Was it it a bad idea to take a job that only lasts a month in this case?

[ironpony]

I've been trying to work on feature films since I want to get into filmmaking and I got a job on one that starts shooting in July, recording audio and editing. So I got excited and took it and said yes.

 

But my friends and family seem to think it was a bad move, cause I'm going to have to quit my current job by the time July comes around to go to another city to work on the movie, and I will be out of a job once July's over. But was it a bad idea? I mean it's hard to find these filmmaking opportunities, so what else can you do, if you have to quit a job, just to go work on one? Otherwise you will never get to work on any, it seems.

 

Am I wrong, and was it bad of me to say yes?

[basil67]

It's not a bad idea if you have enough savings to tide you over until you find another job at the end of filming. As long as you don't mooch off your family while unemployed it should be all good.

[Watercolors]

I've been trying to work on feature films since I want to get into filmmaking and I got a job on one that starts shooting in July, recording audio and editing. So I got excited and took it and said yes.

 

But my friends and family seem to think it was a bad move, cause I'm going to have to quit my current job by the time July comes around to go to another city to work on the movie, and I will be out of a job once July's over. But was it a bad idea? I mean it's hard to find these filmmaking opportunities, so what else can you do, if you have to quit a job, just to go work on one? Otherwise you will never get to work on any, it seems.

 

Am I wrong, and was it bad of me to say yes?

 

Take this job. It could open many doors for you. Your friends and family's concern is misguided -- they aren't thinking of the opportunities this could lead to for you. They are only thinking in practical terms. By the way, as you know with the film industry, film projects are NOT 12 month long jobs. They are very sporadic jobs.

 

Produces, directors, actors, technical crew, script writers, music composers....everyone who works in the film industry works on various projects at once.

 

Do not quit this job. Use it to network and bridge it to your next film project. That's how people continue working. And in between projects, they have money saved in case there's no work for a period of time. Welcome to the film industry! You just need to get good at saving money while you're working, and hustling to get that next film project, whatever your role is, while you're on your current film project.

 

The only reason you'd need to quit this job is that you don't want to work in the film industry. If you don't like project-based work, then you may want to look into jobs that are salary-based 12-month year jobs in the corporate sector. But it doesn't sound like that's what you want to do. I wouldn't listen to your friends and family. Their concern may be well-intentioned but it's not their life, it's your life. Don't let them detract you from following your path.

[Watercolors]

Also, I want to add, if you research your favorite film actors, NONE of them had real jobs. They did horrible part-time jobs to make ends meet, while keeping themselves active in the film industry whether that meant going on auditions, or doing side odd jobs. Before he became famous, actor Harrison Ford was a carpenter, for example. Do you think he should have stayed in the carpentry business b/c the money was more stable? Nope.

 

To keep you on track here is a list of 39 celebrities horrible jobs that they did to make ends meet before they became famous. Don't quit this film job. It will open doors for you. Make that your mantra.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/celebrities-who-had-unbelievable-jobs-before-they-were-fa

[ironpony]

Okay thanks. I was told by a person I know that one month of work is not nearly enough to gain experience to quit a job over, and one month is just a drop in the bucket to what I will need for others to hire me for other filmmaking jobs, but I mean most low budget movies will not want to take over a month to shoot though.

 

I have some savings I could dip into, yes.

[Mr. Lucky]

I have some savings I could dip into, yes.

 

You'll never achieve the venerated "starving artist" designation without a spotty and intermittent employment history!

 

But seriously, if you're young and without marital or child responsibilities, chase the dream. Never know until you try...

 

Mr. Lucky

[Watercolors]

Okay thanks. I was told by a person I know that one month of work is not nearly enough to gain experience to quit a job over, and one month is just a drop in the bucket to what I will need for others to hire me for other filmmaking jobs, but I mean most low budget movies will not want to take over a month to shoot though.

 

I have some savings I could dip into, yes.

 

Who cares what anyone else thinks. One month could be the month that changes your life's trajectory. You don't know that it won't lead anywhere, unless you take the chance.

 

The film industry is 99% about who you know btw. So, low budget or not, you need to get your name out there, so people will hire you. So what if you do low budget films for income as you start out. That's work! Isn't it? Eventually, you'll have enough of those projects on your film resume to get work on larger budget films. You have to start somewhere. Start in July. See what happens. Be open to the possibilities of good things resulting from it.

[ironpony]

Okay thanks, is it really 99% of who you know though? I was told before by a couple of other filmmakers that who you know is overrated and it's also worth trying to impress strangers as well if I can.

 

I was actually going to do produce and direct my own feature film with a lot of money I saved up, this summer, but then decided maybe to hold off till maybe next summer, if I am going to working on this project for a month instead.

 

I posted about it here before:

 

https://www.loveshack.org/forums/mind-body-soul/self-improvement-personal-well-being/658583-should-i-listen-other-people-when-they-say-don-t-direct-my-first-feature-film

[Wallysbears]

Uber, Lyft, bartender, grocery delivery, temp agencies....you can make money lots of ways!

[ironpony]

Oh yeah, I could it's just that a lot of jobs, will not want me to take a month off to make a movie, so that's the tricky part.

[Watercolors]

ironpony, two words: Kevin Smith.

[ironpony]

Yeah true. It's just that people keep trying to talk me out of it, saying things like the chances of getting hit by lighting are higher than a movie turning to be successful. However, one person who I worked for, recording audio to make their movie, ended up getting distribution, and yet I don't know anyone who has been hit by lighting...

