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I am forums Maybe you are too! If I have learned anything from being in subreddits and facebook groups for working below-the-line crew, it's that 1. There are way more of us than I ever imagined, and 2. We are as online as any other kind of profession, and equally tedious But YOU'RE not tedious! You're here! Are you a Set PA, holding lockups, getting screamed at by Do you want to talk about how there's no work right now and hasn't been for over a year? Pretty lame topic, BUT LET'S RAP ABOUT IT. Do you have dumb questions about THE BIZ? Ask em! I'm a dumbass, but maybe someone else around here can help if I can't. Mods, I'm posting this in CineD because that's where I asked if such a thread already existed, feel free to move my rear end anywhere you see fit.
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Mar 23, 2024 00:35
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What do I do? I was a production coordinator on small features for years before doing a couple of Production Management jobs I had no business doing, burning out, not answering the phone for months, getting an EMT cert, and working as a set medic (best job on set, IMO). During the strikes I've been riding an ambulance, but I'm about to start back in the production office on big network TV gig which I'm lucky to have. I came up through the production office. My first job was as an Office PA on a $10 million indie shooting in a very rural area, where I lived. Fell rear end-backwards into that after working local news. After that, I moved to L.A. to work, though I've since worked in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia, maybe other places, who can remember. It is a weird kind of career to have, and my enthusiasm has definitely waxed and waned over the years. There's a lot of awful things about it, but it's hard to beat for sheer novelty on the job. TadBradley fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Mar 23, 2024 |
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Mar 23, 2024 00:37
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This year has sucked but it's hotting up where I am (Bristol, UK). We've no less than 3 separate Agatha Christies rolling into town. The rolling hills, stately homes combined with proximity to London (because get real, 90% of actors still live there and if you shoot in Newcastle your train budget is astronomical. I've been an AD for ten years this summer, starting out as a Floor Runner, which is the UK term for a set PA. Four years doing that, then 3 as 3rd AD (UK for 2nd 2nd AD....not sure on the logic of that one). Then during the post lockdown covid boom in 2021 I got the bump up to 2nd AD. Mainly work in high end British TV and indie feature films. I've dabbled in major Hollywood but those AD teams are locked up tight and it can be a horrible environment. Been thinking a lot about the psychology of departments and how certain people gravitate towards certain areas. Do they start like that or do they become that due to exposure to their department? Examples include script supervisors by and large being neurotic middle aged women. Sound team with a persecution complex ('no one cares about sound...'). The gender imbalance of costume and makeup teams, and the pay discrepancies that go along with that. Arrogant ADs. Phew. It's a lot but this is a subject I can barely stop talking about in real life. I'm very one note. I'm excited to see other perspectives in this thread and practical advice maybe too.
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Mar 23, 2024 00:52
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a lovely king posted:This year has sucked but it's hotting up where I am (Bristol, UK). We've no less than 3 separate Agatha Christies rolling into town. The rolling hills, stately homes combined with proximity to London (because get real, 90% of actors still live there and if you shoot in Newcastle your train budget is astronomical. What drew you to this world? Did you have creative ambitions early on? Any desire to move up to a 1st AD, or would you rather live a long life? Is that stereotype even a thing in the UK?
