Maximizing your Production's State Tax Credit

I recently attended a seminar with representatives from Amper, Politzner & Mattia, certified public accountants and consultants in New Jersey, who are familiar with the accounting procedures associated with applying for a Film Production Tax Rebate or Credit. They had some very interesting things to say about how productions need to prepare properly for getting the most out of the production credit and rebate programs offered by states. I have taken the liberty of extracting some of the notes and outlining them below, and encourage everyone involved in this process to educate themselves as much as possible so we are better informed about what needs to be done to get the most from the tax incentive programs.

If you need more information, you can contact the firm directly at 732-919-1400 or visit their website at www.amper.com

Payroll Testing Procedure (for final audit with the state)
• Agree wages recorded in the bible to paycheck stubs or payroll register.
• Review time cards to determine location worked
• Review production reports to determine location worked

Non-Payroll Testing Procedures (for final audit with the state)
• Agree expenditures per bible to vendor invoice
• Verify if expense is incurred in State
• Verify type of expenditure

Qualifying Expenses
• Compensation paid for services within the state
o Paid to individual employees
o Paid to loan-out companies
o Employer payroll taxes/fringes
• Payments for goods and services within the state
• Payments for rental of property and equipment within the state

Common Pitfalls
• Applying for too little credit (better to overestimate your expenditure in the initial application)
• Not Obtaining proof of loan-out
o May be required prior to the initial payment to loan out
• Poor record keeping for petty cash

Best Practices
• When recording payroll transactions include employee name as the vendor name
• Make sure employees indicate work state/locality on time card for every day worked
o locality may be required in certain states
• Get Loan out companies to register up front
o Consult with legal council
o Incorporate registration requirement in the contract
• Take care when recording petty cash receipts
• Educate production staff on state guidelines before they spend petty cash in order to maximize the credit
• Consult with the state film department regarding local vendors that can be used
• Educate those involved in the process early
• Keep an open dialogue with the state department issuing credit
• When in doubt, consult with a qualified CPA with industry experience

Film Credit Trivia
Q: I need to purchase an item not sold in the state issuing the credit. Is there any way to get the expense to qualify?
• In NJ? Have the item shipped by the vendor via common carrier or by the vendor’s own vehicle.
• In MA? As long as the item is used in MA the expense will qualify. Make sure there is adequate documentation of the item’s use to hold up during audit.
• In PA? Consider using a qualified intermediary in the state/locality

3 Strikes Against NY Production-Winter 2009

There have been 3 strikes that put NY Independent Film Production out of business this winter. Number one is the World Financial Crisis; number two is the end to the Guaranteed Completion Contracts offered by SAG and their continued inability to sign a new contract with the AMPTP; and number three is the empty funding pool for the NY State Tax Incentive.

In the fall, we saw many films loose their green light due to the fallout in the world economic crisis, when investors stepped to the sidelines of their financing commitments. Even though some were saying that financing a movie seemed like a safer gamble than anything in banking or the markets, those with money were not in the mood for risk. As well, so many people with money lost the money which they had to play with, the money they had for financing independent features.

Just as producers started to regroup and find alternative means of financing their indy productions, the Screen Actors Guild decided to end the existence of the Guaranteed Completion Contracts, which they had been extending to independent productions, since the last contract expired July 1, 2008. Those GC Contracts, which people called waivers, had allowed films, which were independent of companies already signatory with SAG, to produce movies without the threat of the potential SAG strike. With no GC Contracts available, bond companies like Film Finances would not bond movies against a strike, unless, in some cases, the actor contracts were written with the provision that the actors would return to that production immediately following the resolve of any strike that interrupted the production, and there was money set aside in the budget, for the cost of shutting down and restarting at the most expensive time during the production.

As if these two factors weren't enough, it became public, that all the NY State Tax Incentive Funds had been committed and essentially spent, reflecting on one hand, the giant success of the incentive program, but, on the other, grinding to a halt, almost all movie production in New York. Many of the independent productions were being funded in part by a bank loan, and in many cases that loan was based on the bank being guaranteed repayment through the tax credit money. Where there used to be no guarantee that an independent film would recoup any of the money invested in making it, with the Tax Incentive there was a guarantee. But suddenly, with the funding pool run dry, the banks were no longer willing to lend, and what had become a cornerstone of independent film financing, for New York, was no longer.

