So I live in a small state that's pushing hard to get the movie industry's attention.
I've been making my own projects for 8 years now. I've completed a feature-length sci-fi comedy, several feature length docs, dozens of music videos, plus hours and hours of local projects.
I've directed, produced, run "pro-sumer" cameras, Green screening, animation, compositing, original music. I've got first hand experience with it all.
I feel that I'm rather creative and quite prolific with that creative output.
Now, I know all about the below-the-line work, and have a dozen friends doing make-up, set design, grip and all the other grunt work. But I'm not interested in that. I want to work above-the-line.
I've seen projects like that 'Sky Captain' dude who got to make his movie with big $$$ because his girlfriend's dad knew someone. I see Robert Rodriguez doing all his own stuff--directing, music, compositing--and I think I could find a niche in that mold.
My current challenge is breaking out of the "indie" mold and being entrusted with a modest budget to produce a larger project.
I'm tired of scraping by to finance my creative projects (so is my wife). I'm tired of submitting projects to dozens of "indie" festivals that each cost $50 and then your project screens in some warehouse from a crappy DVD projector with lousy sound.
There has got to be a better way.
How do you get the right 'eyeballs' to see your work?
my travels thru the corporate world went from 6 year technician, up to manager and finally back down to tech.
During my stint as a manager, these are some important things I learned.
1 - guard words and actions. Damn, this is a lawsuit happy world, and it's pretty amazing how the goofing around w/ fellow employees you used to do cannot be done when you're a manager. All the gossip, jokes, etc can always be used against you when some formerly cool employee sues your ass for sexual misconduct. I've seen it happen. Tread lightly.
2 - Get help! Whenever something crazy came my way as a manager, I usually escalated it. This is just what managers do. it's part of CYA--covering your ass.
3 - be professional. obviously, but there's bound to be resentment be former "equals" who are now "under" you on the corporate ladder. dealing with this straight forward and honestly will go a long way towards earning the respect of your new Underlings.
4 - Give the dog a bone. When possible give your new Underlings a bone every now and then. Pizza lunch, free Mountain Dew, buy a round of beer (but don't forget item #1). Remember when you were an Underling and what you thought was cool in a manager.
Anyways, to complete my path, my company restructured again, and I was moved back into production, so I got to experience it from the other side of the fence---again.
All in all, I get fewer ass-chewings being an Underling, than being a Middle-Manager. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Your milage may vary.
Slashdot Mirror
I've been making my own projects for 8 years now. I've completed a feature-length sci-fi comedy, several feature length docs, dozens of music videos, plus hours and hours of local projects.
I've directed, produced, run "pro-sumer" cameras, Green screening, animation, compositing, original music. I've got first hand experience with it all.
I feel that I'm rather creative and quite prolific with that creative output.
Now, I know all about the below-the-line work, and have a dozen friends doing make-up, set design, grip and all the other grunt work. But I'm not interested in that. I want to work above-the-line.
I've seen projects like that 'Sky Captain' dude who got to make his movie with big $$$ because his girlfriend's dad knew someone. I see Robert Rodriguez doing all his own stuff--directing, music, compositing--and I think I could find a niche in that mold.
My current challenge is breaking out of the "indie" mold and being entrusted with a modest budget to produce a larger project.
I'm tired of scraping by to finance my creative projects (so is my wife). I'm tired of submitting projects to dozens of "indie" festivals that each cost $50 and then your project screens in some warehouse from a crappy DVD projector with lousy sound.
There has got to be a better way.
How do you get the right 'eyeballs' to see your work?
-DanO at NMDV
my travels thru the corporate world went from 6 year technician, up to manager and finally back down to tech. During my stint as a manager, these are some important things I learned. 1 - guard words and actions. Damn, this is a lawsuit happy world, and it's pretty amazing how the goofing around w/ fellow employees you used to do cannot be done when you're a manager. All the gossip, jokes, etc can always be used against you when some formerly cool employee sues your ass for sexual misconduct. I've seen it happen. Tread lightly. 2 - Get help! Whenever something crazy came my way as a manager, I usually escalated it. This is just what managers do. it's part of CYA--covering your ass. 3 - be professional. obviously, but there's bound to be resentment be former "equals" who are now "under" you on the corporate ladder. dealing with this straight forward and honestly will go a long way towards earning the respect of your new Underlings. 4 - Give the dog a bone. When possible give your new Underlings a bone every now and then. Pizza lunch, free Mountain Dew, buy a round of beer (but don't forget item #1). Remember when you were an Underling and what you thought was cool in a manager. Anyways, to complete my path, my company restructured again, and I was moved back into production, so I got to experience it from the other side of the fence---again. All in all, I get fewer ass-chewings being an Underling, than being a Middle-Manager. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Your milage may vary.