Why It Pays To Come In Last In The Film Industry
Photo by Philo
We’re conditioned from early childhood to come in last. School not only teaches us things we don’t need to know, but in addition it teaches us how to procrastinate and do things at the latest possible moment. Some even thrive on getting their work done at the last possible moment. The rush and the danger of coming in last is what makes some people more creative. And there’s no denying the fact that films made at the end of the year stand a greater change of being nominated for awards (films made early in the year are forgotten about by the time award season rolls around).
So with all this conditioning to come in last, are we really doing ourselves any favors? What would happen if instead of coming in last, we came in first?
Despite all the hype and social good built around coming in last, I think that those who succeed in the future are not going to be the ones who come in last, but the ones who think, act, and respond first.
What do you think? How has procrastination and acting at the last possible moment either benefitied or hindered your career? How important do you think acting first actually is?
Are You An Exploited Film Student?
Upon graduating from film school, I was lucky enough to land a job almost immediately. Unfortunately, many of my film school friends were not so lucky. Those that did find jobs were often underpaid… and some of my university classmates never found work at all.
Of those that did find work, most of them were unhappy with their positions and felt that they were either underpaid or under utilized.
Some of my friends who did get work, found positions that gave them a lot of experience, but didn’t actually provide them with a paycheck. In other words, THEY WEREN’T GETTING PAID!!!
The Intern Conundrum
One of the worst parts of the film and television industry is what I call the “Intern Conundrum.” The Intern Conundrum is where young filmmakers go to work for major studies and production companies and don’t get paid a single cent. They are promised a great experience and made to think that they will eventually move up in the company… but that doesn’t always happen.
In many cases, the student goes to work as an intern and doesn’t get a salary, but hopes that after the internship is over they will be promoted within the company and a salary will then be paid to them at that point in time. They put off payment at the beginning in hopes of a pay out in the end.
Of course, that never happens. Instead, the company realizes they are getting a lot of value out of this free worker and that there are a hundred of other people out there who are willing to get an internship with the company and do the work for free.
So what do they do? They let the intern go (he or she basically gets fired) and the company brings in a new intern who will work for the company and then be replaced by another free intern somewhere down the line.
In the end, the company gets a free employee and the intern is tossed out and forced to find a new place to work.
Sadly, because the student been working for free for the past year, they haven’t built up any perceived value (something I’ll talk about in a future post), so no one wants to hire them. So what do they do? They go out and get another internship, hoping that this one will turn out better.
They then work for another year as an unpaid intern and are let go once again at some point down the road. By this point, they’ve essentially been out of work for two years straight and they simply can’t take it anymore. No one will hire them, they don’t have any money left, and in the end, they are forced to go out and get a job in a field completely unrelated to their passion or their background.
It’s artistic exploitation, but it happens every single day!
The sad fact is, those of us in creative industries are often times exploited because we are in a highly desireable industry. If you need proof, read this article on exploitation from the good people at LateralAction.com.
So now that you know what’s happening, you’re probably wondering to yourself, “How do I avoid this situation?”
How do you find work after graduating from film school?
How do you negotiate a reasonable salary or day rate?
How do you build your perceived value?
The answers to these questions are going to be the topic of discussion here at FilmAndTVCareer.com over the next couple months.
Check back soon and you’ll learn what mistakes people make when looking for work in the film and television industry. You’ll discover the secrets to building your value and your brand. And more than anything else, you’ll see how you can jump from a lowly worker bee to a high paid executive in 12 months or less. It can happen, you just have to know which steps to take!
Working For Day Rate Is Stupid–Here’s Why!
Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography
If you find yourself working on a film or video shoot that lasts less than a month, you might find yourself being asked what your day rate is.
For those who don’t know, day rate is when you get paid to show up on set and put in one full day’s worth of work. But here’s the trick. One day on set is supposed to be anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Sometimes the day turns out much shorter than this and you get to go home after just three or four hours of work, but this is quite rare. What’s more common however, is when you show up to work for 8 or 10 hours and soon find yourself working close to 20.
