Questions from a Beginner

[EP2005]

Three questions really...

When do you know when a project should be scrapped?

When you're a nobody and you're not getting paid, do you do a job even if you dont believe in it, just so you can keep a door open?

Do you deal with the crap a producer brings and just stick it out, or do you walk away from the person?

i never knew how hard it was working with other people until now...when everyone has a say in something, it seems to only make the project worse. And when something is so low budget, and each person thinks they know the "right" answer, i dunno, i never thought filmmaking was such a stressful job, and so far its really been a turn off...im hoping its just the people im working with now, and that finding people who believe the same things you do takes time.

 

[Owen]

When do you know when a project should be scrapped?

Oh you'll know! Seriously, when it starts to physically or emotionally harm you it's time to get out. There are a lot of other reasons to scrap a project, so it's really case by case.

When you're a nobody and you're not getting paid, do you do a job even if you dont believe in it, just so you can keep a door open?

If that door has any hint of benefit behind it, yes. Don't blur the line between a project you simply don't believe in and a project that you find morally/ethically wrong. You certainly don't have to believe in Joe Schmoe's zombie film, but you might benefit from the experience of working on a set where someone ELSE is burning the cash before you are in charge of your own.

Do you deal with the crap a producer brings and just stick it out, or do you walk away from the person?

Again, it depends on what that crap is. If it's general producer crap, then yeah... you deal. You also think twice before getting involved in a project with that producer the next time around.

i never knew how hard it was working with other people until now...when everyone has a say in something, it seems to only make the project worse. And when something is so low budget, and each person thinks they know the "right" answer, i dunno, i never thought filmmaking was such a stressful job, and so far its really been a turn off...im hoping its just the people im working with now, and that finding people who believe the same things you do takes time.

I don't know your current situation, but you are right to be frustrated if you are on a set where "everybody" has a say. If it's just crew doing their job and providing their appropriate input that's different, but if you are experiencing a case of "everybody's a director" then that isn't how it should be.

Filmmaking IS a very stressful job, but the rewards are just as incredible. It does take time to find people you click with. It also takes time to find people who have gotten over their imagined image of the film set being a "glamourous" place and have moved to the level of accepting that it's actually hard work that often comes with far from instant gratification. I've had so many people offer to come "help out" on a set only to realize an hour into the day that they aren't going to be sitting in a fancy trailer eating candy and chatting with famous actors.

Anyhoo... you could write volumes in response to the few questions you've posed here, but I think the answers are really something that have to do with personal experience and learning more about yourself and the ways in which you interact best with other people.

 

[RichardVClark]

Thanks for the words owen (I was in the same situation as ep2005 about a week ago)

 

[korepsych]

One thing that I have to say from my own experience is that the people who are stingy or not cool to work with generally never change. The people who don't pay you money or try to show some gratitude and appreciation for your hard work typically never DO want to pay you... they will always want you to work for free. Also, even if you are nothing, you won't become something if you take the mentality that you should take someone's crap because you are nobody. If you respect yourself, you CHOOSE who you want to work with, because in the end it's YOUR decision... take control of your own future.