quote:

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Originally posted by jau

I'd like to work in the film industry, don't know what I want to do yet. I'm in Jacksonville, FL. Any suggestions?

thanks, Joe

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Hey, Joe.

Well, it's a little difficult to give you strong advice about where to start without knowing where you want to end up.

So begin by asking yourself a lot of questions. Are you drawn to any particular part of the movie-making process more than others? Are you interested in making your own movies or can you be content working on someone else's? Do you prefer a "safe" life where you have a steady paycheck and a place to go every day? Or are you more drawn to the semi-nomadic and uncertain life of a crewmember who works on set?

If you haven't made your own movie, perhaps give it a try. Something small, not too serious or complicated. Borrow a video camera if you don't have one...any camera will do. Don't worry about the quality or format. Write a short story, find some friends to act and then take an afternoon to shoot a scene or two. Edit it together on a home computer, again, nothing fancy required, just enough to cut shots together. This simple exercise will help hone in on what interests you most.... if you enjoy the writing, then go that way. If you like the camera and lighting, then perhaps DP is your goal. If you prefer working with the Actors and worrying about story, then perhaps you want to direct. If you care more about the Props, sets, wardrobe or anything else that helps create the visual aspects, then there are career positions for each of those too.

The book listed below will tell you everything you need to and should know about life in the professional film industry. Reading is a worthy substitute for being on sets for a while. Nothing can take the place of being on set for 14 hour days, but the book will get you going in the right direction before you get there.

If you can, also consider volunteering to work on student films at a local University. They'll almost always welcome the help. And look for local production companies...they won't likely be shooting anything narrative, but the real-life production experience you can get by watching real film/video pros is invaluable, plus you'll be meeting people who may be able to provide you with real work (for $$$!)

So, do what you can to focus your interests as soon as you can. Then you'll be able to better direct your energies toward your career goals that much more efficiently and successfully.

Good luck!

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

I'd be cautious of anyone trying to refer you to a sight to sell a book for good advice. Especially when it's the author refering you to the book. Just try out filmmaking with some friends and see how you like it. Practice whatever field you enjoy most and take it from there.

I see so many people making little films, but I want to make some bucks!!! I know there's a huge industry out there, people making $100,000 a year doing make-up, making $60000 as a production assistant, making $80,000 a year as a grip, that's got to be super fun work and that's good money!

Do I have to leave Jacksonville and go to LA or NY, or can I get the training I need to fill my resume locally? Does anyone have experience with this and has done it?

Depends upon what you want to do. Odd are there aren't many films being shot in your area but you might be able to latch on to the occasional one. Otherwise work in a tv studio. They usually do news these days and not much independent programming but you could learn technical stuff working for a tv station. IF you really want to have a chance though, either make your own movies or go to where the movies are made.

RJSchwarz

I've never heard of a PA making $60,000 a year. But if
there are some it's because they are really good at their
job and are continuously hired.

quote:

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Originally posted by jau
Do I have to leave Jacksonville and go to LA or NY, or can I get the training I need to fill my resume locally?

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If there are companies hiring makeup artists in Jacksonville
at $100,000 per year and grips at $80,000 a year and PA's
at $60,000 then you don't need to leave. You can get enough
work right there.

If those jobs at that pay are not available in Jacksonville then
you'll need to move to where those jobs are.

As RJ said, it depends on what you want to do. Do you want to
be a makeup artist? What do you want to do Joe?

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

I've heard of this pay in Los Angeles, people who work on commercials. I don't know what I want to do yet. There are so many jobs on a film set that I think it's premature to say when I haven't been exposed to the jobs. like brian's book says, there's a lot of jobs.

So I'm hearing work at a news station in Jacksonville to make money, or go work on ultra low work in Los Angeles to get exposure to the industry and work my way up.

It makes sense, I was just hoping to hear how others who are making a good living started.

quote:

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Originally posted by Weaponx

I'd be cautious of anyone trying to refer you to a sight to sell a book for good advice. Especially when it's the author refering you to the book. Just try out filmmaking with some friends and see how you like it. Practice whatever field you enjoy most and take it from there.

