Sunday, March 08, 2015

Photography Jobs - Cinematography Jobs - Where The Cameras Are

Photography Jobs - Cinematography Jobs - Where The Cameras Are

First, don't look for Camera work on Craigslist. He wants you to bring your own camera and gear, which means invest in his show, so maybe all you get is screen credit - if you get that. Don't take those jobs, if you can avoid them.

Let me tell you a secret. When you decide not work for free, all the Paying Jobs show up. Once you're good enough to charge money - Charge it, and be proud to be worth the money. Don't take hobby-jobbies!

You have a Gift. You know what the shot should look like, and which two shots it goes between. They wouldn't know a well-composed and beautifully taken photo, if it clutched them around the neck. So they need you. They really must pay you - You have the gift, and they don't.

Look on Mandy, and look on ProductionHub, and work little jobs for cheap at the start, but always get paid and always do a Pro job, to build your Pro reputation. Your reputation is really all you have - protect it. If you hear somebody talking smack about you, bring it to his attention, fast! But get to be friends if you can.

Don't pass along bad rumors about anybody. Denigrating somebody is amateur night, both in real life and (especially bad) online. Some guys think they're safe behind a computer screen, so they print outrageous things about you. If he does that, he's just jealous. Report bad behavior, and go on.

Just focus on your own job - and do it, quickly and well.






camera jobs
camera careers
photography jobs
photography careers
cinematography jobs
camera job description
cinematography careers
photography job description
cinematography job description


Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Seattle Film Industry - Where Is It?

Seattle Film Industry - Where Is It?
"You wouldn't say there was a Beef Industry somewhere, just because they eat a lot of hamburgers there. Even if they bought a lot of forks, and discussed forks and hamburgers and cattle incessantly. You wouldn't call them cattlemen, you'd call them enthusiastic beef consumers." -- Sam Longoria


Lots of Film Classes - Speedy Film Contests - Endless Local Film Festival

I've been working here in Seattle (the city of my birth, where I made my first 35mm feature) on projects for the last two years, just working and holding my tongue, really.

I don't see a "Seattle film industry" here. All I see here is "meetings," and "begging for state money," and "meetings about begging for state money." I see people working in media, and in television, and corporate video, but no movies. If you don't know those are different businesses, you don't get it. I see a great big Seattle film TEACHING industry.

I'm about to move along to the next phase of my projects, and I'm mentioning this in passing. I don't expect anyone to listen to it, because I grew up here, and I know how resistant people can be.

I am discouraged so much energy here is spent making short films that will never be seen, (except at the local endless film festival) and filmmakers rushing to "the next one" when they don't even bother to sell "this one." Not my problem, but it is discouraging, even to watch. 

An "industry" means SALES. No sales, no industry. Just a lot of activity. Busy for no reason.

If you knew a pumpkin farmer, and he grew fine pumpkins, but never took them to market to sell them, he just piled them in his yard, and left them to rot, wouldn't you think he was crazy? What if there was a club for "Pumpkin Farmers," and that's all any of them did? And they got together often, to discuss it endlessly? Pretty weird, it seems to me.

There is much talk in Seattle about the local "Film Industry." Honestly I don't see one. Certainly not the "Selling The Film" part, which is what pays for all the other parts. 

I see a whole lot of enthusiasm here for making movies, and God bless it, but very little attention is paid to "Selling The Film." (Which, I can tell you, takes away all the problems of filmmaking). You get money, time, and wherewithal to make "the next one," and even get enough to eat, and to buy new gear, by "Selling The Film." 

All those mansions in Beverly Hills? They were paid for by "Selling The Film." They were not paid for by "Making The Film," and certainly not by "Talking About Making The Film."

Why is there no emphasis here on selling? (Not just the lame discussions of "Distribution," or which streaming service is best). I mean learning how to SELL your movie, and sell tickets to it, which is more than just hanging them up for people to take or leave.

It is obvious ALL the money in Filmmaking comes from "Selling The Film." So why is Seattle film focused only on cameras and gear, endless pointless meetings, and on making lame-o, poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly acted, poorly made, unfunny, undramatic, unpaid shorts, and NOT on making one good marketable feature movie, and selling it? Why?

Somebody explain it to me. There is a disconnect here, and it's not mine. I've spent a good deal of time thinking about it, and I still don't get it.

If you're a Seattle Filmmaker, and you want to spend your time making commercial full-length movies that get SOLD so you can make the next one, and the next, get in touch.

If enough people 
get together who feel that way, and take ACTION - great things will happen.





seattle
seattle film
seattle movies
seattle feature
seattle feature film
seattle film industry
seattle feature movies
seattle motion pictures
seattle feature film industry
seattle motion picture industry
seattle feature motion pictures
seattle feature motion picture industry