How can I get paid to make movies?
- Thread starter inkexit
- Start date
He said "start" making money, not "keep" making money.
To say you start out by having a track record is nonsensical.
Generally speaking, no. Short films are not an end-game.
I've never in my life paid for a short film. Have you?
I don't recall ever seeing a short film on television.
Netflix has some as "compilations" of short films so you'd need a collection of ~6 to consider selling it to them.
The great thing about doing narrative work is that if you're good at it, you don't really have any competition. Now, that needs to be decoded a bit. Of course there is competition, there has never been more competition, anybody with an iphone and the will to do so can make a movie these days. But nobody can make YOUR movie, with YOUR voice. If your good and people like you, you can't be replaced. Unlike with say, wedding videos, where anybody else with a decent reel can replace you easily. But maybe wedding videos/corporate videos would be a good place for me to start. Or perhaps documentaries...
Youtube. I make a fair amount of money each month. While I've had my account for a few years, I started getting serious about it a year ago and my earnings have been growing exponentially. In a few months my truck payment will be covered by youtube. Right now, it's nice to use the earnings to buy gear and pay for my Adobe subscription. My goal is that in two years I'll be making what I currently make doing video at my day job (~$40k). I think it's more than doable, but you have to be consistent.
It's still the same, the only thing is it's harder to start than keep the motion going as you'll often need to do the first without a budget... which incidentally makes it easier to deliver a profit.
I didn't say that at all. You assumed. Anyway, answered above.
You could win a film festival that is offering cash prizes.
You could try to sell it direct to the viewer.
You could put it up on youtube and generate split advertising revenue.
Those tend to be the more popular methods (in reverse order).
Then you would have sold it to a TV channel.
How do you figure this?
The way most of us in the industry earn money by making movies is... we don't make movies, we do the craft/support services that those making movies pay for - scripties, H/MU, DPs, ADs, grips, gaffers, PSMs & boom-ops, drivers, caterers, practical effects, stunts and a few dozen others on-set and affiliated production jobs, and, of course, all of the post crafts - editors, VFX, CGI, graphics, color correction, and all of the audio post disciplines. And lets not forget all of the "business" jobs; attorneys, accountants and the like, plus all of the IT folks. And everyone in marketing. And...
For every director who "makes" a film and earns a profit there are many people who are financially invested and/or creatively invested.
You earn a profit by making a product that the consumer wants to buy.
For every director who "makes" a film and earns a profit there are many people who are financially invested and/or creatively invested.
You earn a profit by making a product that the consumer wants to buy.
What I would say is that for those types of jobs, Alcove, there is lots and lots of competition. You have to know the right people, have a great amount of experience, kiss a lot of butt, etc, etc. In a very true way, you have to be "allowed" to make money like that. But you don't need permission from anyone to write, shoot, and edit your own film. That's one of the reasons it appeals to me, no one can stop you, and if you're good at it, and can make a product people like, other people will start coming to you and asking to work with you, now you're the employer and not just another job applicant.
Technically he's not wrong. Yes there is a lot of competitions for those technical jobs. But it's still a far more viable career.