Career dilemma of my own

M

mrWr0ng

Well-known member
I thought I would probably start a new thread for this.

Yesterday I interviewed at a really great production house. They're working on a few movies and looking for an editor PA. If I got the position, they said they would train me to be an assistant editor. But the length of the positio is 3.5 years, so I wouldn't move up until then.

It's a permanent position so I would be rock solid as far as job security goes, but what worries me is that i talked to a second assistant editor who started at my position 8 years ago and is now only a second A/E. The company is great so it has great employee retention which means... that if no one leaves, there isn't *really* room for growth. Maybe in a decade and a half I would be a first A/E, unless I really get a chance to shine (which could happen).

It's a great opportunity, but at my current position, I shoot and edit every week (it's C-Span style stuff so nothing creative, but it's technical), plus I set my own schedule and my own hours and can leave to go do my own thing anytime I please. I'm working on a feature-length nature documentary, an album and I write a new screenplay every couple of months, plus I can freelance (though the market sucks for me because I don't have the networking connections). I've got security to the end of the year.

So what do you guys think? Working in a pro film environment would be intense and lots of fun, but I don't foresee room for growth, and they talked about long hours and working weekends, which would mean no freelancing and maybe not even time to work on my own projects.

I'm thinking it might be better just to keep going the way I'm going, because I'm going my own path, making decent money (not as nice as there) but I have a better opportunity to do everything I want to do. If I take the job, it'll look fantastic on my resume but I have to give up my buffer zone now and won't be able to keep trying writing/directing/cinematography for 3 years and who knows what the market will look like then.

What do you guys think? The riskier, go-it-your-own-maybe-be-a-Robert-Rodriguez, or studio-setting-journeyman-maybe-room-for-growth?
 
That is a really tough call. There's this song and I agree with it's advice.

"You can lose your mind, maybe then your heart you'll find, I hope you won't give up what's moving you inside."

Do whatever will be worth it when you look back on life when it is all said and done.
 
First don't worry about the other guy who have been an assistant for 8 years, some people are assistant all their life, sometimes they don't have the talent not the will to go the extra mile, some just love what they do as an assistant and are quite happy that way. Also keep in mind that dues can be very high for certain jobs in the industry and in most cases there isn't any short cuts... My second advice is: take the job, but make sure that each hour is counted toward joining the Union. Once you are in the union your choices increase greatly, since you become part of a network. Also as you mention, resume.... One good job can lead to many more. Keep in mind that we are in an industry where most people go from one company to another every 2-3 years... The studio "thing" will give you an address book, some of today's P.A will be tomorrow's executives... Plus you don't have and probably will not stay 3 years... you can always go back to be a Robert Rodriguez if you don't like it. Take a chance...
 
First of all I have to ask. . . and feel free to not answer these questions

how old are you?
are you married, girlfriend?

If your young and free, I would say go for it. Be confident in your abilities, that is the most important thing. Think about that second AE, most likely he is a 2nd AE after working 8 years becuase that is what he is able to do, that is what he has shown his boss he is able to do.
As PA you have the ability to show people that you mean business. Grab every opportunity you can, work long hours, get stuff done on time, or before time to a level that is above what people expect of you. If you do that, I guarantee that in 8 years you will not be a second AE.
People in this industry like two things, a great work ethic and unbelievable natural ability. Some times to get those unbelievable results you need to work a few extra hours, but in the end it will pay off.

Now I ask the first two questions because;
If your young, working long hours and getting stuff done is easy.
If your not tied up :) (don't tell my wife I said that) working long hours and gettings stuff done is easy :)

I recently started working full time for a production company as the director of photography. I get to travel to great locations, have job security, meet lots of important people, and get creative freedom. Having security in a job doing something you love takes alot of work, but boy does it pay off in the end.

Good luck.
 
I've got a longterm gf (we just moved in together), but she's not worried if I take the job. She supports it because she knows how important this is to me - she actually lined it up through her own connections and would be happy if I could get her in somehow as well (she's interested in distribution, acquisition and editing)

I do mean business, and I think that there could definitely be unique opportunities I might seize on that others haven't, but the worker retention is a scary idea - if no one's willing to leave, I have to find my own way up instead of going a more normal route.

The other thing is, the openness of my current job - I do a little bit of traveling (locally), I film Ambassadors, Presidents, Journalists, though it's not creative. But I get to set my own hours - if I want to take off Wednesday - Friday to go shoot a gig in LA, I can, no questions asked. Nobody knows I'm there half the time, because I take care of my work. The last time I "saw" my boss was last week when he put in his notice to quit (he's moving to a consultant position and I would still be under him).

The freedom I have right now is incredible, which means I can keep working on my album, DP'ing my feature documentary and trying to pull together resources to direct my own live-action feature. If I go the studio route, I'm locked in where I'm at and may have to put in serious cuts on my personal projects as well as stop taking freelance gigs (though they are far and few between right now).

It is very tough. It may be that it's fate and fortune that I owuld take this gig, network and make resources and perhaps when I turn 30, break out and direct my own projects. Maybe someone there would see my screenplays and decide to give me a chance at writing as well. It's impossible to tell.
 
if the current job is good and you like it. If it pays good and you have the freedom to do other things, that sounds good to me. You just don't want to be stuck in some dead end job either. Do what you enjoy now when your young, child free. Work on your dreams now,,,,,believe me it is not easy later to try again.
 
Take the slot and see where you can go with it. You always have the option to leave and return to your original groove, if you find it doesn't go where you want...plus, you will have learned whatever they taught you there, and whatever contacts you make, that turn out to be portable.
 
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