Moving On...

It's time to elevate to the next level, as far as my film career is concerned. I'm still writing (as soon as one of the scripts or treatments gets picked up for production, I'm joining WGA) and still aspiring to direct (working on the money aspect to greenlight these projects), but as for the every day get-money gigs, I'm really, really, REALLY tired of PAing. In New York, at any rate. Lately, perhaps because of the latest twists and turns in the economy, or maybe because they are self-serving bastards, the production companies have been taking longer and longer to pay their crews after production is wrapped. That's fine if you're a working DP (Director of Photography), a Gaffer, a Key Grip or such who gets paid a lot of dough that they can put aside and live on for months, but if you are a PA, that's hand-to-mouth money. Such as it is, a PA can't wait three weeks to a month to get a measly pittance. It creates hardships that are less forgiving because you make less than others. And because PAs have no union to back them up, they are at the mercy of the production company, which as I've mentioned have been taking their sweet-old time about paying the crew lately.

No, it's not cool. So other than securing a shotgun or greenlighting your own productions, you have to move up and out of the position, at least to ensure that you get a better rate and more protection with the unions behind you. So what's next up from PA? I can go in a few directions, but I'm choosing the one from the picture because it's quicker and easier to learn than the others. Not to say I want to continue going up in this direction, but it's a new vine that gets me closer to my objectives.

Can you guess what I'm gonna do next? >;)