So, what's your story?

[Clayton Taylor]

So how did everyone get started? I'm new to the RED side of things, but here's my story.
I started out as a wedding/portrait photographer in the DSLR world. After Katrina, and the film industry floated up to Shreveport (Louisiana) from New Orleans, I got into working as background and fell in love with the movie making world. That's about the time we realized just what we had in a Canon 5Dm2 - I moved to shooting video and partnered with one of my good friends who's a solid writer/director. We've been doing this for about 4 years now - we usually make a short film each year - although we're looking at doing our first feature next year.

I work as a nurse to pay the bills, but my heart's in entertainment/film. I live in the DFW market which is flooded with businesses and corporations... I made the switch to a RED Scarlet (it's all I could afford) and abandoned my DLSR at the end of last year. I've since amassed way too many accessories/add-ons and a full set of entry level Cinema Primes (again, can't afford 6-10k per lens). I still have my old Canon glass as well.

Here's the question. How does one make the move into doing this for a living? I've got my production company name/logo set. I'm in the process of filing LLC paperwork here in TX. While Nursing is great and all, its not what I WANT to do. I want to shoot commercials, music videos, and indie films until Im able to get my break into a bigger budget project. I can pay the bills with commercials, videos, rentals, and working on indie projects, but the question is - how do I get the business? How do I get myself out there? Do you just cold call local businesses? Do you drop in? How did you make your move into doing what you love for a living?


TL;DR - looking to break into doing this for a living, but not sure where to start. Help?

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

I started as a pa in the huge photo industry here in Dallas. Then I got a staff job at a production company for a few years before going out on my own. I was lucky in that by having a staff job I got to see a wide range of the production process and had access to gear to experiment with. Attitude goes a LONG way in this biz, as well as skill of course, but a reputation of dependability, nice personality, and delivering a good on-set experience is priceless. I learned early on to be as prepared as possible for everything, it's the little things that make a big difference. I think you would have a difficult time just trying to start a production company that actually made decent rates, there is so much competition. I suggest trying to network and get on other peoples shoots so you can learn learn learn. Or do both, but definitely getting on other peoples productions will be incredibly valuable in so many different ways.

 

[Glen Powell]

I started as a PA. in the back of a cube van on Big Budget TV Advertising... first day the best boy asked me to go get the 'cable stretcher' from the package truck. That was 20+ (?) years ago; long and winding road since then, lots of twists and turns through most set departments (grip, spark, camera, line producer) that eventually saw me leave set for a while and take a cushy office job bidding jobs as head of production for one of the produce's here in T.O.

Then one day in 2006 I sat down with the Exec Producer and said: "The agencies keep asking for lower production costs to make something called a Viral for the interwebs; what should we do?" His answer was "Fuck 'em that internet thing won't work.".

A few weeks later I left, bought HD camera equipment, called my contact list at the agencies, and started making web content. Haven't looked back.

So I guess in my case I did all the grunt work within the business, and when I stepped out on my own my Palm Pilot was loaded with contacts and years of personal relationships... Couldn't imagine starting from scratch.

Of course advertising is a different film animal from narrative, but still so much hinges on who you know and what they think of you.

 

[Clayton Taylor]

@Jake - That's what I was afraid of. I'm trying to get in with people here in the DFW scene - It's looking like I'll need to start going to the Dallas Producers meetings and the other industry groups, right? I'm not quitting the day job of Nursing - it will be tough to get pay equal to this for a few years at least (or so I think?). I guess baby steps, right?

@Glen - yeah Im relatively new to DFW and completely unknown in this industry in any shape here. I relocated from Shreveport, LA about 3 years ago and am just now getting around to cutting the cord from the scene there. All of my friends/crew/contacts are there, so I guess it's time to find new ones here. It's just hard finding people you can count on and trust - especially somewhere as big as DFW. Hopefully I can start building up a contact list of my own soon.

 

[Phil Holland]

Heh. I might reply when I get back home, but my journey was not a common path and it might end up being rather long.

I've been on my own since 2011, but I had 11+ years in the industry before I made that move. The best I can say is you need to build up your business on the side and hopefully there will be a moment where you can pull the switch and make it your full-time gig "when it makes sense".

There's no one way to build or acquire clients. But that dreaded networking word is key. And whatever you can do to put yourself, you work, and capabilities out there will help. It is a building process for most and you need to ramp up and grate momentum.

 

[Clayton Taylor]

Look forward to hearing it Phil. I've actually got a couple of things in the works which will hopefully come through. Trying to lang a gig shooting short for one of the lead actresses on Salem. A friend of mine is her personal assistant and they're putting in a good word for me. Just had another guy message me today about filming a short for him. Hopefully these pan out and expand the reel.

 

[Lakis Amarantithis]

>>How does one make the move into doing this for a living?

I don't think there's a formula to that as everyone can do it in very different ways.
It's very good to ask successful people like you just did. I like to hear them myself.