Anyone ever get burnt out on Making Movies?

I will be totaly honest with you. I get a weird feeling before I direct or DP a film. I basically hit myself for taking the job and really dont want to do it. I cant really describe the feeling its kind of like stage fright without the actual fright. Then I get to set and within 20 minutes the feeling is gone and I am pumped.
 
lairhair said:
I will be totaly honest with you. I get a weird feeling before I direct or DP a film. I basically hit myself for taking the job and really dont want to do it. I cant really describe the feeling its kind of like stage fright without the actual fright. Then I get to set and within 20 minutes the feeling is gone and I am pumped.
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AKA Butterflies :2vrolijk_08:
 
lairhair said:
I will be totaly honest with you. I get a weird feeling before I direct or DP a film. I basically hit myself for taking the job and really dont want to do it. I cant really describe the feeling its kind of like stage fright without the actual fright. Then I get to set and within 20 minutes the feeling is gone and I am pumped.
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Man, I thought I was the only one that got that. It happened before I started shooting the film I'm finishing up now.
 
Good. Then I can finally make my post-apocalyptic war epic. And if there's not enough guns/soldiers...I'll just clone and repeat them in After Effects.
 
filthrich said:
LOL. When you get knocked I called dibs on your equipment and client list.
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You don't want my "clients".

"You don't know what it's like out there. You've never worked in the private sector; they expect results..."

Nah it's not a site to sell drugs (before Mods beat me down with ban stix), it's a site for our feature film SUPERSEEDS.

Here's the thing, Rich. And not saying that this is you or anyone else, but kicking out features like that might fatigue a lot of people, considering the returns and end result.

Again, this doesn't go for anyone in specific, but I think if I were kicking out low-to-no-budget features at a rate of two to three a year I would get burned out as well. Mostly because I can't see that many low-to-no-budget features being worth the effort in one year. I guess it's sort'a like playing three "eh" video games, seventy three hours a piece, in the span of a week n'a half.

In this day and age, video games have the ability to really impact a player's thought process. If you're blasting through three games in less than two weeks from beginning to end you may have to wonder "are these games great or just stuff to pass the time?"

At that point, I would get burned out on playing video games because there isn't enough return in it. Pretty much like playing one of the Hollywood Crap Fests like Transformers the Video game, versus Franchise games with serious salt like Resident Evil 5-- by the way which I am very proud to say I've invested 80hours plus of my life playing through over and over again.

Maybe the next feature you do should really take longer? Longer time writing the best script you can muster, longer time prepping for the best production you can, longer time in post tightening the shoe laces so it'll walk far without tripping over itself.

That sorta thing.

Anyway, yeah. Sell drugs, it's easier.
 
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Sounds like a classic case of burnout to me. Take some time off and re-evaluate your life. Not everyone is destined to be a filmmaker, I know I'm not. Ask yourself why you make films. What do you get from making them? I can do all of the technical end, which I really dig doing. But I am not a born storyteller. I think too many indie filmmakers like the process but at their root, they are not good storytellers.

Nothing wrong with NOT making films and you can still always keep your hand in it with peripheral disciplines like editing, cinematography, etc. In that way, you don't have to have the stress and worry about writing, producing and directing but can still be involved in the process. If you even care to.

The thing about filmmaking is that it is a starvation business that requires insane amounts of dedication and tenacity but unless you hit the lottery, you will starve and probably not have that much of a life. I have friends who have not nearly as inspiring jobs but they make more money, have more job security and overall, seem to enjoy life quite a bit. A good friend of mine owns a packaging business. He makes cardboard and packaging, pretty boring sounding to me, but he makes much more money than I ever will. He has a huge house, boat, half million dollar RV, takes all kinds of cool trips and he doesn't have to worry about money.

It just all depends on what drives you.

Dan
 
You have to be prepared to suffer for your art.