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Mar 23, 2024 01:11
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Hi I occasionally work as a location sound-mixer/boom op and also sometimes write and direct my own no-budget stuff. I sorta fell into soundwork. Bought decent sound gear for a YouTube channel I had and then all my friends who were in film school got me to work on their shorts because my gear was better than what the school had. Which eventually lead to payed gigs. Then I got my first feature gig in the summer of 2020 because COVID had delayed every single production and then they all restarted at the same time so I was apparently the only soundman available in the entire country. It was fun and so well organized that we only went over 10 hours once and did a whole film in 14 days despite a mega low budget. FreudianSlippers fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Mar 25, 2024 |
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Mar 25, 2024 03:30
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Hello! I have a very bouncing-around-Plinko-style industry career. I got my MFA in 3D animation back in the early 2000s and got hired on at a production company doing a PBS children's show. I was actually hired on as a PA at first and got tons of experience basically doing G'n'E work. Definitely not PA stuff. I did prep for a month and then was a swing during the whole production. After the shoot I was hired on full time to aid in the animation ("Lomax: The Hound of Music"...it had 1 season ha). Also did some work on Between the Lions. My goal was always VFX and the production company's goal was always to produce our own stuff. After getting hired we started on our first feature with a very modest $500k budget. It was a PG-13 teen horror romp that wasn't very good. BUT it provided tons of good experience. I wasn't actually supposed to be on set for production (just post) but ended up filling in as key PA after someone dropped. That was fun except super frigidly cold. Mostly outdoor night shoots and this was during a 10 degree cold snap in rural Mississippi. I also ended up getting to 1st AD during our reshoots. Great experience. I helped with VFX on that and it was awesome. Shortly after that our production company merged with an ad agency as their production arm and my career swerved into the VFX and motion graphics industry for mostly commercial work. The production company still existed as an IP holding company and we worked with all of the films coming through Mississippi to aid in walking them through our incentive. MS has a pretty robust 25-30% *cash back* (not tax incentive) program for productions (film and episodic) over $50k as well as games and interactive industries. That work is still going on and is actually stronger than ever believe it or not. But back to 2010 - while still working at the ad agency, the movies that were coming through that we dealt with (mostly in the smaller $3M-15M range with some even smaller $500k-1m in there every once in a while) always needed some level of post. So, in addition to my ad agency work, I got to do some level of VFX (from just "additional" to main level work and even being on set supe from time to time for LA studios that were doing the work) on about 7 or 8 films through those years. I also moved up to creative director at the agency (over the course of about 8 years) and go to do tons of directing as well for our live action stuff. It was a very well rounded experience getting to do tons of different jobs on actual "real" sized productions. Probably my favorite was Octavia Spencer's "Ma" - maybe not a great film, but an absolutely blast on set. Octavia Spencer is an absolute gem and is just as nice as you'd expect her to be. I spent a lot of time on that set shadowing the super from the post production company in LA. I got to actually do a lot of cleanup VFX work on that which was useful in terms of getting use to fitting into a larger pipeline. I also did a lot of the digital onset props. I created a wide range of real facebook and instagram functioning prototypes for them to use onset so Octavia Spencer isn't trying to use a blank phone and guess where things are. (and then I got to do the replacement work when it all changed in post lol). That actually led to a further side gig of doing more digital propwork for a few more movies (Queen & Slim, Deep Water and some others). Then COVID hit and I haven't heard from the propmaster that got me those gigs. Hope he's doing well. Anyway from there, I eventually moved away to North Carolina to be closer to my aging parents. I'm a creative director at a production company that does work for larger tech and pharma brands, but we also have a hugely booming immersive department that's doing some super exciting work. None of which I can talk about really. I still dabble in my VFX work from time to time, bust mostly when I'm just mentoring the younger kids on what to do.
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Mar 25, 2024 15:10
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BonoMan posted:Hello! I had no idea Mississippi had such a robusto incentive! I'm from Arkansas, and when I moved to L.A. I don't even think I was aware there was a scene in New Orleans at the time, much less Mississippi. This was back when Louisiana was the tax incentive belle of the ball. Some part of me wishes I'd stuck around down south, I might own a house at least. I guess even if I had known about NOLA or Baton Rouge or Atlanta, I probably would have come west. Gotta have my vague, early twenties film school "genius" recognized by the important people, you know.
