Good or Guild?

In any industry there is always a group of people who desire to become advocates for the professionals that work with in a particular trade. Actors have the Screen Actors Guild, grips have a union, and the list goes on and on. While some may think that being a member of these various groups is a good thing, many do not.  These groups have been the center of scrutiny since the early 1900’s.  Film studios today still manage to have a love hate relationship with its employees who belong to guild or union.  In the world of movie production there is an intense battle going on that could affect all new and upcoming producers in the film industry.  The Producers Guild of America is pushing for a new standard of credentialing for film producers. The new designation would call for the “producers mark” p.g.a in lower case to be listed behind the name of producers who worked on a film that met the producing standards set forth by the guild.  The Producers Guild of America is not a union but rather an association that provides a membership to become apart of the organization.  According to the New York Times in a recent article The Producers Guild of America has been in a long dispute with the major Hollywood film studios through arbitration that will allow them to oversee the producer credits that are applied to each film.  What does this mean for a new film producer? It means that you can work your hardest to produce a film and receive no producers credit for your efforts. This is the reason why major film studios will not consent to this new designation. The designation will cut out those individuals who work on a film as a producer in one aspect and performed editing work as well. The new designation will also cut out film financiers from receiving a producers credit because the guild believes that film financiers did not actually work on the film as a producer but mere provided the monetary backing.  The Producers Guild of America may have help producers in the industry to obtain certain rights but now it seems as if the trade of producing a film is returning to the days of the mafia where you have to be “protected” by paying money and adhering to the guilds rules. Organizations such as the PGOA have affected not only the film industry but also many industries in America. You determine whether the changes made by these groups have benefited you over the years. As an aspiring film producer the verdict is still out on this matter.

The Power Of Having Mentors

The desire to fulfill your goals and dreams is often an arduous path to follow.  Many people have often heard that the best way to be successful in the field of your choice is to copy someone who is already successful and do what they do. This idea is noble but not always as simple as it may seem. Your particular business idol may be Donald Trump; do you really think that you’re going to land a large commercial real estate deal by copying his techniques on TV? It is highly unlikely.  What you can do is take on Donald Trump as a mentor.   In fact, many successful people can mentor you without having to be in the same place geographically.  The Internet is full of great tools to find a mentor.  TED.com is one of them. Ted.com is a website dedicated to spreading ideas that are worth something.   I had the pleasure of recently learning about TED.com. Ted.com is a virtual host of mentors in a number of disciplines.  If you’re looking for a mentor then TED.com is the place!  As an aspiring film producer and director, I wanted to see what TED.com provided in the area of film and entertainment. Upon searching a few famous film directors I know by name, the great James Cameron was among the speakers featured on TED.com. 

 James Cameron was featured as a speaker at a TED.com event, which can be viewed as an online video.  His story is short of amazing.  James attributed his natural curiosity of things as a child, his love for science, art, and science fiction which led to his success as a film director. As film directors and screenwriters creativity is our lifeblood, without it we would die.  James articulates how his creativity as a child needed an outlet.  This outlet came in form of drawing and painting, exploring nature, and even becoming a certified scuba diver.  These outlets combined help James to create some of the most famous movies in Hollywood.  Aliens, Avatar, Titanic, and Terminator 2 just to name a few.

Listening to James Cameron speak is compared to listening to an audio book that never bores you.  His stories are captivating and inspiring. His calm voice is trusting and commanding at the same time.  He takes you’re very being through an evaluation of where you are presently and what are you doing to get where you want to be.  James Cameron teaches aspiring filmmakers to never stop being creative, never stop being curious, embrace failure, give no place to fear, and take risks.  He tells the story of how he took a step back from making movies to spend time as an ocean explorer because he was “curious” about the alien life in the sea.  His obsessive curiosity of the ocean taught him that there are unlimited universes that you can create in you mind as it relates to film. He used this experience in the making of the movie Avatar.  While exploring on the ocean James spoke of how he learned the true meaning of leadership.  Each team member depends on each other for survival while performing the dangerous job of deep ocean exploration.  James said that the respect of the team is more important to the project and that was the essence of true leadership.  Every story he told was apart of the whole.  I understand now what makes James Cameron a great film director and my perception of the film industry is forever changed.  I understand now that great films are made if you stay true to telling your own unique story in your own unique way.