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Well, that's extraordinarily rude and uninformed. I wrote the book precisely so aspiring filmmakers wouldn't have to rely on random advice from internet forum contributors who hide their real names and qualifications.

You're free to ignore what I write, but suggesting that my information is somehow erroneous BECAUSE I have written a book designed to help is counterintuitive. Those of us who have worked in the business for a number of years and know enough to write about it AND be published should be listened to, not ignored.

I'll accept your public apology. Thank you.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

quote:

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Originally posted by jau

I've heard of this pay in Los Angeles, people who work on commercials. I don't know what I want to do yet. There are so many jobs on a film set that I think it's premature to say when I haven't been exposed to the jobs. like brian's book says, there's a lot of jobs.

So I'm hearing work at a news station in Jacksonville to make money, or go work on ultra low work in Los Angeles to get exposure to the industry and work my way up.

It makes sense, I was just hoping to hear how others who are making a good living started.

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If you truly don't know what specific job or department you'd like to be a part of, getting exposure to a real working set will be invaluable. While any type of production experience is valuable, know that the working protocol of narrative features, episodic television, music video, and commercials is different from news, documentary, corporate, and even three-camera sitcom. Making your own movies in the backyard is fun, but it isn't really a very good way to comprehend the professional industry and what it is truly like. If goofing off with your friends is what you want, then by all means, "try out filmmaking with friends." But if you're interested in making a viable living in the professional industry, there are more focused efforts you can start doing today that will get you in and making money a lot sooner.

As I mentioned before, not to sell it, but to help you, the book I wrote explains in detail what all of those jobs entail, from getting a start to how to "move up." Fifteen years of working on sets, countless interviews with actual working professionals, and over five years of writing give you more information about each job and department on set than even I got while working on sets for so long. The problem is that when you're on set working (in whatever job you get), you're often too busy with what you're doing as well as everyone else who is busy with their own jobs, to really get the full picture. I didn't know enough myself, which is why I wrote it all down to help myself and others. In fact, a few weeks ago, I was contacted by a lovely young woman who had read the book then moved from Pittsburgh. Because of what I wrote, she is now quickly making her way into the industry in a way that she admits she wouldn't have based on the filmschool she went to or any of the other books she's read. And for the naysayers, I'm not even suggesting you buy it. She actually only read it in the bookstore and then moved.

BUT, reading is one thing. Getting real life exposure on a set is necessary primarily because meeting people and building a network is how you will get work. I'm rebuilding my own site at the moment, but for the time being, I've got a running list of articles which describe the current state of the industry in terms of production (which isn't good, mostly due to the SAG contract dispute) and a list of articles regarding where the production is now and where is may be in the future (due to state tax incentives). You can find that list right now on the Facebook Group for What I Really Want to Do. I'll migrate that info to the other site soon.

The point being, to build a viable career, you do have to move to where the production is happening. LA is a decent first choice, but know that currently, the number of productions is WAY down from what it should be. That impacts new people because the jobs that are left generally go to the long-timers. Newbies will have a more difficult time until production picks up again.

One thing to consider is that due to the current SAG dispute, many studios are going into production under an AFTRA contract. This forces the DP to use electronic image acquisition (HD), so if you have experience with HD in some way, it COULD be a possible "in" for someone trying to break into the business.

For you in Jacksonville, keep an eye on productions starting in the Atlanta area due to their tax incentive program. Louisiana is also a nearby possibility. If you can travel, Michigan reportedly has a thriving industry for the time being. NY evidently ran out of money to fund their incentive program. California recently passed a budget that includes incentives, but only time will tell if that is enough to lure production back to Southern California from other states and internationally.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

I didn't say ignore you I just said I would be cautious of you. When you start trying to honestly help people and stop trying to peddle your book then maybe I'll think about apologizing.

