What do we do when we aren't making (or trying to) make a movie

lol

This is a great thread. I enjoy reading about the lives of fellow filmmakers.

Well, I havn't even got my camera yet. Hopefully will in the next month or so, once I get enough $$$.

Been Workin' hard to get my fill. Everybody wants a thrill. Payin' anything to roll the dice. Just one more time. Some will win. Some will lose. Some were born to sing the blues. Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on.........................................................

Sorry about that. I have a tendency to break into song spontaneously.

I work as a maintence guy at some crummy restaraunt making sh!t cash. Nuff said.

Ain't got no kids, no responsibilities. Live with my family, goins to college. 4 or 5 classes short of an associates.

I'm 20, almost 21. I feel old. I think I've wasted the last 20 years of my life, and i can't get 'em back. I have high hopes and low self esteem.

I'm lost. I'm afraid. I don't know what the future holds, and that scares the **** out of me. I know I want to be a filmmaker, and that's really all I have known. That's all I got. For some reason, lost on me, I choose the hardest profession to succeed in and decide to dedicate my every waking moment at trying to get there.

I spend my nights pacing around my room for hours on end, thinking about how I will one day achive my goal. Got holes in my socks. Don't sleep much anymore. Can't stop my mind from racin' away. Problem is, I can't catch up to it. I have obsessive compulsive disorder, real real bad. But it keeps me on my toes though.

Learning how to write a screenplay at the moment. Making a good deal of progress. Thinking up ideas for my first DVX short. God, it better turn out like gold.

I don't wanna be a moderate success. I wanna be among the best. I set extremely high goals for myself. Can't help it. When I fall, it's going to sting like a son of a *****, but I sure as hell ain't stayin' down (except if someone sees me fall, then i'll just lie there and pretend I'm dead. After the onlookers loose interest and go about their business, I'll pry myself off the ground.)

The average life span of an American is around 75 years or so. Well, I have 54 years to kick Cinema dead bang in the balls. I just hope it doesn't kick back. But, hey, so what if it does. I wouldn't have it any other way.

- God Speed
 
okay where should I start..

I'm 26, a swinger, single and looking for love in all the wrong places. Let me tell you, that grip truck doesn't have much room. Damn C-stands keeps poking me. :) Well, when I'm not making films I work at a Non profit organization basically teaching kids in the community graphic design and music production. It's a nice job to have since I'm doing something I love. Plus the area I live need more programs like this because it helps gives kids something to do and it gets off the streets. After 2 years working there, I think every kid and their grandma knows how to use photoshop. Instead of taggin on walls they can tag with a digital mouse.

I also forgot to mention that I'm nearly broke because I support my little brother and sister. I need to find me a rich women so I can marry her because she has a great personality. Well, besides working and being broke that's pretty much all I do, or at least want to share.. ;)

peace out!
 
Blue - I had no idea. That's a very inspirational story. Almost like an "Afterschool Special" on TV. You're doing good work, my friend. Keep it up.

Although I'm a little concerned what Photoshop lessons you're teaching those kids. "Students, now please use the magic wand and select the body of the transvestite. Now cut and paste it onto the head of our subject, TC." :) Is Pookie your substitute teacher. Nooooooooooo!!!!!
 
In my spare time when im not makin films. I pretty much jus hang out. Either with my friends or going out somewhere wit them or jus sittin around the house. And if im not doin that...Subway is taken over me. I sware to god...if a customer tells me to make a Hot Fresh and Toasted Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwhich..i will shoot my self in the face with a magnum. I always manage to burn the hell outta my hands when puttin the break in the toaster thing.

If not that...then im at football...getting bitched by my coach who is like 500 lbs of muscle and who will eat your face for lunch.

ORRRRRR......the best for last...pickin up chiiiiiiicks!! yeeeeeeee!!

But ne ways...besides going places..getting burned...tryin not to get your face eaten off and pickin up chicks....I be making movies. WORD!

later much
 
fwiw... When I'm not working on a project, I'm busy trying to book the next gig. Although I have some regular clients, I can't expect for jobs to fall in my lap. I feel I have to be proactive by calling on those clients as well as ones who have only used me once or twice. I can't afford to sit around and hope someone will call me with work. Instead, I try to stay networked as best I can.