The winter is traditionally a frigid time for making movies in New York, but this winter has been the worst I have seen in the 22 years I've been in the business. Even TV pilots scheduled for the early Spring, many written for New York because of the draw of the Tax Incentive, were carted to Toronto, Vancouver, Providence, Boston, Michigan and other States that could still offer financial incentives, leaving New York production people high and dry. We all look forward to the Spring, where the promise of warming weather brings hope for a resolve to the potential SAG strike, a renewing of the Tax Incentive funding, and an end to the downward slide of our general economy.

Greener Production

I attended the DGA "Shoot it Green" meeting on Saturday and learned a lot about how we can make our productions "Greener",
which means basically, finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint in the act of making movies and tv shows.

There will soon be a web-site dedicated to all the on-going efforts that are being made by productions who have implemented greener production techniques and I plan to work with that list to produce a memo at the start of each production, outlining how we will be implementing these new practices. In many cases the greener production practices will reduce the overall cost of production.

Some of the green practices that have already begun include using water canteens instead of buying water bottles, using bio-diesel fuel, reducing trucking, re-using lumber from set construction, using glasses and real plates, separating and recycling garbage, economizing office supplies, recycling unit supplies, and using less paper.

Why Twitter?

Briefly, I'm really just beginning to start using Twitter, but I can see that it is part of the way that I can keep informed and keep others informed about what is going on right now in our changing business and world. Twitter is a way that I can follow what the people I share interests with are doing, reading, seeing, hearing, feeling, on a moment by moment basis. As well, it's a way for me to communicate with people who share my interests, and inform them of what's happening. I can search for information that interests me that are out there, but Twitter brings me information that other people, with like-interests, are discovering.

Screenplays and Rewrites

I have talked a little about writing under the Directing Blog, but if you are in need of script consulting, I have been working with writers for a long time, helping them to develop their story to its fullest potential.

Rewriting can be much harder than the first draft and you want to make sure that the second draft is the presentation draft. So before embarking on the next draft, you want to know everything needed to make it the final draft- a compelling and complete and marketable screenplay. Everyone who reads the next draft should say: I want to see this movie.

At this stage, I cannot do this for people without financial compensation, but I can do it for a reasonable fee, since I do enjoy it.

NY Unions

TEAMSTERS: Local 817: Teamsters, Casting Directors

DGA: Directors, Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Location Managers

WGA: Writers

SAG: Actors

I.A.T.S.E.: Crew
Local 52: Studio Mechanics
Local 161: Script Supervisors, Production Coordinators, Accountants
Local 600: Camera
Local 764: Wardrobe
Local 829: Costumes, Art Department
Local 798: Make Up, Hair
Local 700: Editors

10 Questions My H.S. Intern Asked Me

Hey Ged,

I have a homework assignment for my internship class and I need to ask ten questions to somebody who is in the business that I am interested in pursuing.

1. Are you satisfied with your job in film industry today?

Ged: I like the job, when I get to work, but I get frustrated when there are no productions to work on.

2. If you had a chance to, would you go back and pursue a different career?

Ged: No. This is the right business for me, and Line Producing is the best job for me in the business.

3. What is your favorite part of the film business?

Ged: Working with people on a common project, specifically a movie, which will affect the souls of millions of people for years to come.

4. Does the film business offer good pay?

Ged: Depends what you consider good pay. I would say it is average, unless you really make it and are a big success. For most people you can live well, maybe have a boat or a second home, but it's really hard to bank money and save. The weekly salary can be good, but the weeks without work, make your yearly income modest.

