ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

9 years, 7 months ago - Matty Ross

Hey Ryhs, its a difficult thing trying to balance the two but it is possible. Personally from my experience, I came down to London and was a full time filmmaker for about 4 years and it was incredibly difficult. I made ends meet by freelance editing and it was a hard graft. I struggled a lot. Trying to make rent and more importantly trying to progress my filmmaking career at same time. If you can edit then freelance work is an option. I got a lot of experience on some big projects that ultimately made me a better director. The thing that has helped me out enormously has becoming a swimming teacher part time. I get to do my writing and developing projects in the morning and weekends and work in the afternoons. Not only can I now pay my rent, I can keep active in pursuing my goals as a filmmaker. If you can find something that you can do with enough time to work on your own projects, it helps the balance. It's also nice to do something a bit unrelated to give you a bit of headspace for your own work. It's a hard graft mate, but it is possible. Good luck. Matty

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Man, tough question. On the one hand you'll never be more focussed than when you're rent is at stake, on the other... well, your rent is at stake. This is a real dilemma for any artist, with no easy answer.

I gave up IT to make films. Best part of a decade later in making a living from it. Next year actually looks like it may even be a fairly good living, dare I say even getting back towards where I was a decade ago. That takes a bunch of savings, kissing a lot of frogs, getting lucky, making compromises, working across freelance industries, a hundred little side projects and deals, and having to make it work.

Can you do the same? Who knows!? But you are young, sleeping on a sofa and eating pasta is less of a hardship at 20 than 40, so it's the ideal time to take some risks. Will it work out? Maybe, maybe not. If you don't try it, though, you'll never know. And so what if it goes wrong, you try again and keep going. 'Success is failure after failure with no loss of enthusiasm'. Ball's entirely in your court, make of your life as you will. Remember that people frequently regret what they didn't do more than what they did. Make a decision, change it if it's wrong. And get lucky.

9 years, 7 months ago - Rhys Holland

Thank you! This is some great advice and it seems that to achieve a dream it's worth putting my eggs into one basket however having a break occasionally by having a part time job is a great idea especially when starting out! I love the idea of having something completely unrelated but fun as a part time job on top. Thanks again guys, this is great!

9 years, 7 months ago - Alève Mine

Rhys, you should not give up your day job. The reason being: you're asking.

9 years, 7 months ago - Colin Metcalfe

Hi Rhys, you've probably considered this already, but is there any chance you could find a job that might complement your passion? Or create a niche within a position you already hold. Perhaps you could create a little video production arm and produce induction/health and safety videos for the company? If you're reasonably professional and much cheaper than buying stuff in they might give you a shot. You might have to stay late in your own time but eventually they'll start coming to you with work, and then they might start buying equipment you can use for your art/drama stuff. If nothing else you will have some commissioned stuff to put on your CV. Good luck

9 years, 7 months ago - Marlom Tander

Quitting the day job to start a business is not what most people do. It's what they say they did years later but very rarely what they actually did.

What they usually actually did (like me) was do a full time day job and then work every spare hour under the sun and the moon getting their business to the stage where there was a quick path to REVENUE. (Basically worked my job and my business 8am to midnight 7 days a week for 6 months).

I walked out of my job aged 29 with a few hundred quid in the bank and a mortgage. And a product and a sales plan.

You talk about wanting to make films but not about making money.

You also talk about being unmotivated. This is worrying. If your not feeling driven, you're not committed.

I do not think you are ready to quit the day job, but you do have a lot of serious thinking to do.

Is this a business or a project, or a hobby?

If it's to be a business then you have to have enough resources to get you to revenue, and frankly you have to commit. Part time fun jobs really don't play well, they just point to undercapitalisation. I.e. FAILURE. (Most "creative" businesses fail because they don't have a sensible map to revenue for the available resources. DO NOT KID YOURSELF into IMDB credit free bankruptcy).

If it's a project, then all you need is the money saved to spend making it happen, and the pre-production done to hit the ground running. And ideally a boss who is happy to hold your job for you, at least for an agreed period. Make sure the project is one that you can deliver to an industry impressing level (or, very least, gets you a decent IMDB credit).

