How do you earn a living?

Celulloyd

Celulloyd

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

Married, no children.

Sorry, no worthwhile anecdotes.
 
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I'm 28 and a freelance shooter/editor. No kids, no family... plenty of time (that seems to get wasted).
 
im mike diggalo
male gigalo

dvx master boyeeeee
get pimpin!!!!
shoot loads..of video.....
myspace.com/mikedvideo
inquiring minds want to know
 
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!
 
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).
 
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lets see, I'm broke as fu*k, drive a $600 piece of sh*t mazda 323, live at my dad's apartment and have 20 grand debt from a surf video which i've been working on for the past 3 years. On the side I'll edit or shoot a wedding video but that equates to around 4-6 g's per year. I'm going to be finished soon which is sweet, just for the sole fact that I'll have my life back for a bit....before I put everything i have, money, time and soul into yet another surf video.....but for this one I'm going to go to El Salvador.
 
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!

;-)
 
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.
 
"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.
VaskivuoriStudio_1.jpg
VaskivuoriStudio_2.jpg
VaskivuoriStudio_3.jpg


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

- Mikko
 
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
 
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 for a blog I just did on how writing is work. Same thing for cameramen, editors, directors, etc., etc.
 
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!
 
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