5. Is sixteen a good age to start getting into the film business?

Ged: Never too young and the younger the better. True of any field. The knowledge you need to start out is pretty minimal, and then the knowledge you need to move up, is learned through experience working on productions. All the knowledge you have is helpful to reaching your fullest potential, as with every field. It's good I am quick with math, but I don't really need math beyond algebra and geometry. You need to be able to read. Science is unnecessary. If you want to write and direct, you need to observe life and comprehend what is going on, and build your understanding of people human nature. I'm into self-education. Pursue your interests and educate yourself in the process.

6. Is the film industry based mostly on luck or skill?

Ged: Success in the business is based on skill, luck, networking, talent, attitude and knowledge, among other things.

7. How many degrees are preferable to gain in college in order to be most likely successful in the industry?

Ged: The more you are educated, the broader your base to start out with, but you don't want to spend all of your 20's in school, because you will be starting out too late in the field. If you do grad school, you need to work full-time in the summers. You should go to college.

8. What is the best job for a person to start with if he/she would like to get into the film business?

Ged: Intern and Production Assistant.

9. What inspired you to get into the film industry?

Ged: I have always liked watching movies and in college I made little movies. There was nothing else I really liked doing. I liked working on a common project with my friends, and then kicking back to look at what we had created.

10. If you had a chance to work with any current movie director, who would it be?

Ged: Edward Zwick, Sidney Lumet, John Sayles, Ben Stiller, and many others.

How can I Become an Art Director?

If you have worked in production and have your eyes set on the Art Department, you should talk to as many people as you can who work in the Art Department to find out what it is really like. My view is from outside the department, where I play more of a managerial role, monitoring the relationship between the director and department heads within the Art Department, monitoring the Art Department budget , and monitoring and trying to work out any conflicts within the department.

What people think of as The Art Department is large and actually includes, among several other departments, a department called The Art Department. Most of my comments pertain to independent features, where the Art Department is smaller than on big studio pictures. There is traditionally only one Production Designer on a production, and that person is ultimately in charge of all the Art Departments and all the people who work on whatever else is in front of the camera, besides the costumed actors. A lot of people just getting into films think they want to be an Art Director, but it is really the Production Designer, not the Art Director, who is in control and works directly with the Director, the Director of Photography and the Costume Designer to determine the look of the film.

The departments, which make up what people think of as the Art Department, and that fall under the jurisdiction of the Production Designer, are: Art Department, Set Decoration, Construction, Scenics, and Props. Within the Art Department, you will have the Production Designer, Art Director, Assistant Art Director, Storyboard Artist, Graphic Artist, Art Department Coordinator, Assistant Art Department Coordinator, Art PA and Art Intern. Within the Set Decoration Department you have the Set Decorator, On Set Dresser, Lead Man, and the Swing Gang. Within Construction, you have the Construction Coordinator, Construction Foreman, Key Carpenter and Carpenters. Within the Scenic Department, you have the Charge Scenic Artist, Camera Scenic Artist, Lead Scenic Artist, Journey Scenic Artists, and Scenic Department Shop Person. Within the Property Department, you have the Property Master, and Assistant Property Masters. These are the positions, but on the smaller movies, you might not have someone for all of these positions. Under some contracts with the Union, you will be required to have someone in some of the positions.

The only allowance, on a Union production, for non-union employees within the Art Department, are the Art PA and the Art Intern, but those positions are really only supposed to be filled by people who do not do any work that should be done by a union person. On a really low budget, but still Union, independent, the Teamsters Union, MAY allow a props van or cube truck without a lift gate, to be driven by a PA. And if that PA Driver is driving the Props cube, in the credits a producer might give that person a credit as Props Truck Driver PA. And that PA could gain experience in Props by working closely with the Props Master and the Assistant Props Master. But the Union will not allow that driver to actually work with the props. He is supposed to have the responsibilities of a driver, which include helping unload the truck in the morning, watching the contents of the truck during the day and loading it back up at the end of the day. But be careful, because if that PA starts running props to the set, he/she is taking work away from a union member and the Union Rep from Local 52 (in NY) will come to set and tell the line producer that he has to pay that PA and the Union as an Assistant Property Master for the day, as well as any retro days the PA has been acting as an Assistant Props. Then, if you want to continue having that PA work as a driver only, he must revert to only the duties of a PA Driver or you again will have to pay him as if he was in Local 52.