Beyond that, I am working on a labor of love which is a website and multiple DVDs for a high school in Oklahoma. I will have approx 6 hours of *edited* video that will comprise a 2 (dual-layer) DVD project.

As I get older, I find myself wanting to do more projects of my own rather than just being a hired gun for others' shoots.
 
iamloser said:
..i'll second what thartley said. debt free is the way to go. my equipment costs me immeasurably more than alot of things people think are important.. like the car i drive which was 200.00 from a family member and is about as reliable as getting somewhere by trying to ride a frozen hot dog there right now. but .. its whatever your priorities lie with. my wife drives a nicer veh cause we need reliability for toting the kids around. i get new clothes maybe 2x a year and usually its somebody buying me them for christmas or my b- day. i dont eat out alot, i dont buy much of anything accept equipment.(and occasional other toys) one of my companies is a production co which pays all the equipment costs and then some, and i basically use that money to fund fillmaking and equipment costs. a couple months ago i budgeted and set a goal of an extra 18k to switch to HD with the HVX and have already pulled together more than half by taking on a little extra production work. im not filthy rich .. i just work hard and set goals and manage my priorities. youd be suprised at how much money you have already if you stop wasting it on alot of stuff you dont need. even one cup of coffee at some place a day is over 30.00 a month. eating out for lunch on weekdays is about 150.00 per month at 5.00 per day. buying movies for 20.00 that youll watch once or twice and couldve rented it 2x for alot cheaper and not had to store it and all for about 6.00. smoking... dont get me started on the money out the window. drinking out.. same thing. new clothes all the time.. haircuts- i do it myself or my wife does it, cool items.. you know like stupid little gadgets or items that are "in" but youll toss aside in a month or so and realy dont need.. on and on ect. ect. you just have to be smart with your money and put it where you want to put it. Im not saying you have to have no life and live out of a garbage can full of production equipment as your only possessions. i live comfortably and have all the stuff i need. i just dont buy compulsively or watse money on stuff that i dont need. occasionally yes we splurge and just chuck money outthe window, cause you just have to do that sometimes.. we just dont make "occasionally" an everyday thing.
Click to expand...


I have realized myself that sometimes spending all this money on gear isn't the greatest idea in the world. I think this advice is excellent to save money...but I think renting is a good idea unless you have a sound business plan in place. I hear 18 year olds on this board who have purchased a $4,000 camera and I'm just like wow.

And if you just HAVE to have a DVX-caliber camera as a hobbyist/amateur...Best advice I can give you is have other people "pay for your gear". I did a volunteer gig for a non-profit and they paid for the dvx, tripod and accessories which I later sold and got money which I have since invested. If this wouldn't have happened it would have been a financially reckless move to purchase this camera (I was 20 and in college).

Unless your making a steady flow of income with this gear, a $4,000 video camera and the load of accessories you buy for it (which can easily double or triple your investment in just the camera) is not a wise financial decision. I just think being poor sucks and your own well-being should be your priority.
 
I'm 17. I have been making movies since I was 13. I saved for two years and bought a DVX. I made money catering. I live in denver colorado.

As for things I do when I'm not making movies, I'm interested in quite a few other things. If you are looking for me there is a very good chance that I will be at my favorite local coffee shop, sipping matte, and reading whoever I happen to be interested in the time(currently Kerouac). It's a wonderful warmly lit independent coffee shop and it's a perfect location for my office as I often brainstorm music videos or write scripts with my ipod blazzin. This is all temporary though, I only have one more year before I finish high school, and I will be out of denver the second I do.

I will be applying to NYU tisch school of the arts this fall and hope to get in. The school has some ferocious competition but hopefully my reel will impress them enough. My safety is SVA, which is also located in NYC.

I will be headed towards NYC to start a life and pursue a career in music video moviemaking, attempting to follow the same roads as spike jonze and michel gondry some of my favorite filmmakers. I will make music videos until I feel confident enough to take on a feature.

-cody
 
Wow, there's a lot of sob stories here about people making lots of sacrifices to make films. Kind of makes me feel a little guilty. Isn't there anybody here who has regular video/movie jobs? Or do those guys not use DVX's?

scenedirector, my advice to you is to try to get a job in the video business if you can. Even if it's in the mailroom at a TV station or an assistant at a production company. At least you're getting paid, and you have a chance to learn about the business. It's always better to have someone else pay you to do what you love.