[Watercolors]

Well whose opinion is more important to you regarding your film career -- theirs or yours? Whose film career is it -- theirs or yours?

 

The problem with asking people for advice is that they'll give it to you.

 

No one can tell you how your choices will work out.

 

Ultimately, it's up to you what path you take.

[ironpony]

Okay thanks. I guess I feel that people's advice to tell me it's foolish, or idiotic, makes me feel like an idiot, cause when I quit jobs to do this in the past, the movie shoots got cancelled and it was all for nothing. So I feel like an idiot for keep on trying sometimes.

[Watercolors]

Okay thanks. I guess I feel that people's advice to tell me it's foolish, or idiotic, makes me feel like an idiot, cause when I quit jobs to do this in the past, the movie shoots got cancelled and it was all for nothing. So I feel like an idiot for keep on trying sometimes.

 

I get it. But at some point, you need to decide if working in the film industry is something you really want to do. There are no guarantees in life, unfortunately. And doing project-based work is all about hustle and flow (good movie, btw). Being able to have savings so that when you take on a project, if it folds and isn't distributed, make sure you at least get paid for the work you do. It's another bullet point on your resume at least.

[ironpony]

Oh yeah, but even if they pay me, it's still low pay compared to having to take to resign from a regular job, each time a film project comes up.

[Soak]

Who cares what anyone else thinks. One month could be the month that changes your life's trajectory. You don't know that it won't lead anywhere, unless you take the chance.

 

The film industry is 99% about who you know btw

 

I concur! The only thing i know of the film industry is that people quite often form networks or cliques (teams, if you will). What Watercolours says is right, you need to use this opportunity to get on the good side of others (otherwise known as hustle!).

 

Take part time and casual jobs on the side in hospitality. There's always lots of evening and weekend work in food and alc. If you really want something bad enough (the film industry), you will follow it to the end of the earth. If you fail, you'll only have yourself to blame for not taking the opportunities.

[Soak]

Okay thanks. I guess I feel that people's advice to tell me it's foolish, or idiotic, makes me feel like an idiot, cause when I quit jobs to do this in the past, the movie shoots got cancelled and it was all for nothing. So I feel like an idiot for keep on trying sometimes.

 

One day hopefully you'll be big enough to dictate your own terms and conditions. I'm sure all big players have air-tight contracts that have a cancellation fee policy.

 

When i started out in a creative industry over twenty years ago now, i had all sorts of cancellations and disappointments in the beginning, including turning up with my equipment only to have people reneg at the last minute. I took scraps and any opportunity i could. I used EVERY opportunity to network and line up my next project (i was shameless about a lot of the things i did). Sure enough, after about two-three years, i started getting major regular work, which laid the foundations for what was later for me to become a VERY well known person in my industry, and eventually naming my price etc. It was a weird feeling, but one that i totally earned (i guess, looking back on it). I also did schleppy jobs on the side, while i was involved in the industry and in the times between gigs (although i did manage to exclusively off my creative pursuits for quite a few years).

 

Anyway, that was all in the past. I look back on it and regard the path i took as an achievement. I had set a very clear goal about my objectives and achieved them ten times over.

 

So yeah, if you are really focused, you can achieve things. The characteristics i had back then were: single-mindedness, great perseverence, persisence, a certain amount of ruthlessness (was not afraid to take somebody else's gig out of their hands; not afraid to put myself in front of the right people), great energy and i was a bit of a charmer! In that i mean, generally fun to be around, knew when to open my mouth and when to remain quiet, and always being positive about other people's (the hirers) projects.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Soak

[ironpony]

Oh okay thanks. It's just I feel so discouraged and lost, cause I keep going from dead end job to dead end job, mostly doing factory or labor jobs, but I never liked any of them. How do you know what you are good at? I tried pursuing my dream of wanting to be a film director, but not sure if that is going to go anywhere successful really.

 

I feel compelled to go back to physical labor work, but it's low paying and I want to find something that I actually like that would pay better. I took some tests at this place, that tries to determine what job is good for you a few years back and I got private investigator, but don't know if I see myself doing that.

 

I even talked to a former one I know, and he said that it's only good for part time, but not full time.

 

What do you think, or how do you know what you want to do for a career?

[gaius]

What you want to do for a career and what you should do for a career are often two different things.

 

I would suggest figuring out what you want to do with your life first. If it's creating movies and you can't break into commercial film work full-time time then pick a career that can support that in some way. Maybe one that pays you enough money to fund short film productions you can put on YouTube. Or one that gives you enough time and flexibility to continue to pursue the commercial avenue.

 

I never imagined I'd be doing what I'm doing now but if I can get good enough then it should give me the financial flexibility to get to the place I want to be in my life.

[ironpony]

Okay thanks. Well I've been working on other people's movies so far, but I always have to quit my job to do it, cause an employer is not going to be okay if you take off for a month or more, to help make a movie.

 

I was told it looks bad to keep getting new jobs, and then quit whenever a movie deal arises, that I can be a part of, but I don't know how other aspiring filmmakers do it, and keep a job at the same time though.

[gaius]

Have you thought about driving for Uber or delivering packages for Amazon? You won't get rich doing that but it might let you squeak by with the flexibility to take a film job if needed. If that's what you really want to do.

 

I just want to be on a beach somewhere with my wife and have the flexibility to travel together occasionally. To make the most of the time we have together here on Earth. Which means whoever wants to offer me the most money gets me to show up.