So if you are non-union and want to work in the Art Department, you have to work as an Art PA or Art Intern. Then on the side, you work in higher positions on non-union productions to gain department-head experience. You will have to check with the Union on what it takes to join in a particular crew position. And although all of the Art Department union positions are within I.A.T.S.E., there are (in NY) two local unions within I.A.T.S.E. that cover Art Department people: Local 52 and Local 829.

IATSE Local 829 includes the Production Designer, Art Director, Assistant Art Director, Storyboard Artist, Graphic Artist, and Scenic Artists. IATSE Local 52 includes Props, Set Decoration, and Construction. And the members of one local are not allowed to cross the line and help a department covered by a different Local, which means, a Props person can help the On Set Dresser move a coffee table, but The Art Director is not allowed to move the coffee table. And even within the same Local (829) the Art Director is not allowed to pick up a paint brush.

As a line producer, I understand why IATSE needs to be broken up into 8 separate Locals, however, it complicates my job of getting the movie made smoothly, more difficult.

This is only a brief and general overview of what constitutes the Art Departments on NY productions, but Production Designers are usually more than willing to advise young people who want to get in. I suggest hunting down the Art Department people, who have been part of the movies in which you admire the production design, and asking them all your questions.

Unemployment

Because almost everyone who actually works on the physical production of movies and tv shows is freelance, almost everyone spends time collecting Unemployment. It it just the nature of the business, because it is unusual to be able to line up one job to start exactly when a job ends. Sometimes people will leave a production early to take a new job that needs them right away. Don't expect that you will be employed on a full-time. This is a condition that is both good and bad. It's good if you can spend a couple weeks in between, but it's bad if you go for an extended period without steady employment. Most people will "Piece it Together" between jobs. When I was a Location Manager, I would take scouting jobs in-between, and now I do budgets and schedules.

And sometimes there are strikes or potential strikes by the unions. We have so many unions that comprise the industry--DGA, IATSE, TEAMSTERS, WGA and SAG. If one union goes on strike or even threatens to strike, it will set the flow of productions off course. Last year, the WGA went on strike, putting on hold all studio productions. Independent films, who did not have WGA writers were able to proceed. Last year, and it has been almost a year since, the Screen Actors Guild has been proposing that it go on strike,and even though they are not on strike the mere threat of a potential strike has put a wrench in what films are getting made. Studios especially will not take any risks in this business, which is just plain "good business." It would be foolish for them to commit millions to a production, only to have to pull the plug when SAG goes on strike. They have continued to keep the tv productions running because a strike would just mean they pull the plug on one episode, which is around 7 days of work. And they might even get a few days notice, which enables them to keep losses to a minimum. Independents were given waivers for a while by SAG, so that they could proceed with filming even if there was a strike. But now that is over. It's upsetting to many of us now, who are in the business and not in SAG. Everyone wants and needs to work to keep afloat, having long ago given up on saving money in the bank.

You can prepare for such occasions, by keeping up with other types of freelance employment. I have been a waiter at catering parties and I work as a rigger at night and on weekends. You need to find a way to support yourself and collecting unemployment is a great source of relief and income. There is no stigma in the production business about collecting unemployment and everyone does it. NJ offers $580/week and NY offers $405/week, if you have been making a healthy salary when you were employed. And although this won't pay for your lifestyle it does help stop the bleeding. You will find yourself doing other things like keeping the heat at 68 instead of 70, using the cell phone less, eating soup, not eating out, turning off the lights when you leave a room, selling old clothes, stopping the use of random ATM machines, and securing ways of accessing money/debt just in case you need to tap into it. You should get overdraft protection at your bank and build up your credit rank as best you can so that you get credit card offers (just in case).

It's hard to go on vacation when you should be on the hunt for employment, but it is a good time to spend more time with your family and regroup. Clean your house. Paint. Fix the leaky sink. Learning some basic plumbing skills, has saved me a few thousand over the years. Go to the library. Read. Watch movies. Go running. Blog.

