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.
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.
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