Tactfully turning down a gig?

[M49CT]

That's the beauty of any industry ... no one has to take any job they don't want to. But I never saw not working as a way to advance your career. Whether you love the project or not, chances are you'll learn something... and make a few bucks. Even artists have to eat.

I can see actors being picky .... but being behind the camera you can only improve your craft. This is just my opinion.... either way I wish everyone well in their careers

 

[The Sarlacc]

That's the beauty of any industry ... no one has to take any job they don't want to. But I never saw not working as a way to advance your career. Whether you love the project or not, chances are you'll learn something... and make a few bucks. Even artists have to eat.

I can see actors being picky .... but being behind the camera you can only improve your craft. This is just my opinion.... either way I wish everyone well in their careers

You can see it that. I don't.

You get pigeon holed in this business very quickly. You want to be the guy who gets the rep for being known as shooting anything that gets thrown at you...You'll end up on some of the worst shoots, with the worst scripts, and the worst people. And it will become harder to advance into the bigger world.

If you're gut is telling you a particular job is a bad idea I would listen. I can pass on a few bucks to go with a project I'm actually into.

 

[Goddard11]

Sometimes, if I'm asked to do something that I don't want to do (usually because of the quality of the final project), I simply am honest with them.

(I've been asked to help with several student films)

"I don't want to help you because its simply not the quality I'm looking for"

 

[ShannonRawls]

TELL THE TRUTH!

Basically tell them...."I'm not interested in doing a self referential and borderline vanity project chickflick.....that I don't think is was written very well."

You'll be surprised at how fast they'll want to hire you in the future when they learn the hard way that you were right all along.

trust me.

 

[The Sarlacc]

TELL THE TRUTH!

Basically tell them...."I'm not interested in doing a self referential and borderline vanity project chickflick.....that I don't think is was written very well."

trust me.

That might be a little toooooo honest. Specially if they are vain....
:beer:

 

[Eric H]

It seems a little early in my career (I've lit only around a dozen projects, including only 1 feature) to start getting picky, but like in Star Wars, I have a bad feeling about this.

hey there.......you want to be a shooter? then shoot. if you have moral issues with the material then that is one thing, but shoot everything you possibly can to gain experience. not every gig is going to be a feather in your hat. I pulled focus for Vilmos Zsigmond (yes, that Vilmos) on several occasions and on one shoot day we were chatting on the camera crane, getting ready to shoot an unbelievably boring shot in an unbelievably boring commercial, when he says to me.....Eric, there are films for the reel and films for the rent.....this is for the rent. he went on to say that when you want to start DP'ing then take it all as it comes....there are many things that you can never learn in Lighting books or film school.

I have taken this advice myself.

I say that one thing you can't learn except on set is...how to deal with set politics and all those fun things dealing with egos, actors, etc, etc.
If in the end you still don't want to do the job as a learning experience or for the money, then do yourself a favor......just say for whatever nice reason you can think of without hurting anyones feelings that you are not available. when you get to be big and famous or wealthy beyond belief, then you can piss off or insult people by telling them their script is not worth your time.

just my two cents.....
good luck,Eric

 

[M49CT]

You said it better than I could Eric .... or rather Vilmos did

 

[Domis Entertainment]

You should sleep with her...

wait a few days...

then call her up and tell her that your business relationship went down an unprofessional path and you cannot continue working with her at your level of integrity. :laugh::laugh::crybaby::laugh::laugh:

TELL THE TRUTH!

Basically tell them...."I'm not interested in doing a self referential and borderline vanity project chickflick.....that I don't think is was written very well."

You'll be surprised at how fast they'll want to hire you in the future when they learn the hard way that you were right all along.

trust me.

He's right....
If you are right on this one...the chick flick wont be a success and they will remember how "right" you were about it.

Id rather have my name absent from imdb.com than to have it attached to a crappy piece of work.

self referential

Nothing is worse than self referential art. Inside jokes/secret puns.....no one laughs except for the writer and his two friends who "had to be there" to "get" the "joke."