How do you earn a living?

[Celulloyd]

I'm just curious about how you folks earn a living while working on your movies. Also, does anyone have any unique anecdotes about raising money to finance them?

I own a small publishing/graphic design company and I can't seem to find enough time to even work on my scripts, let alone shoot anything, even though I only work 40-45 hours a week. Do any of you have families? Children?

I'm just curious.

Thanks...

[Sad Max]

Motion Picture/TV Art Director, Set Designer, Illustrator, Animator.

Married, no children.

Sorry, no worthwhile anecdotes.

[dory_breaux]

I dont have a regular job, but i need one.

[ryan brown]

I'm 28 and a freelance shooter/editor. No kids, no family... plenty of time (that seems to get wasted).

[Zander]

Freelance production. :D


...need clients...

[merc]

im a bricklayer by day. married/2 kids

[MiniMan13]

9-5 at a "News Production Solution" company.

[ChipG]

Worm farm.

[joemiked]

im mike diggalo
male gigalo

dvx master boyeeeee
get pimpin!!!!
shoot loads..of video.....
myspace.com/mikedvideo
inquiring minds want to know

[triplej96]

Use to be manager of video production for small company but luckily got laid off last week :). Now living off unemployment but maybe be working on a feature film 3 mill budget!

[ChipG]

....

[ChipG]

Worm farm.

"We got worms!" Hey harry, Hi 5

[Beeblebrox]

I work in visual effects and animation. I have three feature films coming out this year and one animated TV series.

My feature film directorial debut will be released on DVD nationwide in April. :)

One wife. One kid (who just turned two).

[rawfa]

When I was a kid I made a pact with 3 friends of mine that when we were older we would form the new A-Team...Last year we met again after 2 decades and I got very pissed off when parked my black van and found out I was the only one with a mohawk and a bunch of golden jewellery around my neck...the bastards!

;-)

[TheMacB]

My brother and I make local TV commercials for an Ad Agency. Next month we're making our first short since we started here 8 months ago because we've been too busy.

[mikkowilson]

"Unemployed" (AKA: "Freelancer") - Former student, just graduated recently.


Actually working a major consulting/engineering project at the moment building a TV studio & related facilities for a local high school. Info. (http://www.mikkowilson.com/?page=Techie)
http://www.mikkowilson.com/images/TechieProjects/VaskivuoriStudio_1.jpg http://www.mikkowilson.com/images/TechieProjects/VaskivuoriStudio_2.jpg http://www.mikkowilson.com/images/TechieProjects/VaskivuoriStudio_3.jpg

And then Steadicam operating the odd day/project here and there.

- Mikko

[Kegan]

I used to work for the TELUS heaquarters (phone company in Canada), but resigned last month. Trying the freelance gig, but unfortunately not the best timing considering I'm about $15k in debt. Currently working on a prostate cancer documentary mini series (3 x 1 hr episodes) that I'm taking around to networks in the following months. Hopefully it gets picked up and all my work was worth it.

Freelance is a lot tougher than I thought, at least in my area...or maybe, I'm doing something wrong.

-Kegan

[Scott W. Smith]

The old saying is "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." There are people out there making films on cell phones and old Fisher-Price Pixelvison cameras. (There are festivals for both.) It's always hard to balance family, creativity, and earning a living. The average writer in the Writer's Guild of America makes $62,000. a year and with the cost of living in LA that's probably less than the average school teacher around the country. If you want to have a resume (and income) like writer John Grisham get up at 5 AM and write for an hour before you head off to your day job where you put in 40-60 hours a week. Do that for three years and when your book doesn't find a publisher repeat that process until you break through. Dream big, but take small steps. I gotta get back to work, but check out screenwritingfromiowa.wordpress.com (http://screenwritingfromiowa.wordpress.com) for a blog I just did on how writing is work. Same thing for cameramen, editors, directors, etc., etc.

[bill totolo]

I shoot for an entertainment magazine style cable network, primarily shooting "America's" host as he performs his daily morning radio show (by way of a robotic camera system).

I just informed the mgt. team that it's time for me to move on. So I'll be joining the freelance workforce.

Am I scared... you bet!

[Erik Olson]

I've been in below-the-line production on and off since I graduated from high school (my first job was in the camera department on The Peoples Court). There was some college at Jim Cameron's alma mater. Should have taken business classes instead of filmmaking classes.

Over the past year, following my busiest year of production (3 full reality series and a documentary feature), I've leapt squarely into the world of development.

We've formed a bi-coastal production development interest with a slate of fifteen projects. At this moment, we're pitching three game shows to the networks and a few, select cable nets.

I would really stress that you don't see a lot of camera operators in their sixties for a good reason. If you can land classic "DP" positions, where you're not physically on the hook for making the shot happen, then you could work to a ripe old age in the camera department. Even then, you have no financial residual interest in the work you create. Not usually.

For me, that observation about my current career dictated that I find a way to own and control the content I create. Hence our most recent enterprise.

It should also be said that it is a good idea to marry above your station! Having a wife who is a VP for an investment firm makes my time between gigs and "in-development" a lot easier.

e

[Deepfocus88]

It should also be said that it is a good idea to marry above your station!



This site....always a wealth of good info. Are you youngsters paying attention???? ^^

[DivotDan]

It should also be said that it is a good idea to marry above your station!