The problem with working for a day rate is that no matter how many hours you put in, you get paid one flat rate. The more you work, the less you get paid per hour.
Many first time filmmakers start out working for around $150 per day. If you are working for less than that, you either aren’t very valuable to your company or your boss is simply screwing you (but I have to warn you, the former is more likely, so look at yourself before turning to your boss for a raise). Either way, let’s assume that you are working for a day rate of $150.
At this rate, if you work for 8 hours, you would be getting paid $18.75 per hour, which isn’t bad to start off. But the problem with day rate, as I’ve already said, is that the more you work, the less you get paid.
You see, if your shoot goes over by just 4 fours, you end up working 12 hours and are still only paid $150 for the day. At that rate, you are making only $12.50 per hour… and at that rate, you might as well go get a job at Starbucks, because you could make about the same amount of money and the work you’d be doing is a whole lot less taxing on your creative mind.
But just imagine if you were being paid only $150 per day and were forced to work a full 20 hours (which is way more common than you might think). If you were to work 20 full hours and you got paid $150 for all that time, you’d only be making $7.50 an hour. And at that rate, not only would Starbucks be looking like a Godsend, but Taco Bell would be looking like the Pearly gates of Heaven.
My point is simple: Day rate is a customary part of the business, but just because things are done a certain way doesn’t mean you have to play by the rules.
The next time you are asked what your day rate is, instead of simply saying, “$150 per day” I suggest you say, “It’s $150 for the first 8 hours. After that it’s $25 per hour.” Say it confidently, keep eye contact with the person you are talking to and believe in yourself. You’ll not only get the job, but you’ll find yourself getting paid twice as much as the people around you once your day on set goes into extra innings.
Why You Should Avoid The Theatre and Watch Your Films At Home
Photo by gailf548
For the up-and-coming filmmaker, it may be exciting and fun to watch your movies in the neighborhood theater, but if you want to actually learn something about the films you are viewing, it might be best if you simply stayed at home.
Personally, I hate going to the theater. It never fails, but every time I go to the theater there is at least one of three different types of “movie-wasters” in attendance.
1) The Talkers - First of all, there is always a couple that talks through the entire movie. You know you’ve experienced these people too. Sometimes they are old people who can’t understand what is happening in the film and other times they are simply people talking on their cell phones or generally disregarding the people around them.
2) The Big Heads – Then there are the people who sit in front of you and block your view of the screen. Why pay for a movie when you can only see half the screen?
3) The Kickers – Finally, there’s that little kids that sits behind you and kicks your seat every five seconds throughout the length of the film. You turn around and ask that he stop, but he doesn’t… and his parents don’t seem to care.
But it’s not only the distractions that make me think watching movies in the theater is a bad idea.
I also think that going to the theater is a waste of money. It now costs about $10 every time you go and watch a movie at your local theater. If you were to rent a movie, you’d probably pay $4 or $5 at most. And that same movie could be enjoyed by everyone in your party for that one low price. And if you belong to a movie subscription club like Blockbuster’s Total Access or Netflix, the cost of the film is even less.
Secondly, the advancement of home theater technology is allowing people of just about any financial group to get a kick-ass entertainment system at an extremely affordable price. You no longer need the big screen and the surround sound of the movie theater because you can have all of that in the comfort of your own home.
But after it’s all said and done, the number one reason you should watch your movies at home is so you can stop, pause, and rewind the film to focus on parts that are both important and interesting to you as a filmmaker. If you are watching films and viewing them as a member of the general public would view the film, then you are wasting your time. If you plan to be a filmmaker, you’ve got to pay attention to everything in the films you watch. Observe the editing, the cinematography, the acting, the sound, the effects, the screenwriting, and everything in between. It’s hard to do in a theater… but at home you just might stand a chance!
