Too Much or Not Enough

Do you re-call me previous blog entry: “Pushing and Shoving”? Well, just to summarize, I touched upon the reality for most recent graduates who have been having a hard time finding a job due to their lack of experience. I still stand by what I said, but now, after talking to some friends who were previously employed and now are back at zero – I’ve realized they are having the same difficulties in getting new jobs as well. The reason? Too much experience.
Ironic huh? In other words, due to the on-going recession (the Government isn’t fooling anyone, we’re still hurting) the majority of companies have gone to extreme measures and have had to cut their budgets – meaning less money for employees. So by hiring people who are barely starting, they can get away with paying them next to nothing. That’s right; minimum wage is no longer the norm for just McDonald’s workers. Having a Bachelor’s degree doesn’t seem to make that much of a difference in monetary terms – at least not in the Entertainment Industry. Sucks, I know.
So, what incentives are these media people offering young eager people who already have experience and want to take the next step in their careers? Or for those unfortunate others who had to be laid off? Beats me. The potential to learn and grow within a company, or the promise that if you work hard for a year or two will eventually pay off when taking the next step seems like a dream of yester-year. Working your butt off nowadays means that you will continue to pay your dues until some form of miracle happens and you finally get the job you always wanted – and even then you will have to keep digging deep to keep it and you will have to work just as hard to continue to love it. Sounds like taking the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of a job right? Wrong.
The incentive to work in such a difficult environment is no longer external. You gain experience everyday, you meet new people everyday, network anywhere you can (if you meet the Director of Creative Affairs of a major studio in the bathroom you need to find a way to introduce yourself – easier if you’re a girl, just compliment her shoes); being able to grow in the right direction is now up to YOU. And the drive that keeps you going in a seemingly unfair trade is your passion for the Industry, your belief in writing, directing, producing, acting, representing the crème de la crème, etc… In today’s world, you need to be in charge of your motivation. Our incentives are internal; we push ourselves and put up with so much bull in order to get to the next step. Once we reach it, we realize that you have to continue to push, reach, fight, and yes, cry your way to the top.
Anyone who enters the realms of Hollywood knows it’s not an easy task. Rejection is not just for actors or models, “thick skin” is required but it’s not as important as having a strong belief in yourself. We are here for a purpose, and unfortunately it will take us a bit of time to find out what that purpose is. It doesn’t matter really, everything changes, we will have our ups and downs, but as long as we maintain focus on our dreams and passions, I’m sure we’ll be able to survive this struggle. Rejection is not really all that personal – overqualified, under-qualified, chemistry, competence; these are mere factors that shouldn’t play such a gigantic role in our work life. If you have a passion for the industry and are able to communicate it efficiently to the right person, you are very likely to land that dream job and keep pushing – because this is what you chose, this is where you want to be, and all the sweat and tears will be worth it. Only the strong survive, and only you can build up that necessary strength. Don’t be discouraged if you had to start from scratch and no one is making you a great offer, it’s not really their true choice – so many factors align in these decisions that it’s unfair for both parties sometimes. And if you have little experience and are having a tough time finding an entry level job, the same goes for you, all you need to do is show how much you are willing to invest in your work and how much it will pay off for both. Passion is key for most things in life, but right now, it’s an integrate part of putting yourself on the map and positioning yourself in the right direction. Whenever you feel discouraged, remind yourself of why you are here, why you want to be a Producer, Director, etc… and you’ll be able to continue moving. And if you can’t think of why, then I suggest you re-evaluate your situation - maybe this wasn’t the right place for you after all. There’s no shame, as long as you are able to find your passion and drive, you are one step closer to being where you’ve always wished to be, but most importantly, to be where you deserve to be.

