My Quarter-Life Crisis

[vongspoth]

My Quarter-Life Crisis
Alternatively titled (if this doesn't go as planned in 12 months)
How To Be Really Dumb and Quit
A 6-Figure Job with Benefits and
Forever Regret That Decision While
Your Brother In-Law Who Got You
The Job Keeps Telling You "I Told You So!"
For The Rest Of Your Life

_____________________________________________​

Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks,
every so often, that under the right circumstances
he could be the baddest motherf****r in the
world. If I moved to a martial arts monastery in
China and studied real hard for ten years… If I
just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad.
—Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash​

I might not be training to be the next Bruce Lee, but "Becoming a bada**" is definitely on the to do list.


Since this is my first thread ever, here's a bit of info: My name's Victor, I just turned 25, and I'm 99.9999% sure that my current job is extinguishing my will to live. Got a well paying job for one of the largest banks in the world, but the soul crushing monotony of having to deal with Office Space and TPS reports on a daily basis has driven me to plot my escape. I've finally decided that I'm leaving this December. After that? I'm not completely sure. I've got something that might resemble a plan. It might not be a "good plan", but it's all I got right now and I'm clinging onto it like a life preserver until something better floats on by.

I've got enough savings to last me about a year without working. In that year's time, I do not want to find another job and want to focus on improving every single aspect of my life. We're talking health, relationships, finances, career, etc.

At some point during college, I must have convinced myself that getting the perfect life was impossible. Being broke, living at home, taking out student loans and surviving off of Top Ramen will do that to you pretty quick. But I'm sick and tired of settling for mediocre and I want it all now.

Through my teens to early adulthood, I've considered the following the coolest jobs you could possibly have:

1. Comic Book Artist
2. Movie Director
3. Screenwriter

Those are the three things I could see myself doing happily in the future and I want to make pursuing those things my full time job for the next 12 months.

So why is this post even here in the first place? I want some advice. If you were to take one year off without having to maintain a day job, what would you do to pursue a career in film? What would you do to hone your craft? What kind of goals would you set for yourself daily, weekly or monthly? If you had to, what could you do to bring in some additional income that would be inline with the overall goal?

Thanks to Shawn Tallard at Full Compass and several online retailers, here's what I've got:

DVX100B (I know it ain't HD, but I bought it when I had far less cash)
Letus Extreme
Nikon lenses
Nikon D90 (ordering it as soon as Circuit City has it back on their page)
Redrock Micro Mattebox
Redrock Micro Follow Focus
Zacuto Handheld System
Ikan V8000HD
Arri 300/650 Fresnel Combo Light Kit
Oktava MK012A (after watching Barry Green's excellent sound DVD)
K-Tek Avalon
MacBook Pro
Final Cut Studio

To be honest, with 50-60 hour work weeks and a girlfriend, I haven't had a lot of time to use most of this equipment and have only come up with one or two short film ideas. There's even a chance that after spending this next, full year working on filmmaking that I might not think it's right for me in the end, but I know I owe it to my 14 year old self to give it a shot. And let's be honest with ourselves, how many of us, right now, are as happy with our current jobs as we thought we'd be back when we were still in high school?


Thanks to all of you who have waded through this senselessly long post and I look forward to hearing from you and your advice.

- Vic

 

[thartley]

And let's be honest with ourselves, how many of us, right now, are as cool as we thought we'd be back when we were still in high school?

Well, I am way cooler than I ever thought I would be in highschool. :beer:

A year will go by faster than you think, and the money you have in the bank, even faster given the fray you've chosen to jump into. But kudos to you for making the leap.

What kinds of work have you done already in this business? If none, start making contacts, network, crew on projects, get on sets in some capacity, and be nice to folks on your way up.

Oh, and listen to the much better advice than this that you will surely get on this site.

Good luck.

 

[milksac]

...taking out student loans

Are your loans paid off? If not you may want to put off your plan for another year. At least until you can pay down the loan. This business is highly competitive. Everyone and their brother is jumping to get in. This means entry level wages are scary low. Heck, there are a bunch of people that work for free - interns, PA's and anyone who desperately wants to get their foot in the door. You can't pay down a student loan when you have no income. That said, you can make a decent living in this business. However it takes time to build up your skill set and reputation.

...with 50-60 hour work weeks

Let me get this straight - you're putting in 50-60 hours/wk and making 6 figures.
Yeah, that must really suck.
A glamorous job in film and television is a much better choice.
Are you prepared to work 80-100/hrs a week for low 5 figures?

And let's be honest with ourselves, how many of us, right now, are as cool as we thought we'd be back when we were still in high school?

So young. So naive.
All the successful people I know in the industry have become successful because they are passionate about their work. They got into the business because they didn't want to do anything else. Getting into any business because you think it's "cool" is superficial, don't expect that to carry you very far.

