There is quite the issue at the moment with young people or even just people working their butts off for free to get into the media industry. This is not a post suggesting that is a good thing, its just some personal experience.
So I have been posting, tweeting, FB'n and spamming people about my short film, Dragoon.
This week I have had a few pre-production meetings to try and get dates, equipment and thoughts all together.
The latest of these was yesterday with friend and colleague Ross. We first worked together when I was the 3rd AD on a short horror zombie film he was co-directing, A Relative End. I worked for free for a few freezing nights in the Glasgow snow. It was great fun, not because it was some epic film that we all thought we could retire off. It was because everyone was volunteering their time to help a few great fellas make their ideas become a reality.
We filmed A Relative End towards the end of January 2012. Unknown to Ross and I we would then spend the next six months or so traveling together as part of crew on a Cbeebies production. On this we had a chance to get to know each other and our passion for film. So when I said to Ross I was making a short film he straight away volunteered his experience and equipment to the shoot. He appreciated the time and effort I had put in for him and wanted to "pay" me back in a way.
So a four hour production meeting passes and I have a friend who has over a decade of sound production experience working for free on my short film. This is why I think its invaluable to work for free on short films. Not just so people owe you one, but because its a hobby, one you make friends doing, its great fun and if its what your passionate about then its what you should do. It also gives you a chance to step up. I was working as a runner but was given the chance to be a 3rd AD. Something in the big bad world that just would not happen.
If however you are doing runner work and everyone around you is getting paid, then you my friend are getting done over. Get onto sites like The Unit List or Media Muppet and get some entry level paid work.
This week I have had a few pre-production meetings to try and get dates, equipment and thoughts all together.
The latest of these was yesterday with friend and colleague Ross. We first worked together when I was the 3rd AD on a short horror zombie film he was co-directing, A Relative End. I worked for free for a few freezing nights in the Glasgow snow. It was great fun, not because it was some epic film that we all thought we could retire off. It was because everyone was volunteering their time to help a few great fellas make their ideas become a reality.
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| The A Relative End set. |
We filmed A Relative End towards the end of January 2012. Unknown to Ross and I we would then spend the next six months or so traveling together as part of crew on a Cbeebies production. On this we had a chance to get to know each other and our passion for film. So when I said to Ross I was making a short film he straight away volunteered his experience and equipment to the shoot. He appreciated the time and effort I had put in for him and wanted to "pay" me back in a way.
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| Production meeting in a Brewery......hmm |
So a four hour production meeting passes and I have a friend who has over a decade of sound production experience working for free on my short film. This is why I think its invaluable to work for free on short films. Not just so people owe you one, but because its a hobby, one you make friends doing, its great fun and if its what your passionate about then its what you should do. It also gives you a chance to step up. I was working as a runner but was given the chance to be a 3rd AD. Something in the big bad world that just would not happen.
If however you are doing runner work and everyone around you is getting paid, then you my friend are getting done over. Get onto sites like The Unit List or Media Muppet and get some entry level paid work.
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