If it's a hobby, then it takes second fiddle to work until you can find a way to go commercial. Seek ways to get festival wins and IMDB credits.

In any event you need to draw yourself a map of where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there, and then be realistic about resources, but based on your post, you really don't sound ready to quit the day job and launch a business. You MIGHT be able to "quit, do project, get new job" but it doesn't sound to me like you have a project any where near ready. Hobby - there is nothing wrong with deciding that you only have a hobby level of commitment, and working within that for now.

9 years, 7 months ago - Gary Braun

I think you should get involved in teaching,as a tutor,the film knowledge,you have.
Plenty of people outside are interested in taking a camera make some short film and edit it.
If your prices as tutor are very reasonable,you should succeed making money and interacting with film lovers.
Both will profit from it.You for the money,him for the knowledge.
Let me know about it if you live in London.

9 years, 7 months ago - Richard Anthony Dunford

If you can afford to give up the day job than go for it, otherwise you'll just have to try and find a balance.

Unfortunately it costs money just to survive in the world so relying on any creative industry is tough unless you reach that top level.

9 years, 7 months ago - Philip Quinton

Life is too short not to follow your dream. I got into film really late; in fact I am leaving work at the age of 42 to focus on doing film sound. I may fail and end up homeless, but it seems preferable to rotting away in a safe job having never even tried.
If you need sound recording and post production sound work for your first film I will sort you out for free. Find a few others like me and you have a crew.

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

So there you have it, absolutely yes and absolutely no! And all for the best of reasons from both sides. Fact is, nobody knows the future, especially your future. Maybe you're determined enough to make it work no matter what, maybe you're lucky, maybe you'll find a sponsor, maybe you can charm money from the sky, maybe you'll end up under a railway bridge.

I know people from this site who have made it happen through determination, persistence, enthusiasm, giving fate a helping hand, whatever. Determination and persistence seem to be the common theme, though. Chasing deals and opportunities relentlessly. As you get older, you do lose some of that energy, so even if you keep your job and get a second job to save for projects and a third job as a runner to be around film sets, keeping giving it everything certainly seems more productive than not making the effort.

The sector is massively oversubscribed, most will fall away when they realise making movies is hard work and frankly just another job, so those left standing are the industry. That could be you if it's what you want most of all. Not the fame, money or glamour that people imagine, but to make a living and having the staying power ;-)

9 years, 7 months ago - Claude Baskind

Hi Rhys, thought I'd chuck in my two cents. I just left my job in the City to pursue filmmaking with no real idea how to go about it. Personally, I think if you're not happy doing what you're doing, you're crazy to keep doing it unless there's a very specific reason that you should.

Yesterday, me and my team wrapped on a short film (my first as a director), the basic premise of which is exactly this - young man leaves secure job to pursue filmmaking. The film's called Alright Harry? and I'll share it with the SP community when it's finished.

As you might imagine, the film answers the question of whether Harry should have left his job in the affirmative, albeit it's not an easy answer.

My real life experience says if you're young, can withstand a few knocks and haven't a damn good reason not to, you're mad not go give it a go.

Good luck!

Claude

9 years, 7 months ago - Basil Marples

Quit the day job whether your going to make films or not. Don't listen to anyone who makes you feel like you should be working every moment of every day to achieve the same nonsense as everybody else, art or otherwise. Work when you want to, create when you want to, live high, live low, know thyself and master life. You'll know when its right because you'll have left the issue of whether you're motivated or not, well behind you!

9 years, 7 months ago - Somerled Mackay

If you're going to do it, do it now. Before you have a "career", financial obligations and children. 2 years out of Uni - you have NOTHING to lose :)

9 years, 6 months ago - Ian Boisvert

Remember that everyone offering their advise here is only saying what they think is good for them. Trust your own intuition and gut.

9 years, 6 months ago - Richard Woodburn

No.

9 years, 6 months ago - Tony Franks

Hi Rhys, You stated : "I have not been able to commit my time to the more important things in life."

With that admission, I'd follow Richard's advice, above, and recommend "No".
Rather, just fill all your spare time in building up a great showreel of modest film projects.