Screen Acting As A 'Horrible Profession'?

And as soon as we can get 5 good prod companies that produce movies regularly, I'm sure we won't loose many people to LA anymore.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or you can come to LA where there is immensely more opportunity to work. I dont care if you come to LA or not. Not true. I wish people would stay out. But to say you can have the same opportunity anywhere? It's just not so.

What you are making is excuses to not come to LA. When you have an entire industry here with 1000s of agencies and 1000s of casting sessions a day for 95+% of the movies being made in the country as well as TV and a very healthy stage community.... and you are waiting for FIVE production companies to make it to Atlanta? What?

The fewer transplants we have, the better, though. Tommy is enough to deal with.
 
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GageFX said:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or you can come to LA where there is immensely more opportunity to work. I dont care if you come to LA or not. Not true. I wish people would stay out. But to say you can have the same opportunity anywhere? It's just not so.

What you are making is excuses to not come to LA. When you have an entire industry here with 1000s of agencies and 1000s of casting sessions a day for 95+% of the movies being made in the country as well as TV and a very healthy stage community.... and you are waiting for FIVE production companies to make it to Atlanta? What?

The fewer transplants we have, the better, though. Tommy is enough to deal with.
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Do your own thing. But I feel like you have to have a plan. RRodriguez, George Lucas, Spike Lee and many others have found their way outside of LA. To say you have to stay in LA is crazy. Good work is good work, it doesn't matter where it's coming from. More movies are starting to be made overseas and in Canada as we speak. I'm not saying LA is dead, I'm just saying there are lots of opportunities - you just have to get off your butt and go find them.

Talking like that is like a company who makes 35mm Film Cameras. Everyone's talking Digital, but they keep hiding behind 35mm. As the gap closes, they don't pay attention until one day no one's buying 35mm anymore and now they have to quickly try to play catch up.

It doesn't bother me that you'll feel that way. I think LA is great in a lot of ways. But I don't think it's the only way.
 
Tom Marshall said:
ATL isn't open yet. They only have four production companies.
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Actually Atlanta has a few great production companies here. Unfortunately they are not producing enough films on the regular. Right now Atlanta pretty much controls the market for African-American cinema. And soon, I'm sure many other films will follow. North Carolina is putting out lots of films, along with Louisianna (the other LA). So the Southeast is growing, we took over music while the North East and the West Cost were battling over stupid things, don't under estimate us on movies. Many of us have our eyes on hollywood, and once enough capital and ideas are in place, we may be able to give LA a little run for their money.
 
jls4 said:
Actually Atlanta has a few great production companies here. Unfortunately they are not producing enough films on the regular. Right now Atlanta pretty much controls the market for African-American cinema. And soon, I'm sure many other films will follow. North Carolina is putting out lots of films, along with Louisianna (the other LA). So the Southeast is growing, we took over music while the North East and the West Cost were battling over stupid things, don't under estimate us on movies. Many of us have our eyes on hollywood, and once enough capital and ideas are in place, we may be able to give LA a little run for their money.
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You did take over rap music for sure. Damn soulja boy. :Drogar-Smoke(DBG): I go to LA once a year just to hang out. There is no way I could live there though. It is waaaay too expensive. You can make movies anywhere and If you're good enough Hollywood will come to you.
 
filthrich said:
You did take over rap music for sure. Damn soulja boy. :Drogar-Smoke(DBG): I go to LA once a year just to hang out. There is no way I could live there though. It is waaaay too expensive. You can make movies anywhere and If you're good enough Hollywood will come to you.
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Don't get me started on Soulja boy. But music really took off with LA and Babyface (LaFace Records). They got so many contracts OutKast, TLC, then Jermaine Dupree appeared with So So Def. And what happens when you get a few that are starting something, more investors pay attention to that area, so more opportunities pop up for people in that region. That's why it's importaint for Atlanta to have several companies that are producing many films. When ATL gets about 4 to 6 movies hitting the Box Office each year, (right now were averaging about 2) then you can bet people will start paying attention. Tyler Perry is making movies with grosses of over 60 and 70 million, then you have Rainforest who tries - and have succeeded in a few movies like "Stomp the Yard", and smaller groups like Pop Films who are up and coming (The Signal). So people can laugh all they want, but the Atlanta community is getting stronger everyday.
 
JLS, I'm not knocking ATL and it's easy to get defensive, but seriously, if you want to act, does it make sense to live in a place that is producing 1000s and 1000s of movies a year, or a place that is making two? TWO!!!

It's like a mechanic that lives in a town that has only two cars. AND has 10 other mechanics. You might love your town and want to stay, and that's fine, but if you want to be a mechanic, go to where the cars are. Dont say "hey, next year we might get another car" to justify it being a good idea to stay.
 
GageFX said:
JLS, I'm not knocking ATL and it's easy to get defensive, but seriously, if you want to act, does it make sense to live in a place that is producing 1000s and 1000s of movies a year, or a place that is making two? TWO!!!

It's like a mechanic that lives in a town that has only two cars. AND has 10 other mechanics. You might love your town and want to stay, and that's fine, but if you want to be a mechanic, go to where the cars are. Dont say "hey, next year we might get another car" to justify it being a good idea to stay.
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I encouage all my actors to make the LA move when it's time for them. They quickly outgrow Atlanta. So I'm agreeing with you that right now it's best. But first and foremost I'm not an actor. So I have no need to leave. I can always pull actors to any city I choose when I'm ready to shoot.

My first point, which I guess got confused, since I write all over this board, is that Actors must take charge of their own careers. And that's what I don't see them doing. If you are say... Jude Law and you were on the top of the world for 7 years, but then your opportunities started drying up. then why don't you get out and try to push yourself - produce your own movies and take control of your life - H$ll you're Jude Law! Well most actors don't think that way. They are kinda looking for someone to ALWAYS open a door for them.