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Mar 25, 2024 21:55
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TadBradley posted:I had no idea Mississippi had such a robusto incentive! I'm from Arkansas, and when I moved to L.A. I don't even think I was aware there was a scene in New Orleans at the time, much less Mississippi. This was back when Louisiana was the tax incentive belle of the ball. Some part of me wishes I'd stuck around down south, I might own a house at least. Yeah it's pretty big! It's 25% and 30% if you can utilize more local crew and spends. Of course the biggest issue is that Mississippi doesn't have a huge crew base so they usually come up from NOLA. But that's kind of part of the attraction now... I think NOLA is getting back on its feet a little and so you have two nice incentives side by side with more cash back (and some location variety) in MS and then crew and tax incentive in NOLA. Lots of different locales with the gulf being there too. It's a nice spot! Never going to be Atlanta but it's got a niche carved o And yeah I would totally have gone to LA if I were you. Even if you eventually move back. It's still the best place to go at least network and get a solid foundation even if you do move back. The most successful people I know from Mississippi (one is a great actor and upcoming director - he's in Dream Scenario and the other is a super talented VFX guy that is the Unreal lead on Francis Ford Coppola's new epic Megalopolis) both went out to LA. So...it's worth it. BonoMan fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Mar 26, 2024 |
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Mar 26, 2024 00:27
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Not sure how many folks are US-based, but it feels meaningful that I received two different availability checks for features last week. Maybe, just maybe, things are picking up. And that's in addition to the job I got. I gotta think I'm not the first name on too many bosses' lists, so that bodes well.
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Mar 30, 2024 09:26
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TadBradley posted:Not sure how many folks are US-based, but it feels meaningful that I received two different availability checks for features last week. Maybe, just maybe, things are picking up. And that's in addition to the job I got. I've been out of work except small bits for 6 months (the US strikes had a huge knock on effect on the UK industry) and suddenly on one day last week I had two separate work calls and an availability check email. Had to do the awkward thing where you tell the less desirable show to hold off until you know if the better show is gonna hire you. Fortunately being up front with everyone is the best policy really, they all said they'd do the same. Start a new show next week and all the stories about its first season were total nightmares. Apparently the lead star and writer has been to rehab since so she'll be...better??
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Mar 30, 2024 11:51
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Things in NYC have been pretty slow to recover, it sucks. I’m working enough to get by but there’s a fair amount of people who have barely worked since the strike.
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Mar 30, 2024 12:22
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My start date got pushed back two weeks. The producer 3 or 4 rungs above me got shitcanned, so now it seems like the new producer has it out for my whole department because she wants to bring her own people in. The new producer has apparently been asking other departments about whether my boss is good enough for the job (mind you, this is in early prep). I forget how stupid the politics can get on these big budget shows.
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Apr 8, 2024 04:54
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a lovely king posted:I've been out of work except small bits for 6 months (the US strikes had a huge knock on effect on the UK industry) and suddenly on one day last week I had two separate work calls and an availability check email. Had to do the awkward thing where you tell the less desirable show to hold off until you know if the better show is gonna hire you. Hopefully it's not too unreasonable for you as I think I know what horror stories your referring too.
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Apr 8, 2024 15:44
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I'm a music supervisor. I mostly just send emails but I do get to work with some cool musicians. A lot of times the directors already know what they want so I just handle paperwork but theres a movie for Netflix coming out sometime in the next year or two where I got to have a lot of creative input on the music and score
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Apr 8, 2024 19:45
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PriorMarcus posted:Hopefully it's not too unreasonable for you as I think I know what horror stories your referring too. Lol had no idea it'd be so identifiable from the small info I put in there. Unfortunately honesty was not the best policy as it turned out they hired someone else while they were waiting for me to speak to the other job. And the other job went to someone else too. Plot twist the 2nd job then got back to me to offer it to me but the rate was too low so now I'm waiting for them to up it and reoffer it to me (which they may not but the boss assures me hey probably will do..). What a roller-coaster this industry is.
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Apr 8, 2024 20:39
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Fighting Elegy posted:I'm a music supervisor. I mostly just send emails but I do get to work with some cool musicians. A lot of times the directors already know what they want so I just handle paperwork but theres a movie for Netflix coming out sometime in the next year or two where I got to have a lot of creative input on the music and score Is it true a cue license (not master) for Fly Me To The Moon is like $750k for each usage?