Although I personally prefer to make other people suffer, for mine.
 
lairhair said:
I will be totaly honest with you. I get a weird feeling before I direct or DP a film. I basically hit myself for taking the job and really dont want to do it. I cant really describe the feeling its kind of like stage fright without the actual fright. Then I get to set and within 20 minutes the feeling is gone and I am pumped.
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I enjoy being thrown into situations sideways... having to figure it out quickly on my feet... and most productions feel like that... I rarely get any really valuable information before I'm supposed to do whatever it is I was hired to do (sound or otherwise)... and as long as I get in a groove and feel good about my contributions to the project... I get pumped with confidence... but if the project is an un-thought-out disaster... I still try really hard to get the best possible result... but I have to cut the blue wire in my brain... and try not to feel the weight of the entire project on my shoulders.

Again... it's hard to describe... I never let anything go easily... and I drive myself nuts trying to be a perfectionist about everything...

Sometimes I'll shoot something ridiculous, against my better judgement, show up and the half-down payment isn't there... do the gig anyway because a friend is involved... and then never get paid for something that I shouldn't have bothered with in the first place.

That stuff burns me out... but what burns me out even more is listening to the exact same speeches from the exact same people telling me how close we are to making it really big because ______ is interested in this and ______ is going to be in it... and what am I going to do with my half of the huge check?
:2vrolijk_08:


I would 10x rather deal with people that say "hey man, I really believe in this project and I need your help... there's no money, but I'll be there when you need me in return"...

Amazingly... that is rarely heard or implied in this industry.
 
any creative venture has its ups and downs man, you have to have time to recharge, not let the negatives affect your drive, and power on!!!!!!!
 
In my line of work (set PA), it's pretty easy to get burned out. I've been working 100 hours a week for the past 10 weeks. It's nice to have a break from that every now and then!
 
filth, I was gonna PM you ASAP regarding your OP :grin:

But since this thread has been resurrected......

I'm not burnt out, far from it. And anything I do film-wise would be classified as a "hobby". But the addition of a newborn son has dramatically changed my life in regards to film making.

I recently put together a 3 minute film for a contest. In order to write, shoot and edit, everything has to be planned out and scheduled waaaay in advance. Factor in bad weather and the availability of crew and actors, and things get very frustrating.

Being a parent is new to me and I'm sure many on this board know the drill. It can have a huge impact on "getting the job done" both time-wise and financially. I don't know how I could ever handle putting together an independent feature. A short film is hard enough. Much respect to those who can make it happen.

Well, maybe when my son gets old enough he can hold the boom.
 
Big Bad said:
In my line of work (set PA), it's pretty easy to get burned out. I've been working 100 hours a week for the past 10 weeks. It's nice to have a break from that every now and then!
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You're picking up some good credits along the way, though...
 
Big Bad said:
In my line of work (set PA), it's pretty easy to get burned out. I've been working 100 hours a week for the past 10 weeks. It's nice to have a break from that every now and then!
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What is a set PA? I'm from up north in Canada, and I think we may have different terms for certain positions... would a set PA be similar to a Trainee A.D or a key PA for the locations department...?
 
filthrich said:
Man, I thought I was the only one that got that. It happened before I started shooting the film I'm finishing up now.
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Back when I used to shoot a lot, I would go through that freakout a few days before shooting as well. My wife physically slapped me once to snap me to my senses. It worked. Of course, she was also the producer...So when am I gonna see Derelict, anyway?
 
Batutta said:
Back when I used to shoot a lot, I would go through that freakout a few days before shooting as well. My wife physically slapped me once to snap me to my senses. It worked. Of course, she was also the producer...So when am I gonna see Derelict, anyway?
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LOL. I read Derelict again last week. I really want to shoot that. But there is no way I could pull it off right with money I'm working with. But that script is so on the table. I just hope I can rock it first before anyone else gets there hands on it.

there are some great thoughts running through this thread. It is really making me think about what exactly I want to do with it. I love making movies but like driting said, Some people just are not good story tellers and could have just as big an impact doing other things.

I love this place sometimes. :happy:
 
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