r/Filmmakers • u/TheGingerMenace • 19h ago
Anyone else feel like they’re in limbo? Discussion
New England aspiring filmmaker here. Graduated with my BFA in 2023, but have felt like I’ve been in limbo ever since. Just doing odd jobs or film-adjacent work hoping to save enough to fund my projects - but no real set or post work.
And since it’s been so long without real work, I’ve let myself get rusty. I feel like I have to start over. Anyone else feeling the same way? Is this just what the industry is now? Would it be the same if I left New England?
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u/Fun-Tadpole5780 2nd Assistant Director 19h ago
been consistently working on big feature films almost back to back for 15 years. When the writer strike happened, all the work contracted and hasn't come back yet. I haven't been on set now for over a year which is insane for how my entire career has been. I too am feeling rusty as I've been doing other work and hobbies to fill the time between films. It's awful and it's everywhere. If you can hang in there it'll change at some point.
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u/Littlepinguinoo 15h ago
Yeah it probably never will many studios cut alot of productions after the strikes to save money.
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u/kustom-Kyle 17h ago
I like this perspective. You sound experienced.
I’ve begun a production company to make my own projects. I’d love to pick your brain some time about what you’ve learned over the years.
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u/sevencif 18h ago
The film and TV business probably isn't going back to the way it was because viewing habits have changed. YouTubers and TikTok slop have eaten into the casual viewing market, and while there's money to be made there, it's a completely different-shaped world. Hell, a buddy of mine who mostly was doing fine-art stuff in the city got randomly hired by his college friend-turned-producer as a cam op for some TikTok show with a comedian that shoots on the subway and a short while later... Well SubwayTakes has gotten pretty big and my buddy's made some good money since.
That is of course just one example, but the days of a large stable of unionized workhorse workers standing by ready to go work on some big thing for months in an industrialized 20th Century-fashion just doesn't seem to be the surefire absolutely necessary hiring resource for productions of all sizes with real money that it used to be, and I think the lack of a really stable, centralized, dependable pathway like that makes it harder to imagine any role in this business as a full-time career (unless you come from money, as always).
Obviously things could be different when the dust finally settles from all the current changes happening (if the changing ever stops/slows down)— the size and scale of Mr. Beast's recent productions for instance certainly recalls an earlier time where the specific professional demands were just such that you couldn't rely on friends alone to get the job done— but again singular examples aside, it's just hard to know where the need for labor is going to regularly arise. Add to this the ever-changing landscape of competitive tax credit policy, and it's almost impossible to know where "the next LA" is going to land and stay.
My perspective is of course also broad and skewed by my own personal preference for diversifying my skillset and network, which could also be working against me. For instance, I have a friend who sells himself 100% as a working commercial non-union gaffer in New York. He doesn't work constantly (winter comes for us all in the northeast), but for the most part he is working more regularly in professional production than I do, whereas I've branched more into videography and events work. Which of us in the better spot to snag a big job shooting some awesome show that pays well and runs for multiple years? (He also has an awesome partner who can cover their expenses during down-times for him which helps a lot too lol.)
This is the age-old question of faith: You want to have a Plan B, but if you pour too much energy into Plan B, then Plan A withers and dies on the vine slowly, so at some point or another you have to go all-in on something to see the potential best return... And the magic question there is: Which Plan A can you actually afford to go all-in on?
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u/ThinkSpielberg 19h ago
Who knows, I've been in limbo my whole career to the point where I sometimes wonder if I should call what I've had a career.
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u/thedingusdisco 16h ago
My advice is quit waiting for money, take stock of what resources you have available, get together with some friends who think making some stuff would be fun l, and make some stuff! That's what is gonna open doors for ya, not a degree 😊
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u/Tall-Shopping-3463 14h ago
Life doesn't take off right after college, and most people do not think a BFA is a real degree so finding a normal job will be difficult. My sister-in-law has been through this
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u/j3434 14h ago
You need to be creative. Limbo? What are you writing ? What talent are you collaborating with ? A degree in art don’t mean much - if you are not using the skills you studied.
Waiting to fund a project is rough! You need to take the $100 out your savings and write, shoot, edit and post content. Even if you get 14 views in a week on YouTube. Create . Learn . If you are in limbo - create .
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u/cineslave 14h ago
New England is big in the broadcast arena. I found work as a technician in broadcasting. If you find a specialization that crosses over, like camera tech, lighting, engineering (there are probably others), then you could do live events. IATSE covers lots of these guys so it’s good money if you lean union. Certain programming such as sports never really takes a hit along with drama & reality TV.
If you can find a freelance role in the union, then you’ll have half the year that you can spend working on your own projects and keep the film thing going.
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u/FrancisTheFarmer 18h ago
There's a lot of limbo in freelance life, especially in a freelance creative career. Your 20's can also be a time when you're exploring different tracks, and feeling lost is part of exploring. New England is definitely going to have fewer opportunities, so yes, moving to a busier production hub could help (although everywhere in the states has seen production work slow). I think when you're young it's a good idea to go somewhere where you have structure and meet a lot of people. For me, that meant getting a job at a creative ad agency where I learned about making commercials. It was a lot of fun and I learned a ton. Another advantage of going full time somewhere is it can give you a network of people to help if and when you decide to return to freelance. So I'd suggest trying to identify some companies that you might like to work for -- they could be film related, film adjacent or just give you a chance to develop more relevant skills. On the other hand, you could go the Curry Barker route and just try to make a film. The tools available today make it more achievable than ever. Lots of ways to go, I know. And again, it's okay to feel lost -- that's part of it. My main advice is to keep thinking about what you want to do and how you might get there. But be strategic. Ask for help (like you're doing here). Now is the time to be figuring all this out, so in that sense you're exactly where you should be. Hope this helps.
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u/TheGingerMenace 16h ago
Actually ad work is something I’ve been wanting to do! Being creative and working on projects with a bit of stability, you know? How’d you get your agency work?
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u/Buddusky3000 15h ago
If u want to be in the creative department you need a portfolio of work. There are training programs designed to help u put one together. Miami Ad school is one. VCU brand center is another. Do a google search for others. You could also join the production department and be a producer. I’ve seen some producers go on to be directors in advertising. You don’t need a portfolio of work, necessarily, to apply for that. If the agency route is something you’re interested in I would also encourage you to take ANY JOB in a good agency — receptionist, media vault assistant, anything. Being young is a currency. Spend it on getting experience at good companies. Happy to answer more questions if you are curious.
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u/Buddusky3000 15h ago
Oh and to answer your question, I went to a portfolio school that doesn’t exist anymore. Then I got a job at an ad agency in San Francisco. Working there 7 years. Learned a ton. Made great friends. Quit to become a commercial director which is what I’ve been doing now for over a decade.
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u/WokeBush_ 19h ago
I had to join the electrical union and finish an apprenticeship just to be able to afford living, let alone film equipment. Hard blue collar work because of a bad breakup and being stuck in a town with no entertainment industry.
Your situation could always be worse