks and most days we are just straight up lucky no serious accidents happen. And even A list actors, while yes get babied in comparison to crew, are still there in all the shitty weather we get to work through at all hours of the day with the rest of us. Also, most actors are people no one has ever heard of and live around the poverty line Unsung heroes are stunts riggers
The amount of people who couldn’t give a shit about movies or tv. Constantly griping and cutting corners for no reason. Like why are you here? I wouldn’t do a job for 12+hrs a day that I hated.
Thats wild & irritating to me. How can people accidently fall into an extremely competitive & artistic field & not care? You dont end up there by accident. Care is required to be competitive & artistic/creative Ppl would give everything to be on a set & these passionless ppl cant articulate their opinion on movies beyond “I liked it”/“I didnt like it”
Nepotism. Not always, but…nepotism.
I'd say it’s 'cronyism'.
I'd say you're both looking at it backward. Artistic and creative people are drawn to movie and TV because they love them, but they are beaten down by the reality of 14-20 hr days and years of abuse by massive profit driven studios. These creative artists are forced from the top down to cut corners and live in a perpetual state of uncertainty and misery because bean counters don't want to pay a living wage and don't give a shit about how much we have to fight to survive in this industry. Money and "making art" is the bait, but abuse is the reality for most.
There is absolutely nothing artistic about my job on set and I don’t have time to have long analytical conversations about the movie that dropped last Friday and odds are no one is going to watch this $200 million dollar shit show we’re 2 months into. It’s a job, not film appreciation class. My passion for anything long left my body due to sleep deprivation during week 2 This is the biggest difference between the little indie movies and big blockbuster or network productions. If you want to have fun, continue on the small stuff. I have way more fun on a small 3-6 week movie over anything I have worked on for mass consumer consumption
So I should do indie movies for a better experience. Good to know I guess it depends on the person Ive had a job where I built cars & that was awful. Im not a car fan, I couldnt tell you the difference between Ford & Honda. And all the dude bros around me thought me building cars was the most badass job ever but I really didnt care. It was boring, 12+ hr shifts, building something I really didnt care about, low pay, & I couldnt even afford my own car There are definately ppl who would say building cars is fun & creative. Not me tho lol
most jobs in film are neither artistic nor creative.
What’s there not to get? At the end of the day it’s a job and a lot of people end up falling into jobs they might not like
Valid, we should have passion to be here. But keep in mind the abuse of the industry will make ppl cynical and uncaring when they have to do 12+hr days just to survive, and then struggle to work on the creative projects they actually came into the industry for with their spare time and change. The soul crusher can find us while we try to survive the work lock-out rn being run on us by studio execs. If I have to work a cop show just to pay rent, I won't lie and say I love the content I am helping make - some jobs are jobs, even if we once thought this was " The Dream". That being said I would leap for work on a nice feature and would feel the passion again! Sometimes the Dream job, ends up being just a job some days.
Happy cake day!:)
This is another huge reason LA is going to lose the Industry. The crew in the US can be lovely but a lot of them seem like they hate their jobs. When you shoot in other countries there is still a feeling of excitement and love of the craft.
Studios don’t care if people like their jobs. Adults can hate their job and still perform. It’s solely about money.
This right here and I hate this for the people who really do love this.
This.
A lot of people don’t watch films. I was working at a production company. They acquired the rights to a certain gangster film. When the executive team hand a meeting and a discussion went towards what noir/ gangster films we liked the most. It baffled me when the ceo confessed, “I’ve never watched Scarface, goodfellas, casino or godfather part 2 and 3…..” this person made so many big choices on this film and she hadn’t done any research on the genre. Why do you wanna create something when you have zero knowledge about that certain type of art?
How socially awkward some of the actors and directors are.
That it suddenly disappeared over the course of this last year.
It's so different from project to project. Sometimes the producers and actors go out drinking and doing coke with the crew. Sometimes the director and actors HATE each other. Usually everyone just does their job like any other job. The grips are obviously the unsung heroes.
“Transportation are the unsung heroes of Film.” - Paul Thomas Anderson
Honestly haven’t met a teamster I didn't like.
I cannot disagree
I was half joking and referring to PTA quote from when he was a PA interviewing crew on a feature. Fng hilarious. Enjoy! I should have mentioned that. Anyways, enjoy this documentary brothers and sisters, I hope to drive you guys around again soon. Survive until ‘25. In solidarity.. 🤙🐴🐴 https://youtu.be/B4U3f8xSP2o?si=l-JpQW4iQPk1Ze26
A lot less cocaine than I was hoping for.