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Apr 11, 2024 17:15
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I'm in vfx, and have been for a total of 4 years. I started in kids tv animation in 2014 with the goal of eventually getting into fully animated features. But thats a job pretty much every animator under the sun wants to get, so I found it easier to find a gig in vfx, which allows for the same high level of animation but integrated with live action. The first vfx film I worked on we did 80 hour weeks for 6-8 months, the film bombed, the studio closed, covid happened and no one had any vfx work for 1.5 years, and I went back to kids tv for a while. Then the boom of 2022 happened, I went back to vfx, things were great sorta but very very busy and more chaotic than they should have been, then the strikes happened and I kept my job but watched 90% of my friends get laid off and be without work for about a year now. Being in vfx is pretty interesting, you really get to see how the sausage is made and I've gotten a chance to contribute to some huge movies. But vfx companies don't have "profit margins", so to speak. So they are attempting to get profit margins by sending everything to India. It has been a pretty fun job overall though, which is why the fact that it might go away soon (in the next 3-5 years either due to outsourcing or AI) is sad. Ccs fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Apr 16, 2024 |
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Apr 12, 2024 04:08
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Really depends on how the strike goes. Being heavily unionized is going to make less appealing to automate with bad robotic guessing. https://www.wheresyoured.at/bubble-trouble/ Ed Zitron helps me keep calm about ‘everything going AI’ anytime soon.
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Apr 16, 2024 19:17
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Golden Bee posted:Really depends on how the strike goes. Being heavily unionized is going to make less appealing to automate with bad robotic guessing. Ed Zitron has been a balm during all this AI hype garbage. I feel like I have sufficient reassurance that AI's never going to be able to make movies or TV that people can stomach (yay?). What worries me is that, during this bubble window where the Sam Altmans of the world are promising ANY DAY NOW that they will be able to make good content with these tools, that large swaths of this industry (labor, capital, supporting vendors) will just take their ball and go home. People on set constantly talk about Sora, and how Tyler Perry saw the demonstration and canceled the construction of a new studio. I think that's the thinnest possible pretense for doing what he wanted to do anyway (namely, NOT build a studio during a downturn that has left all studios wide open). But excuse or no, that's one less big bet on the future of our industry. When capital believes the Model T is around the corner, nobody wants to be the last guy investing in buggy factories, no matter how bad people need buggies. Dawg, people need those buggies! The local AMC is like, half Fathom Events or other sketchy four-walling these days. Release some loving movies, guys!
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Apr 16, 2024 20:48
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Hi folks, During film school, I fell in love with Korean cinema, and decided to try to get work over there as some kind of Christopher Doyle-wanna be. Took me four or five years, but after some absolutely lovely attempts at doing indie stuff and being 'creative', I managed to get into the commercial industry there as a camera assistant and eventually focus puller, and from there, was working on films and TV dramas. Did that for about seven years. My wife and I decided to move away from Korea in 2017, and we ended up in Norway. The industry here is super close knit and everybody knows everybody. Camera teams are way smaller here, and so it was super tough for me to get a job as a focus puller or even as a regular camera assistant (the job is also a bit different here than what I was used to/enjoyed). I got into the lighting department (grip here is only camera related stuff, so we do stands and flags as well) and have been working pretty steadily on television and films here since then, usually as just an electrician, but have done a couple series as best boy as well. Got my C truck license and certification for person lifts (don't know what they're called in English, but those electric lift things people use to rig). The last year has been absolutely devestatingly slow. Corona came and went by here pretty fast, and Norway was one of the first countries to start filming, and 2021 was actually the best earnings year I've ever had. I think a ton of production companies just overspent, and the industry here can only support so much. I'm only available to work until June this year, and then I'm staying home to watch the new(ish) baby until he's old enough to go to day care. If the industry doesn't improve by Septemberish, that may be the signal that I need to finally get A Real Job. I love the work so much, and it is incredibly tempting to move back to Korea, where there is a lot more work, but three kids makes it tough.