My First Internship

I first moved to New York after graduation, and I stayed with my college friend's mother in NJ, because I wasn't prepared to pay the City rent. And I was a little lost about how to go about getting into the film business. I really had no idea about what I could do in the business, and actually looked in the newspaper to find a job working on a movie. My parents didn't know anybody who was in the film business and the one lead I had at the Alumni office didn't pan out for me.

I spent most of the summer in that NJ house, not knowing what to do with myself, and by the end of the summer, when I started to feel like I shouldn't overstay my welcome, I gave up, and moved back to my college town, where I lived for 8 months, before venturing back to New York again. I know the internet offers a lot more opportunity to self-educate yourself on what is going on in the business, but I have to believe some college grads are still as oblivious, and un-connected as I was then.

It was my oldest sister who told me John Sayles was in New York, and she recommended that I go to his production office and ask for an internship, not a job. I had written a paper about Sayles and one of his producers, Maggie Renzi, in college, because at that time, 1985, Sayles was a new voice in American Independent Film, having won a McArthur Grant, and having produced a few independents on his own with Maggie Renzi and more recently, Peggy Rajski. I found the number of the company, Red Dog, somehow, and called the office to learn that they were in post production on Eight Men Out and didn't need any interns.

When I told my sister that I had hit another dead end, she told me that I had to go down to the office in person and ask them again if I could work for free. I wasn't going to get anywhere if I wasn't persistent, she said. So, I tracked down their office to an address on West 38th Street and one day got up the courage to knock on the door. It was a crummy little office with three desks facing each other, a few filing cabinets and a love seat. There they were: the producer, the accountant and the post coordinator. And again I didn't get too far because within a couple minutes they had again told me that they needed no help and I was shown the door (politely of course).

I was ready to give up, but my sister wasn't, and she told me to wait one week and go back to ask again. So that's what I did. But again, they said they didn't need anyone. Coached by my sister, I managed to shake everyone's hand anyway, and looked them in the eyes, as directed, and I told them how I had written a paper about John's filmmaking, and their production methods, and how I even recognized the producer, Peggy Rajski, from a picture in one of the books I had used for research. All my efforts still had me back out on the pavement, but I did feel like I had made more of a connection this time. And I had met Peggy Rajski! --the producer from that book.

And then a few days later I got a call from the post coordinator, that If I still wanted to come in, they couldn't pay me, and there was just some really mundane work to do, but I could come in the next day. So I did. And I emptied the trash, and went out for their lunch, and pasted up petty cash, and made runs between the office and Sound One, where the film was being finished. I actually got to hand John Sayles his mail, which was most rewarding because it meant to me that I was finally part of it--even if I was the absolute lowest man on the pole. To this day, I refer to that day, when they called me to come back, as the turning point in my film career, the day I got in.

After a few weeks interning, they started paying me $50/day and after Eight Men Out finished, Peggy called a colleague and before I knew it, I was called to work as a set PA on Nancy Savoca's True Love. After that, Peggy made another call and got me a PA job on State of Grace, doing tasks that would open my eyes wide to the dynamic of a big feature film.

What I learned from my experience trying to get an internship on Eight Men Out, turned out to be true for the business in general. You will always have to hunt for work and sometimes stalk it, but if you keep driving forward and pursuing the road you think will be good for you, you can get in. If you make a good impression on the people you meet and work with, they will help you to navigate your way. You will never make enough money, but you will be part of the movie business.

How Can I Become a Director?

I am not a writer or director, but these are my opinions as a filmmaker. If you want to direct, you should reach out to established directors, and ask them all your questions.

So many young people wanting to get into the film business want to be a director and I can see why. It is not only one of the best jobs on a movie, it is also one of the best jobs on the planet.

I believe in Joseph Campbell's idea that "the soul needs story" in order to process the pangs and ills of life, and to find some way to strive forward, even in the face and conceit of our inevitable death. Stories have been told since people were able to communicate and the myths and stories of our ancient ancestors are within all of us. As well, the same basic stories transcend all cultures, and therefore offer a common language for people of the Earth.