It can take a a few years to build up your contacts and reputation to the point that the work is steady. This means years of struggling to get by because the income stream is slow to develop. For a kid fresh out of college it's no big deal. They're accustomed to doing with very little - they have to, they spend all their money on beer and women. For someone that already makes a good living the transition to living like a pauper would be exceptionally difficult. Very few people can handle such a dramatic swing in lifestyle. If you're passionate enough about being a comic book artist, movie director or screenwriter, then the transition will be bearable.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade - just throwing out a healthy dose of reality.

 

[Sad Max]

Let me get this straight - you're putting in 50-60 hours/wk and making 6 figures.
Yeah, that must really suck.
A glamorous job in film and television is a much better choice.
Are you prepared to work 80-100/hrs a week for low 5 figures?

I dunno.

I work 50-55 hour weeks in film/tv production and I draw six figures per year.

It *is* possible, you know.

Better money's possible, too.

 

[Batutta]

And let's be honest with ourselves, how many of us, right now, are as cool as we thought we'd be back when we were still in high school

I am about 1,000 percent cooler than I was in high school, but back then I was just above fungus on the social scale.

I think without having any training or experience, you would probably have a shot at getting the farthest if you devoted the whole year to studying and writing screenplays. You could turn out four scripts in that time if you put the nose to the grindstone, at the end of which you'd probably have a good handle on the craft and maybe one good script you could send around as a sample to get jobs. This will also by far be the cheapest route. Hell, if you're extremely frugal, you might be able to stretch the one year into two. If you try to spend the year shooting stuff, I think you'll probably eat through that money faster than you think, at the end of which you might not have as much experience as you'd need. I think learning how to direct and produce well has a deeper learning curve and takes more time to develop. At the end of a year, though, you should have a real good idea whether or not you're cut out for screenwriting. Also, it's more contemplative, and it seems like you need some time to figure yourself out and do some soul searching. Writing can really help that process along.

 

[mjjason]

Why not just start shooting film on the side in your time off and on your vacation time? That way you can develop a background in what you really want to do without throwing yourself overboard so haphazardly. It may sound like a less committed plan but you stand to lose far less. I guess it's all about risk and how much you are willing to take. I am a pretty big risk taker but only when I have fully accepted the outcome.

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I have a really well paying job that I hate. It pays the bills and then some so I can't complain about that but I don't get up every morning looking forward to it. But what it does do is fund my hobbies like film-making. Any free time I have I either spend with my fiance or making films. The money from the job that I hate supports all that. Once I get really good at film to the point where I can take it from a hobby to a career is the point I will leave. Till than I enjoy my outside life and just accept the work life.

Whatever you chose, best of luck.

 

[Beat Takeshi]

I would do a leave of absence first to hold your job and then when things pick up you can say I'm not coming back. It might take you a year just to get together a few short films and that time will fly by. You might want to consider building up your equipment list so when you start competing for jobs you have more to offer other than experience. Definitely pick up an HD camera also, you don't want to limit yourself there. Get plenty of lights including Kinos, grip and a kick ass editing machine. You can probably find a DP that works a lot but has to rent equipment and you can offer your equipment in return for being on set and learning with him/her. This will get you in the door faster than just asking around to help out. People are always looking for the most equipment bang for their buck in indie films. I would gather all these things up before you quit so you can offset the expense some. I took the plunge about a year ago also and wished I did some of these things. Its starting to turn around for the better now after much heartache.

 

[milksac]

I dunno.

I work 50-55 hour weeks in film/tv production and I draw six figures per year.

It *is* possible, you know.

Better money's possible, too.

I know you CAN make decent money - I said that in my post. You must have missed that. My point is the start up period, directed at someone with no experience. Ummm you don't fit the criteria. You've been in the business at least 3 or 4 months, right?

 

[vongspoth]

Thanks, Thartley! I appreciate the support. I don't have much work yet, but I do have a couple of short film scripts that I'd love to make.

 

[vongspoth]

Are your loans paid off?

Loans are definitely paid off and by December, I shouldn't have any credit card debt left either. No mortgages or kids too. My monthly liabilities are fairly low. I work in finance.

Let me get this straight - you're putting in 50-60 hours/wk and making 6 figures.
Yeah, that must really suck.
A glamorous job in film and television is a much better choice.
Are you prepared to work 80-100/hrs a week for low 5 figures?

I'd happily make minimum wage just to be able to wake up and not dread 75% of my life.

So young. So naive.

Let's call it "Plucky Optimism"

All the successful people I know in the industry have become successful because they are passionate about their work. They got into the business because they didn't want to do anything else. Getting into any business because you think it's "cool" is superficial, don't expect that to carry you very far.

