5 Reasons You Shouldn't Become A Filmmaker

Ihave come across a lot of people in my time in Los Angeles that have made the move out here to become a filmmaker or to be part of the entertainment industry in some way or another and their reasons for doing so vary quite a bit. There is no right or wrong reason to try your luck at filmmaking, but there are a group of at least 5 reasons why you shouldn't become a filmmaker and/or move to Los Angeles to do so.

 

I welcome any comments on why or why not these reasons are right or wrong.

 

Five Reasons You Shouldn't Become a Filmmaker

1. Money

The number one reason not to become a filmmaker is money. Really, you shouldn't start any career for money since odds are ten years or so down the road, you will realize how miserable you've been for the last 3rd of your life because you never really liked what you were doing but now your stuck doing it. Becoming a filmmaker for that reason is the same thing, and is generally a bad idea. Passion, love of the craft, a genuine desire to entertain people, you have something to say that will influence the world or change the way people think, those are reasons to become a filmmaker.

 

The point being, don't get in it for the money! You will be forced to work your ass off, either for free, or for $400 per week (no overtime, is that legal? I don't think so...) for usually a year until you have "proven" yourself and "paid your dues". There aren't many industries that operate this way, and it sucks. If you can manage to scrape by off mom and dad's money or your inheritance for that time, and are actually competent, then you just might be able to get minimum wage or a little more your second year. Good Luck. If it really is only money you are after, try playing the lottery, you will have about the same odds.

 

2. Fame

Are you serious? You really think you will move to hollywood, sell that awesome screenplay you worked 3 months on and suddenly you'll be a household name? Hardly. You might as well go to spring training with the Broncos and try and walk on, ain't going to happen. Get into the mix if you wish, but be realistic about the odds of you becoming famous, if you want to direct, and actually get the opportunity to, you will have to learn to be satisfied with a direct to DVD flick that nobody will ever see because that is the most likely path, at least at first. And don't get me wrong, you can write a script, direct a flick, or produce something that will be big and take off, make that big sale at Cannes or Toronto and you could have an amazing career after that, but getting in for the fame is the wrong reason. Do it for the love, not the fame.

 

3. To Impress the Ladies

Sorry fellas, this just won't work in LA. Try going to a bar or a club and walking up to a beautiful lady and saying "Hi, I'm Andy, I'm a producer" and see what happens. You will probably get laughed at if you even get a response at all. Granted that may not be the best line in the world, but you get the point. EVERYONE IN LA IS A PRODUCER OR DIRECTOR OR WRITER. This tactic may work in other cities, usually much smaller cities where that career actually seems exotic and might impress some sexy girl, but here they've heard it a million times before.

 

4. The Parties

You want to party with Jessica Alba, who doesn't? Maybe Johnny Depp or Benicio Del Torro, whoever your dream party date is, forget it. First of all, once you make the move to LA, which is a must if you want to be taken seriously, you will be enamored with celebrities, telling your friends back home how many celebrities you've seen, usually calling them within seconds of the encounter. But after a few months, maybe years, you will no longer have that infatuation and will soon learn that it is uncool to get excited about meeting a celeb. Maybe that isn't the reason that you want to party with hollywood elite, maybe it is the drugs or the booze or you just love to party, but in any case, they are all bad reasons to become a filmmaker, you can still attend the parties and meet all the celebs you want just by being a jackass, look at Brody Jenner for clarification.

 

5. There's Already Enough of Us

I know you have an idea or story that would make a great movie, or you really think you can make a better movie than the last one you saw, but please just let that desire pass and keep your day job.  With the digital revolution among us and everyone having access to a camera and editing equipment, it is a filmmaking free for all, which I guess is good for those with no access to financing or proximity to hollywood, but not for existing filmmakers working in the industry.  We don't want you to try your luck or send out your script, please just stay home and go back to your job at the bank.

After writing this, I am looking back and it sounds pretty negative, that must be my jaded view of things since being out here in the big city. Oh well, I really don't want to discourage you from taking a chance and trying your luck at filmmaking, just if you do, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.  Some filmmakers think they are doing it for the right reasons but deep down know that they aren't, and those are the people who will have ended up wasting their time on something they really didn't want to do in the first place.