Building Blocks

Leaving your mark on the world is beyond difficult for me to even wrap my mind around. There is a vast ocean of things one could do, and places and industries where one could work in, that to choose one thing seems limited and unfair. We’re not used to thinking about our capabilities in more than one thing, but to be honest it’s what we’ve always done. In school we would juggle 8 different classes in one day, we would then come home from school and go to other classes like dance, piano, soccer, tennis, etc… Then when in high school, most students get part time jobs, same goes for college students. We’ve been multitasking for a while now, so why would we decide to stick with just one thing now that we’re all grown up (and so much more capable). My question is, if you were working at X company, and were suddenly able to establish your very own company, a) would you do it? And b) what would your company be?
There are a lot of people that are content with being the employee, there’s less pressure and stress trying to carry an entire company (no matter how small it might be), doing your job and receiving a pay check is enough for them. This doesn’t mean they are less passionate about their jobs than others; it’s just more comforting to be taken care of than to take care of others. To be fully responsible for your staff and company transactions, doing every thing possible for your company to thrive is very risky and nerve racking. But, to be the boss has its very nice advantages too. You run the place, no one moves unless you approve, and if you’re successful you can run more companies and be the overall “big man on campus.” Not a bad way to live, huh? Especially when you’re ambitious.
Well, I’ve been employed for roughly over a year now, and I think I like the idea of being your own boss, rather than following instructions and doing things for other people. Don’t get me wrong, I love to help out and be productive, not to mention that great feeling of “I pulled off a miracle!!!” - but sometimes I just want to do my own thing on my won time. It’s really hard to be your own boss in the Film Industry; most people are actually independent contractors – especially those who work on film sets. But, to form your own company when you’re just starting out is one of the most difficult things to do in Hollywood. You lack sooo much experience when you first get here, it’s not even funny. Everyone here starts from the very bottom (unless your Spielberg’s kid, and even then you’re not guaranteed a big position when you first start). The Entertainment Industry is like no other; there are no set rules, everything is more of an understanding and there are a number of rites of passage. However, there is no better way to learn than through experience here, and for that you need to start as an Assistant.
Everyone in LaLa Land knows exactly what being an assistant is, and to be honest, it’s not for everyone. Confused? Let me clear it up. Being an assistant in Hollywood is not the same as being a secretary. Being an assistant to a Film Producer, Agent, Manager, Executive, Studio Head, etc… is being their shadow, their go-to person, their apprentice and their “punching bag”, among other famed titles like business manager, banker, driver, doctor, and the famed and loathed title of Psychologist.
It’s really not what people sign up for, but it’s the first step to making it here. If you can survive the first 2 years of being an assistant, you can survive just about anything. You learn the business, how to be resourceful, creative, and efficient – not to mention, learning some pretty useful survival techniques. Once this “boot camp-like/hell week” is over, you’re off to your next step. Here is where you may actually have the ability to choose your area of expertise. But, it has come with a price, you slaved for 2 years and you still have a long way to go to reach the top. Unfair? I’d say so. But, it’s the way it has always been so, no one does anything – they all just complain, ALL of them.
I don’t plan on ruffling any feathers here in Hollywood, nor am I going to try to create a rebellion against the Hollywood Monarchy. But, I do wish I could build up my own company within the Industry, and slowly create positive change. It’s going to take a while, but hopefully in the end it’ll be worth it. There have been a lot of people of have actually tried to establish a company based on morale, but have failed at the hand of the blood sucking Industry – no wonder the vampire trend has yet to lose speed. However, there might still hope, after all Hollywood movies are famed for their happily-ever-after endings.
So, referring back to my question, if I were able to establish my own company would I do it? Yes! In a heartbeat. What type of company would it be? I would love to create a corporation and have a variety of diverse companies under it – film production, talent management, maybe a magazine, some franchises, etc… the number of options are limitless, no matter what anyone says. Why not try out different things and be good at more than just one thing? We all have various skills that can be channelled to different things. So, instead of criticizing celebrities for trying to do it all, get inspired. Come one, if the Olsen twins could form a very profitable Empire by the time they turned 18, you can certainly put on your thinking cap, and see what innovative business you can integrate to the world.