Ah,the entertainment industry. The creature that demands favors and paying your dues. But how do these dues and favors relate to paying rent and building your career?Is there a relation at all?
We all have been promised glory and unimaginable heaps of work in the future,if only we donate our time and equipment for something that amounts to less than minimum wage. Every project is special,with special needs,unique circumstances,unbelievable potential and a great crew that believes in it. Now all they need is you. The reality that lurks behind the shiny promises of greatness,is that the only person who believes in anything is the director,the only people who have a chance of making money on the project after the matter of fact are the actors(if they were bright enough to sign a contract) and the only type of work you will be referred to afterwards will be in the same pay-scale. Which is nothing really.
So how does one pay their dues without turning into a charitable organization?Why,with a plan of course.
First of,know why you are paying these dues at all-are you green in the industry,new to the town or are you trying to impress that great producer?
If "green" is your status,the first steps are to take a deep breath and put the eagerness to a healthy level with a huge dose of realism. Let the realization of being screwed over wash over you in the very beginning and then do the best job you possibly can. Important note,is to never take the entire workload on yourself. Ever. Even if you think you can handle it. Because:
A. The worst thing you can do is get burnt out early on in the game.
B. Letting production think that they are doing you a favor by allowing you to be present on this project, will lead to an intense workload and demands that even the slaves of the Ancient Rome would protest against.
Plan where you are trying to get and what kind of projects you need to do to get there. Example: When you grow up,you want to be a sound mixer->you will probably need to go through being an assistant,possibly boom op afterwards and then a mixer. Once you feel like you have the chops,buy a small package that will not put a dent in your food budget.At this point one complete freebie is recommended for you to test your set up and your chops. Congratulations, you can now move to low-budgets but be careful not stick around for too long. Words of wisdom- donating your kit is a very silly thing to do.If production had the budget to rent the camera package,they should have planned for a sound package.
My sincere condolences to those of us in post-the amount of time we are asked to donate to polish a t**d is quite sinful.My advice is to go the internship route,rather than try to freelance your way into a paying gig(Note: if your internship consists of just brining coffee and doing food runs,you are basically like a waitor/ess who really wants to be an actor/ess and dreams of being discovered by a producer in the restaurant. There is one tiny difference-they have a better chance of making it and,unlike you, they are paying their rent). You will learn a lot more from a good mentor,make contacts with people who are actually paying and save a lot of mental health by not trying to suddenly figure out the dynamics of the sound team/client relationship. Make sure that your mentor has a clear understanding of what it is you are trying to learn,achieve and move on to. Remember not to lose grasp on reality and hold on to the "being screwed-over" feeling.
New-to-the city category,is usually also expected to go through the cleansing fire of favors and low-budgets. Same points apply as to the complete newbies,but depending on your experience you should dip your feet in the low-budgets right away,and omit the step of the free-be territory. Still getting screwed,but at least the rent is paid for. Know what is the rate you should be getting paid and make sure you let people know what it is.It is important to make sure that the producers understand that they are getting a one-time only discount.Of course any future work with the above-mentioned producers will depend solely on them liking you and the work that you did.So bring out the chops and put your charming face on.
Trying to impress that special someone?You only need to impress them once.If they say they are still confused after sampling your work-they are full of it. First of,people whose hands touch money in this industry are rarely,if not never in the position of having no budget for sound. They might have their own special project on the go,but it will only be one. Secondly,people who work on serious projects know the importance and value of good sound,thus will make sure their sound team is a happy and fed one.
Remember what you you are aiming for and move towards that goal. Getting stuck in the wrong lane is never fun,but understanding the steps that are needed and protecting yourself from abuse will ensure that you are on the right track. Best of luck and a Very Happy Monday!
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