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Originally posted by Weaponx

I didn't say ignore you I just said I would be cautious of you. When you start trying to honestly help people and stop trying to peddle your book then maybe I'll think about apologizing.

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There's a vast difference between "peddling" a product and informing others of valuable resources that exist to help them.

If you have ever paid ANY attention to anything I've said here and on numerous other venues, you'd realize that I'm recommending whatever resource I feel is most necessary for that situation. Sometimes it is my own book, because I wrote it to help, and often it isn't my book but some other resource that will help. In this case, Jau asked a very pertinent question that my book specifically addresses more than ANY other book or website or random anonymous internet user (like you) ever has before.

I didn't write the book to make money. If you've ever written anything comprehensive like this and gone through the publishing process, you'd know that one doesn't do this to get wealthy or famous or whatever other nonsensical reasons you've got in your own head that makes you feel justified in being insulting.

If I was selling ShamWow or pointing weblinks to porn, that would be one thing. But I try to answer every question as much as possible within the limited parameters of the forum, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to write everything that Jau (Joe) and others like him want and need to know. Thus, it's all in a book that can be read, researched, and used continually before one gets into the business and after one has started.

So, Weaponx ( that's a beautiful name your mother gave you, by the way ), if you have anything constructive to add to the discussion that you feel could help Joe and others like him, I'm sure that the rest of the professionals here would appreciate your experienced point of view that could help aspiring "filmmakers" achieve their goals. If you have nothing to say beyond "ignore him because he knows what he's talking about," then I'm not sure what your own purpose for commenting here is beyond "flaming," which I'm sure is disallowed by TOS.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

quote:

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Originally posted by jau

I don't know what I want to do yet. There are so many jobs on a film set that I think it's premature to say when I haven't been exposed to the jobs.

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Then it seems to me you should either go to film school or
start at the bottom and work your way up. If you volunteer
on student films and a lot of no budget features you will
get a good, close look at what jobs are available.

Since you don't know yet, a PA might be the best way for you
to start. And it might be that there are good, experienced PA's
here in Los Angeles making $60,000/year. That would be 288
paid days a year (6 days a week all year long) at $209 per day.

quote:

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I was just hoping to hear how others who are making a good living started.

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I started by working my way up. The difference was I went in
knowing exactly what I wanted to do. That has changed over the
years, but I started by knowing what I wanted to do and got very
good at it.

Getting a job at a local TV station would be a great stepping stone.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

"I see so many people making little films, but I want to make some bucks!!! I know there's a huge industry out there, people making $100,000 a year doing..."

Not to sound rude but you should also have some real expectations. These salaries are not earned the first year but after years in he business. Making little films is one of the first ways you start on that path. So is being a PA or intern (unpaid or paid nearly nothing) for a year or so of grinding work (watch SWIMMING WITH SHARKS for the life of a PA).

RJSchwarz

Also, the "standard" answer is to become a Production Assistant. The often overlooked "Better" position is as a Transportation Driver (if you can get the job). Why? Because, as a PA, you'll be running around all day with various assignments and paperwork to take care of. You won't get a lot of time to investigate or observe the other departments.

HOWEVER, as a Driver, you'll have your job to do in the morning and maybe a run to do during the day, but for the most part, you'll have all day long to be on set with nothing to do but talk with others in all the departments and observe what they really do all day long. As a Transportation Driver, you'll have a MUCH BETTER PAYCHECK than any PA will ever see and you'll have the time to figure out what you want to do.

A lot of people see Drivers as being "dumb" or "unskilled" and "lazy" because they don't "do much." The truth is that many have side businesses that they are free to run (via phone or internet) while on the film jobs AND they have to rest during the day to comply with Department of Transportation regulations.

So, don't just settle for PA job if you can get a Driver position. You could be pleasantly surprised.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

I appreciate the time you guys took to answer my question. Thank you!

I know it takes a lot of thought and time to answer questions like this, for no obvious return but please know that it does make a difference to me and to a bunch of other people reading this forum!