Nobody Loses Money
A little while ago, I said everyone has two businesses: their business and show business. This doesn’t mean they actually understand the business. Chris Nashawaty wrote in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, “Universal spent $137 million on Ang Lee’s Hulk movie and it grossed $132 million. If I were a bean counter at Universal, I wouldn’t […]
I’m Important
Everyone thinks their department is the most important. When I was a young loader, the first ACs would constantly tell me about how the film was gold. Everything everybody did that day came down to the canister of film in my hand. Without the camera, it’s not a movie, it’s a play. It’s like they […]
Open Minded
People often regard Hollywood as a liberal place. People are often right. When the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, approval was unanimous among people I know or know of in the business. On the other hand, nearly all of my friends disapproved of the way Eliott Spitzer was run out of office. So, you […]
Two Businesses
All you have to do is not pay attention.
Location, Location, Location
Yesterday, I was more than a little surprised to find my readership had quintupled over night, and Monday’s post had more responses than all my previous posts combined. It’s thanks to the Polybloggimous blog, and Nathan’s little web 2.0 game. I’d like to continue the meme, but first I’ll have to come up with a […]
First Person Singular
Department heads often speak of themselves as if they are the entire department. I ACed for a DP once who was continually saying things like, “I’m going to put the crane over there,” or “I’m gonna set the camera here.” No, you’re not. You’re going to tell the grips and ACs, and they’ll do it. […]
Not In The Budget?
The agency I once worked for was across the street from a high school. My boss said he liked the location because it reminded him of the old saying, “Hollywood is just high school with money.” (His other favorite saying was, “Farmers farm, plumbers plumb, and agents lie.” I learned more from him than he […]
A Clarification
Yesterday, I said writing is not producing. I didn’t mean that as an insult. When I came to LA to attend film school, I thought the writer was in charge of the filmmaking process. It turns out, I was wrong. People usually laugh at me when I relate that bit of youthful naiveté. Or they […]
“It’s exhausting but fun.”
No, I didn’t say that about being a PA. That’s Jane Espenson, talking about “producing.” I produced a sitcom pilot in film school. I asked my professor what, exactly, was a producer’s job. My professor said, “The producer is the guy who, when something goes wrong, fixes it, even if it means picking up a […]
With No Power Comes No Responsibility
I’ve worked on some horrible shows. (One of the quaint anachronisms from the days when everyone in Hollywood was a former vaudvillian is the fact that everything, be it a movie, a TV series, or even a music video, is called a “show.”) I worked on a horror movie about giant eels. I worked on […]
Killing Trees
Hollywood is considered a progressive place, concerned with environmentalism, global warming, and “green” things like that. Judging by the number of hybrids in the parking lot, that’s generally true. Except when it comes to paper. I’m not much of an environmentalist myself, but even I’m shocked at how much paper we waste. We’ll use half […]