If an actor can't come to LA or even if they are there. Either way, I encourage them to push themselves. I tell all my actors, if no one else is putting you in a movie - put your own D$mn self in a movie - and stop whinning. :)

But maybe I'm being more of a butt-hole because as a producer I don't see limitations. Maybe actors don't feel that way and since I'm in an acting place on the board, I should think differently.
 
For a lot of actors, that's like saying "OK, you get bad gas mileage. Go drill for oil and refine your own gasoline. Why are you so lazy?" Or "You don't like the way Photoshop works? Develop your own graphics program. Why are you so lazy?"

And as for Atlanta being good for you, sure. A lot of stuff is filmed outside of Los Angeles (mainly to save money), but things *happen* here as far as casting / auditioning, etc... Probably 99% of the major film roles are cast in Los Angeles. If someone just wants to be in a movie as an extra, then fine, stay wherever you are. Anyone can be an extra...
 
Tom Marshall said:
For a lot of actors, that's like saying "OK, you get bad gas mileage. Go drill for oil and refine your own gasoline. Why are you so lazy?" Or "You don't like the way Photoshop works? Develop your own graphics program. Why are you so lazy?"

And as for Atlanta being good for you, sure. A lot of stuff is filmed outside of Los Angeles (mainly to save money), but things *happen* here as far as casting / auditioning, etc... Probably 99% of the major film roles are cast in Los Angeles. If someone just wants to be in a movie as an extra, then fine, stay wherever you are. Anyone can be an extra...
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D$ng - some serious animosity. But maybe I deserve it because like I said in the earlier post I'm not an actor so maybe I don't understand. But it's funny what about drilling or programming. The reason is because that IS my personality. If I don't like something, I complain for a while then I try to do it. I don't whine about it forever. If you're going to sit there and whine - why not try to fix the problem. You use just as much energy. When I see a problem, that's exactly how I act. "How can we make this better?" "How can we make people happier - do bigger things?"

One of the reasons why I want to be a director/producer is because I don't like many movies that come out of Hollywood. Maybe that's a "producer's personality" see a wall - figure out how to break it down.
 
My intentions weren't cruel. I'm just pointing out that it's not possible for a lot of actors to produce their own stuff. I was saying it has nothing to do with a lack of wanting to do something, but rather the lack of ability.

Also, you have to put a LOT into a role to really nail it and if you're producing, you're seriously taking away from the role and the character and it will show. A lot of actors just want to focus 100% on acting and not deal with anything else.

It's completely a producer's personality. An actor is much more interested in characters and really bringing himself into the role. When I watch a film, I can't really pay attention to the plot, honestly. I'm too interested in the characters and choices that the actors are making, the interactions between them. I'm also working out in my head how I would play the role and what I would do to bring myself into the character.
 
Tom Marshall said:
My intentions weren't cruel. I'm just pointing out that it's not possible for a lot of actors to produce their own stuff. I was saying it has nothing to do with a lack of wanting to do something, but rather the lack of ability.

Also, you have to put a LOT into a role to really nail it and if you're producing, you're seriously taking away from the role and the character and it will show. A lot of actors just want to focus 100% on acting and not deal with anything else.

It's completely a producer's personality. An actor is much more interested in characters and really bringing himself into the role. When I watch a film, I can't really pay attention to the plot, honestly. I'm too interested in the characters and choices that the actors are making, the interactions between them. I'm also working out in my head how I would play the role and what I would do to bring myself into the character.
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I'm really glad to be talking to you though. Many of my actors clam-up when it comes to talking about the "why" they do different things. i've tried to get actors in other forums to talk about this and that - but they never want to. If I'm to understand actors - I need to know what's in their heads. So it's helpful to me - to see the world through actors eyes.

One of the actors in my movie knows I'm constantly pushing him to produce something. I even said "hey go find the money and I'll shot it for you." Then he gives me a look like "and you think that's easy?" And while I DON'T think finding money is easy - as an indie you do so much work and hustle every minute - so basically I don't think actors and producers really understand each other.

Maybe if we ever meet in person, I can buy you coffee and we can talk about it. But I'm going to shy away from an Internet recording that could be taken against me when I'm a millionaire. :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG):Drogar-SunGlass(DBG
 
I've been on both sides of the camera so I think I can appreciate both processes rather than be one sided. I'm glad I directed a short. It went absolutely nowhere (and is actually still on tapes). I'm not really that interested in the final product because, frankly, it's going to suck. :) That and I have zero interest in directing anything again. It's just not my thing.

But what you're talking about is why I really wanted to get an actor forum started here. There's a huge miscommunication between the different sides of the camera and, hopefully, one learning from the other and vice-versa will really help both.

I think the whole reason different careers exist is to cater to different thinking processes. You have engineering fields, which producing is almost akin to. Then you have history degrees, economics, language, etc. People, in general, aren't really that good at many different fields. That's a good thing though. For someone to excel at one while someone else excels at another is part of how a great team works. That's how it is with filmmaking. You (ideally) have people who are great in all departments and aren't just a "jack-of-all-traits" sort of person.
 
Tom Marshall said:
You have engineering fields, which producing is almost akin to.
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:huh:

I'm an engineer of sorts (software). I have also produced stage plays. I don't think producing is anything like engineering. It is somewhat like managing, though, which is why I don't produce any more.

Tom Marshall said:
Then you have history degrees, economics, language, etc. People, in general, aren't really that good at many different fields. That's a good thing though. For someone to excel at one while someone else excels at another is part of how a great team works. That's how it is with filmmaking. You (ideally) have people who are great in all departments and aren't just a "jack-of-all-traits" sort of person.
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I couldn't agree more.
 
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