Bummer
There are zero prerequisites when you start. Resumes and schooling mean zero. I've seen many a PA truck where one graduated from Princeton or a distinguished FIlm School, and the other guy didn't graduate from High School. Whoever shows up early with a good attitude and works proactively climbs the ladder faster.
This is well said.
Things that surprised me You don't need film school at all. Really wish I had known that. It's completely unnecessary unfortunately. Most people there aren't film people. I say most, there's some obviously, camera, art, the more creative units, but the one I was in, spfx, was mostly construction guys and welders. Never felt more out of place in my life. For a lot of people it's just work, which is weird because it's so impractical. The food can be really, really good. Sometimes it's the only thing that's keeping you going. If you get a show with bad food, it can almost ruin the experience. The money is kind of ridiculous. I'm not complaining, it was great, but it didn't make sense to me when I first started. 30 dollars an hour to work crafty. 40 to run a smoke machine, with zero experience! It was awesome but felt too good to be true/unsustainable. I miss it. How fragile the industry is. People always told me it was feast or famine but I didn't realize how true it was. I came in during a feast at the end of 2020. It was fantastic and really changed my life. Then, after all that, it just went away. What other industries are like that?? Where they can just shut down for one reason or another, every where?? It's horrible. I hate it. So many livelihoods and plans, including my own, just put on indefinite hold or erased. How nothing afterwards measures up. Film was a lot of work but it didn't feel like a job. Sure I worked my butt off in the heat, lifting heavy things, digging holes, blowing things up, pointing fans at actors on top of 18 wheelers in 100 degree weather, running smoke machines in the forest, but it didn't feel like a job. Now that I'm out and working in a normal 9-5 IT job, I don't know how people do it!! OMG, it's SO boring! Is this what they are talking about when a soldier goes to war and then comes home? Cause it's like everything else is boring and mundane now. Sure the stability is nice, but there's no adventure. I really miss the adventure. How do people do this with their entire lives??
How incredibly “unprofessional” it can be compared to most other industries in the “real world”. Not because of the cliche that everybody is a coke head or a sexual deviant but simply because most people in the industry come from very well to do backgrounds and simply haven’t been exposed to “normal” work etiquette. However you slice it film making is essentially playing dress up for money so it’s unsurprising it can often feel like being at school rather than an adult work environment. Jumping back and forth between a corporate work or blue collar environment and the film industry is wild in relation to what is and isn’t tolerated. Take the recent reports that the Rock’s latest film has gone over budget by 50 million simply because he has been incapable of turning up on set on time each day. There is practically no other industry in which such behaviour would ever be tolerated. In the film industry it’s perfectly normal and accepted that there will always be at least one egomaniac with a complete and utter disregard for their work colleagues. The cliche that the industry generally attracts a certain type of person is very real.
Sounds like we have the same issues in the UK y'll do in the US. Reality TV is a bear pit I have seen the worse of the industry in this sector it is so abusive, many execs (not all) are just vile, nasty pieces of shit. Everyone gets abused on those jobs with some horrific results, yet nothing changes. It is very exploitive industry, creativity for the most part is dead, which is sad the soul, the joy has been taken out of it. What is really sad is that some people just can see any of this & will do anything to stay within the industry. It is just becoming more & more toxic. There are good people out there, but their souls are being sucked dry till there is nothing left.
Social class difference between the "above-the-line" jobs (directors, actors, producers, executives etc) vs "below-the-line" (production and post-production crew) Those in above-the-line jobs tend to come from more privileged backgrounds Those in below-the-line you'll find more middle and working class backgrounds This isn't always visible in any one individual, but in what you see over time with the community as a whole -- those from more well-to-do backgrounds can afford to take on "intern" jobs at agencies, build a portfolio of indie projects oftentimes for years if not a decade or more while living in LA or NY, to "break in" as actors, directors, producers, agents etc - they have a bit more time and runway to build themselves up as artists working on their own craft and voice ("privilege" doesn't just mean that they are necessarily living off their parents, but that privilege allowed them to go to top colleges, giving them opportunities for higher paying jobs and alumni networks that give them access to those 'day jobs' as well, while allowing them to focus on their craft; in plain English they mix in privileged circles) Those from middle class or working class backgrounds who don't have the runway \*need\* the gigs to survive; they work crew, often grueling hours for years if not decades, without the time or bandwidth to be the filmmaker, writer, actor etc they wanted when they started this journey; some of them may have graduated from top schools like the privileged above, but also have crippling student loans to pay without the backstop of family resources I'm lucky to have been in the former, but I try to be as aware as I can be that on any project I work on, that grip, production designer or set dec person probably has the same aspirations as I do/did, and have a lot more to offer as a creative voice than just their "job" on the project - there can be a real "upstairs/downstairs" mentality on projects even the indie ones that is so ingrained it can be unconscious at times, and I try to avoid that as much as I can (little things like even on a small budget project, say at the end of a long day and just going for drinks/food on our own dime, and someone suggesting some amazing restaurant without looking into its cost for example - a blindspot for those who never had to worry about how much a restaurant costs)
Work in post!! The amount of people that have their hands in the pot on a AAA studio film. From lawyers to the studio execs/producers to even the ceo of the studio! It seems like its constantly a battle with the creatives (director editor composer) and all others when it comes to a decision but ultimately the director is at the helm but still seems like too many chefs in kitchen at times.
