Hollywood Advice Is Weird

When I first came out to Los Angeles to be in graduate school for film, my friend Ed came out here with me from Ohio. Ed and I would spend hours editing movies on a flatbed. Like, actual film editing. He always wanted to be the director/writer. I eventually had more aspirations to just be a cinematographer.

Ed had a family member out here, a very distant relative who worked at University of Southern California. The guy was in the film program, and Ed wanted to get his advice on how to break in. It took a while, but finally they met. To which this distant relative gave him one piece of advice “don’t smell.” Ed told me this, so I asked him to elaborate what he meant. Ed was frustrated. Had no idea what this meant. Don’t stink…meaning don’t screw up? Nope, just don’t physically stink. Like have body odor. He threw his hands up. People can be assholes.

Yesterday I came across an interview with a panel of working cinematographers. To which one was asked about advice. Guess what this guy said?

Yep…listen, do your best, and don’t smell, because you’re next to stars.

This must be some unspoken advice thrown out to young folk starting out in the business to throw them off. To me, this is shitbag behavior. I’m sure these two meant well, or being glib disarmed the situation. But, if I were the one starting out, this is the last thing I’d want to hear. Because it’s so fucking stupid. May the both of you get rectal warts. At least pretend to be empathetic to these kids. Say something like “man, no one knows, so the best thing you can do is do anything to get on set.” Or “I can’t tell you how long and hard this road is going to be. People are nutjobs and won’t give a shit where you are in life, whatever the situation.” You are being honest and you are giving them a way out. Bloody likely any of them would turn tail and run. That’s the benefits of youth. Feeling you can conquer the world.. As you get older, you’re just lucky the world hadn’t swallowed you up yet.

I suppose they meant well. To be fair, doling out the same “you won’t make it” speech does get old. This may be the only way around follow up questions. I can only believe it’s not just to be total dicks. And the young don’t listen anyway. Even as talented as they may be, there are tons of talented people in the world, and very few get the opportunity. The common sense of it all can drive many nuts. The people who do stay and find work, do crack a sense of the code. And maybe, just maybe this is that exclusive club people who work in the film business feel some privilege to be a part of.

These are things you really can’t explain to people who want to work in movies. My suggestion would be to do it anywhere else but Los Angeles. This place can turn a nice talented person into a jaded person who says things like “Don’t smell.”

There is an intern now at our office that is 21 years old. Smart as fuck kid with an engineer brain. This kid…you can just tell smart folk. He retains a lot. And doesn’t suffer ramblings. I can tell his brain trims fat. He’s a go getter and knows the lingo. He throws out production terms clearly meant to prove to me he knows his way around production. The logic says he will be fine in making movies. The truth is, he will most likely be lost in the pack. Sorry, but the harsh truth is, be as quick and go-getter as you want, this will not open doors. Making contacts and having them like you for long periods of time will. This marathon isn’t what young folk like to hear. But it is the truth. A lot will be confused as to why they did everything right and still have not made even a small step forward. It’s because they haven’t hit the right combination of people who can tolerate them. The only solution is to be the person who needs to tolerate others and not to be the tolerant. If you stay put where you are and make great product, they will find you. Keep trying that way, no matter how trapped you feel in the small town. The only glamour in Hollywood, is that you can survive. The rest is all just a lot of smoke and mirrors. You’d be surprise that even the most consistent, live by the skin of their teeth. I would say you would be much happier and healthier, without this desperate type of living. HOWEVER, some would advise the opposite. As I have in the past (and still endorse, if you happen to be stubborn). Don’t give yourself a way out. The people who do actually “make it” tend to not have any other option in life. It’s do or die. Sounds dire and corny, but it’s real. Consider that even your most respected honored filmmakers still feel like they are at the second rung of a 12 step ladder. This is what drives them to do movie after movie. To stay relevant. A lot believe they have the chops to accomplish this. Very few do. I’m reminded of a friend whose roommate would bitterly lament about the industry (even though he was only 3 years in). These people are THE most annoying, since they seem to think that something is owed to them, and they have the pulse of why. Why they aren’t casted. Or why they are overlooked. Or how it works. While the rest of us plead ignorance while trying our damndest at…anything, this dude was focused on being miserable about his situation. To me, a complete stranger. It took me a lot of will power not to tell him to shut his entitled cry-baby fucking face. Because you aren’t in control of your destiny by whining. Or believing you know why.  No one knows why. My neighbor who use to be an assistant editor whines about how the industry had dumped him since it turned to younger, cheaper labor. I feel for the guy, because I think he had the personality and connections to move forward. But, the saddest thing…and I pray hard I never get here, is that he just stopped dead in his tracks. Never fully fighting back to do what he wanted to do. He just…stopped. And wondered. Yeah, it sucks when the world changes around you. Kicking and screaming into obscurity is one way to go (which, I’ve done). But, consider what the alternative may be. That actually could be anything.

So with that, I think anyone can do anything they want. Believe that you can. And do your best to get there. Stay upbeat if you can. It’s not easy for anyone. I hate to throw out some dumb phrase like “that’s life.” So I’ll say…”it’s your life.” In America the only obstacle is a defeated mind.