At what stage of being a filmmaker are you?

Zachadoodle

Zachadoodle

Well-known member
Currently I have about 9,300 fun images made and close to 5,000 hours worth of footage made and have made 47 amateur video projects with myself. I'm still at the hobbyist amateur stage as of now. I've been messing with a camera ever since I was 14 years old. My first actual camera was a Flip Cam. My current camera is a Canon T2i. I may upgrade soon when I do well, but for now I'm just making films as favors. Just a learning experience with the locals. When I'm doing client work it is for free and I know that seems off to a lot of people, but me working for free with a Canon T2i is best at the moment. Where I am at is where the people with handy point and shoot small camcorders are at. Numbers aren't everything as even though I've made a lot with my camera they're not ready to be called anything yet. I'm a silly kid with a camera at the moment. It may take me until the age of 40 to be where most people are.
 
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There are mainly only about 20 of us left here; all over 30, most over 40. And all seasoned in different ways.

Listen & read more than you speak & write [for now] and you'll be okay.
 
Not to throw too big of a damper on things, but…. When you say you do client work, it’s for free and it “is best at the moment”, it may seem best for you, but you are hurting the market and taking paying jobs away from working professionals. Doing work for clients for free is like feeding wild animals, they get used to it and then that’s what they expect all the time. Going out and shooting passion projects and fun stuff with your friends for no money is one thing (and a lot of people do that), but actively seeking out “professional” work and then not charging for it hurts the whole industry and you, because one day you will want to get paid for your work, but it will continue to get harder and harder, because you are helping to continue to foster the idea that we should work for free(or very little). After all, this isn’t work, it’s “fun and creative”…
 
I wouldn't get too worked up or be too hard with the OP. This is Ryan. If you don't know he's been posting for many years on here and other forums about how to film these passion projects. He has created literally thousands of threads asking question regarding his struggles to film a movie. These threads draws in heated flood of opinions and suggestions that he his incapable of following due to some psychological challenges.
 
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Yeah, Ryan always said "oh, okay" in almost every single post he wrote and then usually followed up with another question. His work was also more advanced (at least what he showed here on DVXuser a few times).
 
NorBro said:
Yeah, Ryan always said "oh, okay" in almost every single post he wrote and then usually followed up with another question. His work was also more advanced (at least what he showed here on DVXuser a few times).
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I haven't been following the OP or looking at his work.

I guess it's possible there is more than one person out there who doesn't have the resources, ability, and experience who wants to get into the industry by making independent films.
 
Run&Gun said:
Not to throw too big of a damper on things, but…. When you say you do client work, it’s for free and it “is best at the moment”, it may seem best for you, but you are hurting the market and taking paying jobs away from working professionals. Doing work for clients for free is like feeding wild animals, they get used to it and then that’s what they expect all the time. Going out and shooting passion projects and fun stuff with your friends for no money is one thing (and a lot of people do that), but actively seeking out “professional” work and then not charging for it hurts the whole industry and you, because one day you will want to get paid for your work, but it will continue to get harder and harder, because you are helping to continue to foster the idea that we should work for free(or very little). After all, this isn’t work, it’s “fun and creative”…
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Not really. It's competition for sure. But my work doesn't have any quality compared to the pros. The pros could pop in with much better work and offer a much better rate and service. Me, I just offer a video on YouTube or Facebook. I wouldn't even call it professional work either.

It's like giving away trash fish compared to selling fresh salmon. You know the salmon is obviously going to have obviously more of a competitive edge. My work is like a kid selling lemonade for a quarter.

Besides this is for exposure and experience. If a professional swoops in and offers me to do work for them that is another thing too.
 
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Zach, I think you’re putting the cart WAY before the horse.

You’ve obviously shot a lot of stuff, most of which you’ve never published. That’s fine, but you need to take things one at a time. Create something. Post it. Ask what you need to do to make it better. Then create something else using what you just learned. Rinse, repeat.

Getting work as a PA isn’t going to help the way you think it will. In fact, if you use that time trying to talk shop about shooting and editing, you won’t get re-hired. Being a PA is a tough job, and it’s crucial for the production to be able to function. It will teach you a lot about set protocol, how things run in a professional production, how to multitask, and how to manage logistics. It’s not the place to attach yourself to the director’s hip and ask constant questions.
 
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