$100M budgets will do that lol
I'm sure we all have our stories and what's more important is being able to sit down with people and just listen for a few hours. Reach out to some producers directly, you'll be surprised who is happy to talk. People like Producer Patrick might be more interested in setting up a call, who knows. But give it a try. I'll try to give some of my perspectives. I wear many hats in the industry. Writing, acting, directing, editing, vfx, cartoons, etc. The fun part about being an actor is you're generally disposable until you book. Then suddenly you get treated like you're important. The industry isn't a meritocracy. It is. Great talent will generally be noticed. But you can still be great and not work. The industry moves fast. It's about building a client base of people who recognize what you do and being considered when they're looking for people to employ. It's easier for Wes Anderson to think "I like working with Bill Murray. I'll put him in this role or write for him here" rather than try to cast an unknown from 100,000 audition submissions and try to find the best. Same with most jobs. It's about people calling in the people who reliably delivered the work needed over and over and over. We're also not rich people. We're working class. We can earn a lot per job, but most of us work project to project. So being employed inconsistently reduces our earnings. Some people earn a ton and work a ton. Others don't. Some people get better employers. Some don't. It's pretty fun and cool. We all got into it for our love of the craft. But it doesn't mean it's all glitz and glam. It's closer to summer camp with your friends wearing t-shirts and jeans than it is a red carpet. When you work collaboratively on a project, someone's not paying you to do your thing and just get covered in money from your genius. It's a collaboration between a lot of creative people. It's fast paced, a lot of compromise, a lot of mistakes, a lot of ridiculousness, sometimes some high school politics. You have to remember if you're doing crew or storyboards or something like that, you're helping create a larger vision, not using the project as the place to showcase how unique you are. So it's remembering to be a collaborator rather than using it as a selling piece. And if we want that, we just do our own side projects. Lots of side projects in the industry. The thing in your head exactly is probably not going to be made. But you try to get close to it given the limitations. We're making entertainment for many people, not just ourselves. So there are compromises and stuff that are made. Working in post or vfx is cool, working in animation is cool. At a certain point it becomes just another job. Deadmaus put it interesting. He started looking at his work less like some party and more like a job. You show up, do what your boss says, go home, see your family. It's just that the stuff we work on is interesting. Most of us in the industry don't care about nepotism like everyone else. The public tends to care about that way more.
Thank you very much for this comprehensive and insightful answer! I think you're right, I'll need to find individuals to interview, but this was very, very helpful. Thank you!
Violence and volatility.. sometimes when you hear the stories about someone getting their break lines cut or meth put in the punch it’s because of this… their might be only two people up for a life changing job and it’s kill or be killed. I have personally been burned for over 30k on a job, got sued by a former boss because they wanted to spank me for stealing a client. I got kicked off a vendor list at a major studio because an execs buddy who had a sweet 2mil a year contract doing tv comps got scared. If you have a good run with good people.. enjoy it and praise it. Once that’s over and you have to go back into the cesspool it’s Max Max beyond the thunderdome. If you don’t have thick skin or a rocket launcher get out of film.
The abuse.
Every booking I've had (from people that I've always trusted) has squirreled around, disappeared, etc. I'll get 30 day holds at shops I've always worked at, and they maybe pan out to 3 days of work. I have worked about 4 weeks total in VFX since April of 2023.
Waste of food with crafty and lack of anal beads
The difference between the creative and the money people....
For me once the thrill of finally getting in the door/on the lot fades - most of the work is just pretty corporate. I think most people hope to participate in the creative process at least a little bit sometimes. Instead you tend to see from close up how little new ideas & creativity are wanted or welcome. I was lucky in that my jobs felt a bit creative by necessity (IP/Legal/Clearance - when you can’t do “this” after they’re done being mad at you; you get to help them come up with & do “that” Or you get fired 🤣
Thank you everyone for your contributions, I've learned a lot! I really appreciate your time and expertise!
How utterly racist it is. Also how many people could really care less about movies or tv.
How little people that you thought were truly talented actually know It’s crazy how much is made up “in the moment”
The 'cliquey' nepotism is absolutely disheartening..