PK, I'm surprised you've been in Thailand 3 years and you don't speak the language. (You mentioned you couldn't understand a movie). You need to get out more! Next time you take a walk with Jessica Alba, try speaking Thai to her.
 
Yeah, you are most definitely right "Sumfun."
I really do need to look into it. But I am thinking hardcore in becoming an entrepreneur and try to get jobs to pay for the stuff. Plus I will be getting experience and meeting lots of people.


"CodyBrown," wow, I'm impressed. I wish I was in your shoes...to a degree. I was young like you not to long ago. I had an opportunity to move to Vancouver, BC and in all honesty, I chickened out and use lame ass excuses.
Now I'm sittng out in the middle of Kansas, yes it is like the Wizard of Oz, unmarried, but helping to raising a 1 year old little girl (that I would NEVER take back), and no where near where I thought I would be physically and professionally.

So I commend you on your focus and drive. I hope to see you come up the ranks. Good luck on your journey!
 
scenedirector said:
Yeah, you are most definitely right "Sumfun."
I really do need to look into it. But I am thinking hardcore in becoming an entrepreneur and try to get jobs to pay for the stuff. Plus I will be getting experience and meeting lots of people.
Click to expand...

I think being an entrepreneur is great, but if you don't have any experience and you're financially constrained, why not get someone else to pay you while you learn? This is akin to the apprenticeship system which has worked for thousands of years. It should help you a lot when you strike out on your own. Just my 2c.
 
Well said. If you're going to make mistakes (and you will make mistakes) better to make them on someone else's dime. :thumbsup:

Chris
 
SumFun - I do speak some of the language, but it's more fun to say I don't. (Self-depricating humor.) Besides, the Thai language is not something you can pick up in a few years. It's like starting from scratch. It's not like going from English to Spanish. It more like going from Earth to Mars. Also, when you're an English teacher most Thai people want to speak English with you (to pratice). So, typically, when I have a conversation with a Thai person, their speaking English and I'm speaking Thai. ...And because they're speaking bad English and I'm speaking bad Thai, we're able to understand each other.
 
natob2 said:
I have realized myself that sometimes spending all this money on gear isn't the greatest idea in the world. I think this advice is excellent to save money...but I think renting is a good idea unless you have a sound business plan in place. I hear 18 year olds on this board who have purchased a $4,000 camera and I'm just like wow.

And if you just HAVE to have a DVX-caliber camera as a hobbyist/amateur...Best advice I can give you is have other people "pay for your gear". I did a volunteer gig for a non-profit and they paid for the dvx, tripod and accessories which I later sold and got money which I have since invested. If this wouldn't have happened it would have been a financially reckless move to purchase this camera (I was 20 and in college).

Unless your making a steady flow of income with this gear, a $4,000 video camera and the load of accessories you buy for it (which can easily double or triple your investment in just the camera) is not a wise financial decision. I just think being poor sucks and your own well-being should be your priority.
Click to expand...

totally agreed. rest assured. my dvx and gear has been paid for numerous times by work done with it. being poor does suck, but choosing to spend your money on one thing vs another.. is just a choice.
 
natob2 said:
I have realized myself that sometimes spending all this money on gear isn't the greatest idea in the world. I think this advice is excellent to save money...but I think renting is a good idea unless you have a sound business plan in place. I hear 18 year olds on this board who have purchased a $4,000 camera and I'm just like wow.

And if you just HAVE to have a DVX-caliber camera as a hobbyist/amateur...Best advice I can give you is have other people "pay for your gear". I did a volunteer gig for a non-profit and they paid for the dvx, tripod and accessories which I later sold and got money which I have since invested. If this wouldn't have happened it would have been a financially reckless move to purchase this camera (I was 20 and in college).

Unless your making a steady flow of income with this gear, a $4,000 video camera and the load of accessories you buy for it (which can easily double or triple your investment in just the camera) is not a wise financial decision. I just think being poor sucks and your own well-being should be your priority.
Click to expand...

totally agreed. rest assured. my dvx and gear has been paid for numerous times by work done with it. being poor does suck, but choosing to spend your money on one thing vs another.. is just a choice. certainly not one i would make if it made me unhappy
 
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