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Apr 16, 2024 22:00
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How's the difference in on-set craft services between Norway and Korea?
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Apr 16, 2024 22:05
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FreudianSlippers posted:How's the difference in on-set craft services between Norway and Korea? I think the biggest difference was the almost total lack of healthy snacks. It was basically snack foods, cookies, crackers, chocopies, instant noodles, tea, coffee, and water. Fruit is super expensive in Korea, so I get it, but it was disappointing. Meals tended to be eaten at restaurants instead of catered like it is here. I guess that means generally it was a higher quality level, since you'd get two decent meals, instead of boxed poo poo, but if you had any special dietary needs, it was a pain in the rear end.
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Apr 16, 2024 22:14
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Momonari kun posted:I think the biggest difference was the almost total lack of healthy snacks. It was basically snack foods, cookies, crackers, chocopies, instant noodles, tea, coffee, and water. Fruit is super expensive in Korea, so I get it, but it was disappointing. Meals tended to be eaten at restaurants instead of catered like it is here. I guess that means generally it was a higher quality level, since you'd get two decent meals, instead of boxed poo poo, but if you had any special dietary needs, it was a pain in the rear end. In the UK only the very largest American films or TV have anything resembling craft. Otherwise we have an often extremely sad tea and coffee table that is maintained by the ADs (!) and almost always falls into instant disrepair. Boxed biscuits, a basket of fruit and some crisps if you're on a show with a bit of cash to splash. If not, I hope you like the 'oops, all digestives' value pack of biscuits. I'm also extremely into Korean cinema. Both Park Chan-Wook and Bong Joon-Ho shot in the UK since I joined the industry and I was gutted I didn't get on them, even for dailies. Had some friends on the Park series and they were in awe. Are you fluent in Korean? Was there any particular obstacles or requirements you had to go through to enter the industry there? I'd be interested to hear more about the specifics of how you actually landed a job there.
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Apr 16, 2024 23:48
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a lovely king posted:In the UK only the very largest American films or TV have anything resembling craft. Norwegian craft service is usually coffee, tea, saft (like a watered down juice), fruit, maybe veggies, bread, sandwich stuff, crisp bread, and the infamous tubed cheese, mayo, and caviar. Biggest difference here is that they understand not everybody eats the same. Gluten free/vegan/whatever is possible, where it was basically impossible in Korea. quote:I'm also extremely into Korean cinema. Both Park Chan-Wook and Bong Joon-Ho shot in the UK since I joined the industry and I was gutted I didn't get on them, even for dailies. Had some friends on the Park series and they were in awe. I was almost on Okja as fourth AC on B cam, but all the cam ops and first ACs that wanted to go down a level to work with Darius Khondji pushed me out of that. Yes, fluency in Korean is a must if you want to escape the foreigner bubble. There's a ton of stuff happening in Korea that you just won't get a chance on if you don't speak the language. There are foreign productions but the overall level of English is not there and you will always be on the outside. That and your visa is important. Almost impossible to get a finding work visa so your best bet is to find a production you want to work on and get a visa through that. Doing that is also probably insanely tough if you are not experienced (both in film and in living in Korea) or get lucky. Maybe enroll in film school or start a business and invoice yourself out to productions (that's how I did it in Norway as a non European). I have Korean citizenship (I'm a white american by birth) so the visa wasn't an issue for me. Getting that first job was the problem.
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Apr 18, 2024 10:06
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I heard shoot days in LA are back to early 2021 levels, and all the soundstages in montreal are booked right now. They were even shooting the new karate kid near me yesterday and today. Are movies back? In vfx i doubt we'll feel the effect until september or so.
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Apr 19, 2024 02:56
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