Anything Goes : A little bitching about bitching by Brian Neubauer

Okay so I may come across as a big turd for this but, seriously I'm not. I just want to vent a little and don't mind if people want to call me out on it and start a discussion. I entered this industry because I love films. I was told way back in my childhood that I would be a film director. I laughed at it because I don't feel that I was very creative in the first place. Even though I was in choir, I drew, painted, and built things out if random items I found laying about. I had a lot of self esteem difficulty growing up because I had a father that was engrained in the logical arts of science and engineering as well as being a Drill Instructor in the Army. So when I did find my way into this work I was ecstatic that I had found a place I could feel good in and thrive. . I still am. I love the work that I get to do. It is a mix of technical and art, a mash up of mania and organization, and a collaboration of people and machines. Early on in my career, I was "gung ho" to get anything I could to start my work off. I was willing to do ANYTHiNG to get into the industry. And I didn't care if I was going to get paid for it. However it became clear not long afterward that I was not doing myself any justice by begging to be used and abused. But when it came to asking for money, the people that always told me that they would get me back for my dedication and service just suddenly disappeared. They had wanted someone to make there dream come true but didn't want to build in that success with an already established family. So this is where it may seem that I will be cynical and jaded, but it's not. I kept plugging away at my career and then found the area that I would eventually call my profession. Working on project after project I have creating a good background and a even more impressive knowledge. The reason I bring that up is that people in this industry bust realize two things are true. The adage that "time is money" is true, and there is no "fake it till you make it". "You get what you pay for," is so important in this industry because if the two previous statements. I film project that has a budget of $2500 can benefit from spending it on qualified people, because those people can guide the project to utilize that budget. But that's not the end of it. It seems to me that there is much conversation about people loving every aspect of your film. And even though the person is very qualified to make your project, because they don't like your film, doesn't mean that they won't do a fantastic job making it. I worked on a large piece of trash that made a ton of money, but I worked my ass off because I love my work, not because I loved the script. Another aspect that troubles me is that it is believed that a film can be made with integrity over a very long period of time. Documentaries can, and do. But narrative scripts cannot. One, you run the problem of people wearing out and cannot keep the continuity of your script together. Two, it costs much more than doing it in a localized time frame: example- even though you might get a one day extra freebie on equipment rented on Friday and returned on money, you are actually being charged more to begin with instead of a weekly charge and your driving that equipment back and forth - wasting gas. Three, any extra time between shoots is a drain on a budget and trying to get things started back up on weekends after a long day of work is very tough. 4) location, location, location I don't mean to sound bitter, honestly I don't. I really have seen a few shows that where don't fairly well with the typical low budget mentality that I panned in the last paragraph. But it's very, very few. So what's my point? It's simple, believe in your script, your people, and even your budget. Take time off work and get people that can help you lay things out in an exact way before you rent, hire, or pay for anything. I shot a film that we literally had only a weekend to full and because I had a drawn out diagram of all the placement of the camera and lights and insisted that the director and assistants have a "to the minute" schedule, we did everything within a $4000 budget (oh and that included insurance and 16mm film). Now please, when someone tells you that they are a professional and get paid for there work in this industry. Don't assume that they are evil. They actually do have a love for the work that they do and are more capable than you think. And that includes the Union. -Brian.