I had to re-edit the post to take out that cool part. What I mean to say is that I just want a job I can be passionate and artistic about.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade - just throwing out a healthy dose of reality.

I completely appreciate the advice and I'm looking for a lot of perspectives for what I plan on doing.

 

[vongspoth]

You could turn out four scripts in that time if you put the nose to the grindstone, at the end of which you'd probably have a good handle on the craft and maybe one good script you could send around as a sample to get jobs. This will also by far be the cheapest route.

Fantastic advice, Batutta. Thanks. I like having numerical goals to hit.

 

[vongspoth]

Why not just start shooting film on the side in your time off and on your vacation time?

If I had a much more laid back job, I'd do it, but the stress is ridiculous and I feel like I'm wasting too much of my youth here. There's this awesome quote from Mark Cuban that I keep in my wallet:

The younger you start, the better. If you are single, have five roommates and a beater for a car, you have nothing to lose. The more stuff and obligations you have, the more likely you will p*ssy out and not leave a paycheck

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I have a really well paying job that I hate.

We should start a "I Loathe My Job" Club. I really appreciate the advice and the time you spent replying.

 

[Sad Max]

I know you CAN make decent money - I said that in my post. You must have missed that. My point is the start up period, directed at someone with no experience. Ummm you don't fit the criteria. You've been in the business at least 3 or 4 months, right?

Well, yeah.

 

[vongspoth]

I would do a leave of absence first to hold your job and then when things pick up you can say I'm not coming back. It might take you a year just to get together a few short films and that time will fly by. You might want to consider building up your equipment list so when you start competing for jobs you have more to offer other than experience. Definitely pick up an HD camera also, you don't want to limit yourself there. Get plenty of lights including Kinos, grip and a kick ass editing machine. You can probably find a DP that works a lot but has to rent equipment and you can offer your equipment in return for being on set and learning with him/her. This will get you in the door faster than just asking around to help out. People are always looking for the most equipment bang for their buck in indie films. I would gather all these things up before you quit so you can offset the expense some. I took the plunge about a year ago also and wished I did some of these things. Its starting to turn around for the better now after much heartache.

The leave of absence is definitely a good idea -- it'll especially save me a lot of embarrassment if I need to come groveling back. Thanks a lot for sharing your personal experiences. I just want to sidestep as many pitfalls as I can when I do this.

 

[Will Clegg]

We should start a "I Loathe My Job" Club.

This club already exists - it's called "Everybody," and they meet at the bar.*


*This is Drew Carey's joke.

 

[Sad Max]

And you are a gentleman for giving credit where due.

 

[Nathyn]

I would do a leave of absence first to hold your job and then when things pick up you can say I'm not coming back. It might take you a year just to get together a few short films and that time will fly by. You might want to consider building up your equipment list so when you start competing for jobs you have more to offer other than experience. Definitely pick up an HD camera also, you don't want to limit yourself there. Get plenty of lights including Kinos, grip and a kick ass editing machine. You can probably find a DP that works a lot but has to rent equipment and you can offer your equipment in return for being on set and learning with him/her. This will get you in the door faster than just asking around to help out. People are always looking for the most equipment bang for their buck in indie films. I would gather all these things up before you quit so you can offset the expense some. I took the plunge about a year ago also and wished I did some of these things. Its starting to turn around for the better now after much heartache.

This right here is very good advice. I would add try to keep your first film under $10,000. Do shorts before a feature then do a feature and don't be afraid. Take some jobs on sets even if they aren't paying then shoot another feature on about $20,000 if you can do it. (This is enough to get at least one name B actor to do a few days with you).

DVX100B (I know it ain't HD, but I bought it when I had far less cash)
Letus Extreme
Nikon lenses
Nikon D90 (ordering it as soon as Circuit City has it back on their page)
Redrock Micro Mattebox
Redrock Micro Follow Focus
Zacuto Handheld System
Ikan V8000HD
Arri 300/650 Fresnel Combo Light Kit
Oktava MK012A (after watching Barry Green's excellent sound DVD)
K-Tek Avalon
MacBook Pro
Final Cut Studio

Nice set up. I'd say sell the DVX or keep it for shooting your shorts. Grab a Panasonic HCM150 or the HVX for your features. The Canon XH-A1 is a very good consideration as well. (These are the ones I'm considering for my next feature). Check out the "Corrado" forum in the "User Films" section. Read the whole thing. It's very inspirational. As for comics, I have a friend in comics. It's a tough nut to crack now. You'd have to go into with $50,000 and that's on the low side. You need as much to have a successful comic publishing company as you would to make a film. In many ways you have a better chance with the film.

-Nate

 

[vongspoth]

Thanks, Nate. I appreciate the advice!