I guess I shouldn't have married a school teacher then. Oh well :laugh:

[Phil Maker]

Here are a few things you can do to "create" more time for yourself so you can work on your projects: unplug the T.V. and tie the cord in a knot, don't go out drinking, don't go out period, don't read, don't troll DVXuser and other websites, only check your email once a day and disconnect the internet for the rest of the day, sleep an hour less, discover the source of inspiration/motivation/energy that lies within you, and finally, block out all distractions and focus (obsess) only on your projects. Good luck.

[joemiked]

yeah mike diggilo ,male jigalo
means i do a little marketing @home buisness its actualy very great,
i work weekends placing home sale sighns all over the bay area here in the s.f bay
my company handles most of all land devolopers advertising in this part of the state actualy a very good size co,
i do get the pimps pay concidering its real estate doing it for almost six years!
it all driving and stoping alot for vinyle sighns i keep at home then up they go fri
and back down on sunday,leaving my weekdays for shooting and skateboarding
xbox adobe and cafe hopping!!!!

my youtube has me on my job inspecting billboards for my company somewhere

youtube.com/joemiked

[Scott W. Smith]

Here are a few things you can do to "create" more time for yourself so you can work on your projects: unplug the T.V. and tie the cord in a knot, don't go out drinking, don't go out period, don't read, don't troll DVXuser and other websites, only check your email once a day and disconnect the internet for the rest of the day, sleep an hour less, discover the source of inspiration/motivation/energy that lies within you, and finally, block out all distractions and focus (obsess) only on your projects. Good luck.

Dang Phil, we should all print that out and place it above our work stations. Students should be able to get college for memorizing what you wrote. In fact, if they just do what you said they probably don't need college.

[Jeff Anderson]

Here are a few things you can do to "create" more time for yourself so you can work on your projects: unplug the T.V. and tie the cord in a knot, don't go out drinking, don't go out period, don't read, don't troll DVXuser and other websites, only check your email once a day and disconnect the internet for the rest of the day, sleep an hour less, discover the source of inspiration/motivation/energy that lies within you, and finally, block out all distractions and focus (obsess) only on your projects. Good luck.

no not the dvxuser!

[HorseFilms]

Dang Phil, we should all print that out and place it above our work stations.

I'll get right on that... after I look through a few more threads.:D

[DavidChia]

People will only have time for the things the want to have time for... And they will never have time for the things they don't want to have time for...

My Mum said that to me when I was 7 years of age. I told her that I didn't have time for my homework . because? because ?because... (Can't remember)

[joemiked]

:thumbsup:oh i was out today and found this
http://www.mikedvideo.com/oheight/mildsuace.jpg

[thartley]

Panhandling.

(My department was outsourced to India.)

[hoofandmouf]

I'm a content producer/DP/writer/director/editor/web designer/graphic designer. I work a 9-5 at a non profit making documentaries. I work freelance as well. I'm also a pre/prod/post consultant.

So I wear a bunch of hats. I mostly just say "documentary filmmaker" or "independent filmmaker"

I'm pretty lucky and thankful that I'm able to do what I love and provide a good living for myself. Life is good.

:beer:

[Zak Forsman]

freelance editor of trailers, tv spots, and dvd/epk/bluray content.

[Andrew Brinkhaus]

Am finishing my last 3 months in school, then will be moving out to LA to AC/DP full time.

[Simon Höfer]

Still have to write my last exams at university and then have to write my thesis, so that I get my diploma in electrical engineering in september, unless I make a really stupid mistake.

Hopefully I get another scholarship for post graduation I applied for, so I can go to japan again and don't have to decide for a job and start working yet :D Man, I am really afraid of that day...

And I somehow have the dream of writing books. Don't know how that fits into my plans... but it is the last possibility that could prevent me from starting my career as an engineer. I dig that :evil:

Filming is not the field I will be earning money in. But it is fun :)

[ZFarms Productions]

Drugs

[Matty_g]

Freelance DP/camera op/ac in l.a.

[Celulloyd]

Thanks for all your input, folks. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to know how people kept the collectors off their doorsteps and found time to sleep. I also asked because I'm jumping back into the fire after 25 years (yes, I used to shoot on film). I bought the 100B and am looking into lighting and audio options (I own FCP, AE, Shake, and some other video-production-related software because I've been a weekend video warrior and created a few videos when I was working at an ad agency a few years ago). The obstacles I'm running into include that I'm now married with children, and I own a small publishing company with a limited cash flow, so time and money are at a premium. I'm going to create a "demo" reel and try to branch the business into video production, but from what I can tell, unless someone is throwing cash at you, it's nearly impossible to work full-time on a feature.

I was hoping for more financing stories, but it's all good. There's a wealthy elderly man in our town who I've decided to befriend because he has no children and he can't take his money with him...

Lloyd

[Matthew R. Rodwell]

full time college and security at The Jewelry Channel

[mcgeedigital]

Full time Producer/shooter/editor with my own company.

[Jason Adams]

Also full time Director/DP/editor I own my own company

www.dreamoncreative.com

[chris f]

using my college degree with distinction to deliver pizzas until either:

A. I find an actual video job, where I can learn, practice, get more experience, and GET PAID
B. I start my own small production company
C. Someone tips me $20k so I can pay off my student loans

[hoarp001]

I run an online business this site (http://www.fundraisingsupplies.co.uk)
Im a pyrotechnician for a big firework company and I do freelance camera/steadicam work and the occasional bit of editing.

[Max R. Wilson]

I am a freelance Videographer/ DP in LA.

Since going freelance i have been traveling a lot more for events, and pay is so much better.