Moviemaking: The Business --> Expectations

 

Moviemaking is not a straight shot to the top. There's a lot of things that have to happen to make yourself into a value-maker AKA being able to work on your art and not having 3 side-hustles to pay your bills on time. For most of us it's a time and process that takes years, maybe even decades. So read on and look for these movements I've cited in BOLD.

The options here usually are not defined as the first step but I'll try to make them in a linear path for you.

1. You get an OPPORTUNITY. You find Dad's old camcorder or buy a vintage Super 8mm camera like I did and you see the possibilities. You see a movie made locally and think you can imitate it at the very least. You recruit your family or friends to make your own movie they recruit you. You enjoy it way more than your office job. You meet an agent that works at CAA while selling your vintage Atari arcade game you've had in the garage. Tell them you only see yourself making movies.

2. You PREPARE. Self-explanatory. Get ready for your adventure. Research, read, learn, think of theories, understand yourself and your process of creation.

3. The opportunity allows you to EXPLORE how to make your movie. You find options to make money to get it made: you use a mannequin instead of a human actor jumping out of a car for that one shot. This is the creative production aspect. You are exploring how it all works.

4. Either you create MEETINGS or someone offers you to have a meeting with them. These are new chances to build your network. Treat these as ways to find your workmates, not to meet your arch rivals. Enjoy the process. It's not everyday you will get to know people outside of your realm. Enjoy listening to them and hopefully they will be wise enough to listen to you too.

5. You GET IDEAS for your current project or a future project. This is the inspiration for your movement you're doing or going to be doing. Write this down and map it.

6. You MAKE $ by the sale of the movie or as a technician or a member of management on the movie. What you do with that money is up to you. As a person that calls themselves a filmmaker, it's advisable to reinvest something into another film.

7.  You get another OPPORTUNITY to make something. You now have another chance to make more work. 

I got the image from somewhere online about playing video games and certain gaming mechanics. I now cannot recall exactly where or what site. If I do find out, I'll credit them.