Mom! Did you blink?? Oh...you may have missed my name...
This also means that nothing in my life is set in stone. The world is very fluid. I can't schedule a vacation, nor will there ever be paid time off, and as work ebbs and flows, so does my bank account. I can work for months, get to the end of a show, and not get any work for another two months, depending on the time of year. That's when my Fresh Market grocery shopping slowly deteriorates to Valu-Mart grocery shopping.
I've been doing this for six years, so I've matured significantly from when I started on my first show, realizing that I had just worked insane hours, learned how to sleep anywhere and in any position (standing up, laying in the props truck on a pool floatie), and had no idea how long my wages would last if I didn't get a gig quickly.
Dear god, what have I done?? Will I ever work again? Does Sally Mae accept IOU's for forever???
I can't tell you how many times I've had people say they wish they could work on movies, that it must be "so fun! taking pictures and working on sets for a living?"; then you explain your hours and define "freelance", however, and the idea of all that glamour fades away. "But Ashley, don't you want some consistency in your life?" "Oh, I could never cope with that. Constantly not knowing what's next, uncertainty..."
The film industry is often compared to the circus, and it is the damn truth. We bring in big trucks, set up tents, build sets, and then tear them down after a minuscule period of time.
Don't worry, neighborhood. All this will be gone when you wake up on Tuesday.
Also like the circus, movie production accepts all manner of freaks, because there's some way they can contribute to a movie. There are so. many. departments. You need construction to build sets and paint, and greens to cover those ungainly public phones when you are shooting a period piece. You need people to light the talent, film the talent, feed the talent, drive the talent, drive the crew, drive the trucks, give you bandaids, wrangle animals, organize the schedule, find locations, print call sheets, get Pepsi cleared, and so on and so forth.
That guy is either a serial killer, or our key grip...
What the general masses don't understand is that the film industry is like crack. It's addicting. Once it draws you in, you're hooked, like a moth drawn to light. People that work on movies are in general thrill seekers, adventurers and spontaneous beings. You know when friends in the industry aren't working, because you see in your Facebook feed that they're randomly in Vegas, Australia, or some other exciting locale. We thrive on our constantly changing and evolving world, and the pressure, stress, and uncertainty makes us perform that much better.
So no, I do not plan on changing my career to one with more security. I will stay at the tea party filled with crazies in my surreal and colorful universe. I will just learn how to be "economic", or "frugal" and exercise caution with purcha- oh fuck it, I'm going to live cheaply and have an awesome time doing it. No need to hide to word. It all boils down to the same thing.
This blog is dedicated to the cheap at heart, who sees the DIY posts on Pinterest and only picks the craft that takes three materials, or recipes that need two ingredients. This is for the person who learns how to get fit without the $80 gym membership, and takes to the web to find cheap or free things to do around town. My posts will vary from food to clothing, activities to crafts, and all in the name of being thrifty. I can't wait to start, and I hope you enjoy!
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