The Grind is Real: A Filmmaker's Perspective
Some people are satisfied with their lives, they go to work, they go home, they pay their taxes. Much like Mr. Anderson in the film "The Matrix", the average Joe or Jane plays their role in the society at large hoping to one day retire comfortably and happily. They are satisfied going to the same job, which they hate, day in and day out; as long as they know they're getting a pay check every two weeks. But then, there was Neo. The anti-Mr. Anderson. A man, with a free mind, who saw the truth about society and discovered within himself the power to create his own freedom and reality. Some might call it far fetched, but this is the ideal for today's entrepreneur and filmmaker.
You see, from Mr. Anderson's perspective, everyone in the matrix was free; but from Neo's perspective, everyone was a slave. This is because Mr. Anderson didn't realize the power he had until he became Neo. It's the same as an entrepreneur and filmmaker; in our eyes, most employees are just slaves, because most are unhappy with their jobs and they're afraid to break free. This is where the grind comes into play; Neo didn't become Neo overnight, his training and enlightenment time was a grind. In today's society it's a hustler's and business man's mentality; they want freedom and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
As a filmmaker, I got into this industry to make films that could touch people, inspire people, and make a difference in their lives. As I've gotten older, social media has caused the market to become somewhat saturated and the quality of a lot of films and media has been sub par. The popularity of social media has caused many people to purport themselves as Neo without putting in the work to be Neo. This is because it's easy to post on social media; but a social media post is not work! The work that it takes to get a finished product and then turnaround and sell that product is the grind; and it's necessary for true success and longevity.
If you're a new filmmaker in the industry or an old head, it's vital that you take the business seriously and put in the time and effort for success. I'm not the most successful filmmaker in the world, but what I've learned is that research, effort, and execution are what it takes to get a film done. And the thing about film making is that as hard as it is to just make a film, that's only just the beginning! Which really seems kind of ridiculous; but yes, after making the film, you have to distribute it, promote it, and market it! And so, as you can see, the film making grind becomes very real very fast.
I have a motto in life: "don't work too hard". As a filmmaker in today's society, the key is to grind smarter, not harder. There's so much to do and there's only so much time in the day, and so you need a team. When you put together a production team, ideally you want some people to transition to your future pre-production and post-production teams. It's relatively easy to get people to show up on set for a shoot, because everybody's always excited about filming; the lights, the cameras, the actors, they love it! But when the film is wrapped and it's time to make sales, promote, and get distribution, good help becomes very hard to find. Even most actors won't help you push the film; and so, it's important that you have an end game with the film and the wherewithal to understand that it's for the long term. Film making is a marriage and once you get hitched it's "'till death do us part".
Lastly, my friends, I encourage you to grind with a purpose and grind with integrity. Too often, people get involved in this film and entertainment industry with shallow goals such as getting rich or becoming famous. Unfortunately, I feel like reality TV along with social media has diluted our industry with vanity and greed. The longer you work in the industry, the more you realize they're both very false. Greed doesn't work in entertainment because you're going to be working for free and/or for peanuts the first few years! Greed is for Wall Street, not film making. The vanity is ill advised because most of us don't like vain people; unless they're already a big time celebrity, then we can stomach it. And so, I believe it's important to stay true to yourself as a filmmaker and entertainer; don't go with what "sells", go with your gut.
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