What do you think? Do you learn more by watching films in the theatre or at home? Do you think large theatres will die out as more and more people opt for watching movies at home?
Using Creatively Designed Envelopes To Stand Out And Get The Job
Let’s jump right in with a lesson on creative mailings.
With the techniques I am about to show you, you will be able to stand out against the competition, get noticed for your creativity, and land the gigs you’ve always wanted. Best of all, you’ll never look at an envelope the same way again. After trying these techniques out for yourself, I think you will quickly realize that the extra effort you put into preparing your mail pieces can make a huge difference when you’re applying for a job, submitting your work to a film festival, or simply sending a thank you note to the producer of your latest film.
So let’s get started!
First, take a look at the envelope below. Let’s imagine that you sent this letter to me in hopes of getting a job at my company. This is a standard envelope that I receive all the time. Do you see why sending a letter like this is a horrible mistake?
Let me point out the flaws:
1. First of all, it’s a normal No. 10 envelope. This is a standard envelope size and the most common size envelope for bills and junk mail! If you send something to a future employer in an envelope like this, it’s very likely to be thrown in with a pile of bills and junk mail. Even if this doesn’t happen, it’s highly likely that the envelope will be thrown in the trash without ever being looked at.
2. Secondly, the stamp is a standard first class stamp. And to make it worse, it’s a black and white stamp! That’s just plain boring and doesn’t stand out at all.
3. Another point that should be made is that the font is incredibly small. It’s so small, it’s hard to read.
4. Finally, the return address has a name on it. What’s so bad about that? Well… it’s a good idea to include your name if the person you are mailing is expecting the letter from you. But if they aren’t expecting your letter, or they don’t know you very well, it’s usually not a good idea to put your name in the return address.
So how do you fix these mistakes and deliver an envelope with some real pep? I’ll show you!
1. First of all, throw out that No. 10 envelope and replace it with a large 9”x12” envelope. If the envelope is colored or has some sort of decoration on it, that’s even better! Check out the envelope above and notice how the green “First Class” markings around the border of the envelope really help to make it stand out.
2. Secondly, look at all those stamps! Mailing a 9”x12” envelope does cost a little bit more than mailing a No. 10 envelope, but you’re trying to get a job, right? So you want to make this letter stand out! And one of the best ways to do that is to use a bunch of stamps! The more stamps, the better!
3. Another important thing to point out in regards to the stamps is that I used different kinds of stamps. I used a bunch of 4 and 5 cent stamps, as well as a 41 cent stamp featuring “The Hulk.” Instead of using just one boring stamp, you should use a bunch of different looking stamps.
4. Also, use stamps with a lot of color. I used a stamp with The Hulk
5. The last point I want to make about the stamps is that they aren’t on the envelope very straight… and I did this on purpose! It’s actually been proven that the more crooked your stamps are on an envelope, the more likely that envelope is to get opened. And you’re first goal of any mailing piece is to get the recipient to open the envelope… so putting those stamps on sideways or upside down is actually a good idea!
6. You’ll also note that the font on this envelope is a lot bigger than it was on that No. 10 envelope. It could be larger, but this is a big improvement.
7. The writing on this envelope is also handwritten—which is a good thing! Handwritten envelopes have a much higher response rate than envelopes with addresses that are printed on with a computer. You should hand address your envelopes whenever possible. But make sure your writing is legible!
8. The return address has also changed! On this new envelope I’ve removed my name from the return address. It’s usually better to leave your name off. When I see this crazy envelope, my first instinct is to check and see who it’s from. If I recognize the name right away, it might prevent me from opening the envelope. But if I don’t know who it’s from, that makes me want to open the envelope right away and find out!
9. The last thing you could do to improve the open rate of this envelope is to put something lumpy inside. If you were mailing your resume to me and wanted me to open the envelope and read all about you, you might do a little research on me and find that I am a huge Forrest Gump
How else do you think the envelopes above could be improved? Do you have a story or experience where the envelope you sent something in made all the difference?