Before writing, stories were told orally and passed down from generation to generation that way. And when the printing press was invented, it became easier to tell the same story to an even wider audience. Nowadays, movies offer the means to communicate stories to the greatest number of people. Generally, people go to the movies more than they read novels; even those who cannot read, can watch a movie.

So directing a movie, or telling a story through a movie, is the ultimate contemporary medium for reaching and effecting the souls of human beings.

Then there is the actual job of directing a movie, which is also fantastic. It is definitely a lot of work, but you have people to help you all along the way. Everyone works for you and puts their trust in you, as the storyteller. So once you have communicated what you want out of the script that everyone has read, it is up to the department heads to serve as implementors of your vision. They will ask your opinion about everything, and although they will offer their professional opinion about what choices they think would be best, in the end they will bow to your decision (in most cases).

I will never forget, during the wardrobe and make up tests for Bird Cage, when we were filming on a stage in New York, and Mike Nichols starts talking a little bit about his vision for the story. The little set got a little quieter until it was silent, and all the department heads drifted over to Mike forming a circle around him, listening for an intense minute. There was a sense, that this was one of the moments when he would disclose his vision. When he was done speaking, it seemed to me that everyone drifted away from the circle considering what the director had said and what they needed to, in turn, do in order to bring his vision to the movie.

And a director in most cases has a personal assistant who takes care of all the mundane business of the director's personal life. For the months that you are making the movie, you don't have to cook meals, do dishes, laundry, diapers etc. All that is a distraction from your focus--directing. Millions of dollars are being spent making your movie, your story.

There are of course struggles and there is never enough money to give the director everything that he or she would like, but hey, unless making money is your main goal in life, directing is a pretty kick-ass job. And if you are good, you can do it until your death.

So how do you get in? Well, it definitely isn't easy--for most people. My kids, as children of an industry person, would have it easier, but your family connections will only get you so far. The directors who stand the test of time, and keep making movies that people want to go see, are the directors who are truly great story tellers, and understand what it takes to capture the audience, and can implement their story through the medium of a movie. They know how the DP, Designer and everyone on the crew, can help make their story as full and rich as it can be. A good director will know that a good dolly grip can give his shot the emotion needed to accent an actor's particular performance.

You have to ask yourself if you are really one of these people. Do you like to tell stories? Do people listen to your stories? Or do they start to drift off and talk about something else. Or interrupt with some of their own ideas. You need to be able to capture your audience and hold them through to the end, and actually move them emotionally. When I sit with Amos Poe and he starts into a story, I know I won't be checking my email for a while, because he's got me, and I know that I am not only fascinated by the threads he is weaving, but that in the end he will deliver a complete story in the tradition of story telling.

Most storytellers want and need to tell stories. Not only do they enjoy delivering to the audience, but I believe, they need it for themselves. And of course, practice makes perfect, so if they are always telling their stories, they get better at it.

If you say you want to direct, then I ask do you write, and most of the young people I talk to who want to direct, say, "Yes, I write screenplays." And I say good, because if you want to direct, the best way is to write your own screenplay. Then you own it and nobody can take it away from you.

If you don't know the story of how Sylvester Stallone wrote, sold and starred in the original Rocky, then you MUST investigate that story and see how he did it. But that's a little off-topic.

If you are going to write a screenplay, I think it's best to self educate, which means you must read some of the books, especially Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" and the coverage of it as it pertains to moviemaking by Chris Volger. This will teach you the basic framework for most movies, and how they are based on the ancient myths that are within all of us. I also suggest reading as many screenplays as you can, especially your favorite movies. If you will be a screenwriter, you will first need to be a little brainwashed so that you think of stories in the format of a movie script. The craft of writing a screenplay is a particular style and it does take getting used to if you are unfamiliar with it. You must become familiar with the standard format. I also recommend John Sayles' "Thinking in Pictures" which talks about how a screenplay should read like a series of images. Your writing does not have to be elaborate and should not be flowery in any way, but should convey to the reader a series of images (and people speaking dialogue), so that it is almost as if you are watching a movie, when you read the script.

