Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/what am i doing wrong?!

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Expert: - 8/11/2006


Question
Hi Phil! I´ve been afreelance video editor for three years now
(I´m 26), I work from 12 to 24 hours a day when I have a job but  
the people I´ve worked for tooks up to four months to pay, and
i´m kind of tired of working like a donkey to earn almost the
same money that a mcdonalds employee...
Thus far the people I work for owes me 2/3 of the things I´ve
done this year
Is this really common? Is it true that I just don´t undertand how
this bussiness is? maybe i´m not for this... Please tell me
something, i´m sooo confused, because I love my job but I´d
love to be able to pay my bills and it depresses me that i can´t..

Answer
Alejandro,

Thanks for writing. From what you tell me, I'm guessing that you're working as a "non-union" editor. In the world of non-union, Producers take advantage of editors and other crew members all the time. If you were union, this wouldn't happen, you wouldn't be treated this way, and you'd be making good money.

Phil

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

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Phil Nemy

Expertise

I am a motion picture and television producer with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. I am also the author of the book GET A REEL JOB: Finding Your First Job In The Motion Picture Industry In Los Angeles. I can answers questions on a variety of subjects about careers in film from acting to directing to crew work, getting into the unions, successful strategies for networking, etc.

Experience

Former VP, Production for The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group Supervised production on such films as ARMAGEDDON, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, REMEMBER THE TITANS, PEARL HARBOR, CON AIR, ENEMY OF THE STATE, THE ROCK, CRIMSON TIDE, COYOTE UGLY, A CIVIL ACTION, ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, NOTHING TO LOSE, EDDIE and others. Worked as an actor, stage manager, director on broadway and regional theater as well as L.A.' Equity-waiver scene. Former Associate Artistic Director of Los Angeles Equity-Waiver theater.

Organizations
Director's Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Actor's Equity Association

Education/Credentials
BFA in Acting/Directing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Past/Present Clients
I've worked with such filmmakers as Jerry Bruckheimer, Tony Scott, Steve Zaillian, Scott Rudin, Garry Marshall, Frank Marshall, Michael Bay, etc.

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