Artist...and that should be enough, wouldn't you agree? If your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.
Quick note on film, vfx, and entertainment industry change and collapse. At all times in creative industries, the artists of various sorts are responsible to uphold and not compromise standards. This also means persistant innovation and improvement on all fronts. It also means responsibility to know when to say “no” and push back. Each compromise, surrender of decision making, step into stagnation, deferral of responsibility, rigid specialization (“I only need to know this”), submissive throat baring, acceptance of second class citizenship, and refusal to learn and re-invent business is a step toward decline. Decline will eventually lead to collapse. As the innovators and inventors on the frontiers of what is “creative”, it is important to know when to reinvent, risk, and carve out new frontiers. A signal is usually uniform and shared recognition of poor working environments, hours, pay, and failing work quality. A remedy, for some, and a start, is endeavoring to create your own new models and points of value. As you make what is valuable it might be best not to rely on brokers who’s interest includes you only so long as is necessary. That means you create new businesses, new types of media, new projects. If you are waiting to work, you may as well build your own endeavors as you wait. Sew the seeds of a parallel value you can control and that focuses on the missing pieces and parts who’s absence you have seen deranging the places you previously worked. Like high quality, innovation, and resistance to lag. If you have insights into poor production practices like, waste, lack of decision making, “exploratory development”, political conflicts, “fake it till you make it”, darling placement, lack of creativity and knowledge of process, then you have insights into how to abbreviate timelines, processes, and increase value for yourselves while not having to bother with the tangled value of corporate economics. You don’t need to be Disney to prosper. Remember: “The hand that wounded shall not heal you.” Don’t wait for rescue. Don’t forget to flex your muscles. And cut out that imposter syndrome shit! It is a luxury. Be too terrified and desperate to fail. PS: Stop ruminating together! Sharing woes won’t help. Collaborate and plan together. Don’t waste your time and energy. Aim! And never, ever, trust anyone who can tell you how a thing can’t be done. Most things have a nearly infinite set of how they can’t happen. Experts and effective people will be able to help you coordinate the small set of ways things can happen.
Kenny Carmody
2mo
We are surely in a collapse of our industry that is for sure
Conrad Moody
2mo
Interesting, though I find that your first and last point sort of conflict! Surely part of saying no also requires a valid explanation. Though I do also see what you mean from a wider perspective in different scenarios.
Futurist. Realist. Innovator. Engineering Grade Artist.
2moI have built something from nothing more than once and failed. The efforts still put food on the table and made some good times, good memories, and good friendships. Even though it all ended up in a fiery wreck at the bottom of a dumpster, I'd do it again. Even so, when you're down, it's hard to stand. Worse, the world today asks that you not just stand, but it asks that you come off the ground in a full run. It's hard, it's painful, it's terrifying. The beauty of being a creative (industry independent) person is that you can literally change the world. What stands between you and a solid go is bottling passion and using it as your battery. It must may take a few attempts to light it, bottle it, or seal it. The hardest part (and I'm telling this to myself as much as anyone) is pushing past the fear and apathy to make a go of it, even when you can see the wall you may run flat out into once you get going.