A director will always be learning the craft of how to turn those script pages onto film, but before you do it your first time, you need to know as much as possible about how to do it. You can make short films, and you can study movies. You can compare the script from The Shawshank Redemption to the movie and see how it translates, but do this for your favorite movies. You should read Sidney Lumet's book and I'm sure there are others that I am not aware of because I never really did that. And you should become familiar with every element that makes a good movie. How does camera movement effect the emotions--dolly shots, crane shots, helicopter shots. How do other directors use color, or set design to help tell the stories, or costumes, or Make up or Background Actors. Consider what makes a great performance great and a lousy one lousy. How does lighting affect your emotions.

Read about drama and read about acting theory, Stanislavsky, Strassberg, Meisner. You have to know what the masters think. Educate yourself on what the great directors say about how they work. You may think you were born to be a director, but you still need to know everything you can, if you are going to go the distance. There is nothing casual about it. Don't think these great directors sit around. They work hard and don't think about much else.

So who's going to give you money to make your first movie? Why should they? You can turn to your family but unless they are completely wealthy, they don't have the money that it would take, and please don't subject them to putting their lives on the line in order to help you succeed. Not fair to them, and the guilt you may end up with, if the film falls short, could have you crawling into a hole for the rest of your career. The best thing would be if you could write a script that was so perfect, that everyone wants to see this thing turn into a movie. You will need actors of merit to play the leads, if you want to get money, because basically it will come down to money. Can the investors make their money back, at least? The investor's first question will be, "who's in it?". And when you have finished making the movie and you want to sell it, the first question will be: "Who's in it?" And when people go to see the movie, their first question will be: "Who's in it?"

You can get a great actor if you have a great script, because that's really what they want after all the fame and money has been won. They realize, if they are real actors, that they want to be in movies that are great stories and that touch people deeply. Fame is, I think, the biggest negative to being a great actor. As much as people think they want to be famous, I can't imagine that it isn't one of the worst ways to have to live your life. Maybe some people need that kind of attention, but it has killed so many great people, I have to think it is completely over-rated. Directors can be famous, without being recognized on the street. You can be reading a book about how you are the greatest director in the world, while sitting in the middle of Grand Central Station, and nobody, maybe a few people, will recognize you. And those few people probably won't harass you or call you out. Worst case, they gush and blush and thank you for being so great.

So if you want to be a director, I would say, start writing your screenplay, and when you get writer's block, study what it takes to be a great director until you get un-blocked. I don't think you need to go to film school. Most of the professors there will tell you about things that they read in books, and film school is not necessarily a career path to becoming a director. It can work for some, but it's not like going to med school, where, when you come out, you'll do your internship, residency and then be a doctor. It can be a negative, because it could offer a false sense of security. And film school costs a lot of time and money that would be better spent on developing your first feature.

Debbie Harry says "Dreaming is free", and so is writing. Now, get to work.


Ged

Why should I Intern?

I am a NY Line Producer, so my advice is best suited for people who want to move to New York and start working on movies or TV here. The other major production city is Los Angeles, and at least in the beginning of your career, I think, you should start in one of the two. Because of new Tax incentives in various states, there is now production in many states, and places like NM or NC, or FL have good opportunities to make a living in production.

If you will be in College a little longer, I would recommend that you spend next summer in New York and get some experience here. Most people start out as an intern, and if you are interested, as the summer approaches and it becomes clear which projects get green lit, I can help guide you to a suitable feature film.

Before the summer you should educate yourself as much as possible on line. The business has several unions one of which you may become a member of one day. I would suggest working on Union Pictures in the beginning as they will be the most professional, and you will learn how filmmaking is done most properly. The NY unions are SAG (actors), WGA (writers), I.A.T.S.E. (crew), Teamsters (drivers and casting directors), and DGA (directors, production managers, asst. directors, and location managers). All the studios have signed contracts with all these unions, so any Studio picture will have all the unions represented. If it is an indy feature (non-studio), the film will operate with some, all, or none of these unions. You should go to the websites of all these unions and educate yourself on how they operate. You can see how much people make according to their union rates and the budget level of the film. People usually start working in the business and then at some point join the union-or not. But I would suggest that you want to join a union as soon as you can, because we all grow old and the unions offer Pension and Health plans for their members. It's not always easy, so you need to know what it takes to get in, before you go too far down the road.

Your internship can be in the office or on the set. I say you should go for the set if you don't mind long hours. If you know you like working in an office, then the office would be good, but I have seen many Production Office Coordinators (who basically manage the production office) lose their interns to the set. If the timing is right, you may be able to intern on a film that shoots June and half of July and if you really prove yourself to the Key PA and/or the AD's you can squeeze the most out of your summer by getting a job as a Set PA for the rest of the summer. If you think the summer is for lounging around, you're thinking will need to change if you want to find success, not only in the film business, but in general.

As both an intern and a PA, you will have duties, and you will want to become responsible and proficient at as many duties as possible, thereby impressing the people who can hire you next. You are there for no other reason than to help things go smoothly on the production. You will hustle and work 17 hours a day, and generally keep your mouth shut. You will eat your lunch on your lap, watching the equipment, while everyone else goes to lunch. I say a movie production is a little like the circus meeting the army.

As a PA, aside from completing every task asked of you, you will also be educating yourself on what each person is doing on the set, watching them, asking questions, investigating, and thinking about how you would best fit in, about what you would be most driven doing. You'll ask yourself: Do I want to be a Prop Master? Do I want to be in the camera department? Do I want to direct? But you won't tell anyone what you really want; as far as they know, you are just there to help things go smoothly and do whatever is asked of you. Remember, you are a private in the army, and while the circus of production swirls around you, you are able to stand your ground and act with reason amidst the chaos. By the end of the summer you should try to have decided what position you think would be right for you. And you need to make friends with the people you meet in that, or those, departments. You will need to make contacts for the next summer, or if there is no more schooling ahead, you have started your career. Take it seriously. Recognize that you are at a turning point in your life history, and what you do next will determine the rest of your life. You are trying to become an adult.

Then you will go back to school and if there are no classes that pertain to what you want to do, you will self educate and figure out what it takes to be a successful prop master or whatever you choose. And learn more about that department. Email and stay in touch with your contacts. Send them little gifts. The next Spring you will try to line up a job in that department, even if it is a Prop PA/Driver or Camera PA or Producer's Assistant. You will want a Mentor, someone whose coat tails you can grab and hold onto. Make sure it is someone you can trust to lead you up the right hill.

If your strengths lie in people skills, that's great, because one of the most important things in production, besides completing tasks efficiently, following through, and anticipating problems before they arise, is getting along with people. And it isn't easy, because all these people get thrown together to make a movie and they all have different personalities (sometimes nutty) and they all have to work long hours, which makes people irritable, and they all have things in their personal lives, that they can't help bringing with them to set. You don't want to be the set clown, but lightening things up a bit with humor can be helpful (to a degree). At the same time, a lot of money goes down in a short period of time, so the stakes are high for the producers and director, DP and Designer, and they are usually very serious about the production. You should take the work seriously too, because, after all you are making a movie, which millions of people will go to from here to eternity and even if you are low on the totem pole, your work will show up on the screen. If you let a "Bogie" (unwanted civilian background person) into the shot, you may ruin the take in which the actor gives his knock-down best performance of his or her life.

On a $2.5 million movie, you might shoot 21 days. On a $4 million movie you might shoot 28 days. On a $20 million movie, you might shoot 40 days.

Getting Into the Film Business

After college, I wanted to get into the film business, and a friend's mother arranged a phone call with a big time film producer in NY. His advise to me was: "If you haven't gotten into film production yet, it's not too late. Don't. It's a horrible business." I did not follow his advice and have been working on movies and TV shows in New York for over 21 years.

I think there is a place in the business for any type person and it is a great business to be in.

I want to advise young people on how to approach the business and find the best path to success.

Please post any questions you have about how to get in or what to do next, and I will do my best to advise you.

Ged
The Production Office