Connections

How do you feel about having connections, business-wise?

Personally, I feel they're kind of cheap. It sucks that I feel this way considering the industry I want to work in is practically RUN by "having connections," but I honestly feel that it can be a completely unfair advantage at times. The only time I think connections are "right" is if the connection wants to help you, and not the other way around.

Example, a douchebag film student I know who has little to no talent, and doesn't make any of his own films, claims to have all these outlandish connections out in Hollywood. If he's telling the truth, that means that he, a complete pecker, will be getting work faster than me, a guy who is actually working his nuts off for it.

Even I have SOME connections, but more often than not, I choose to not abuse them for personal gain. I was able to show Losers to Christopher Nolan and a majority of the cast/crew of The Dark Knight, which was sweet, but I'd never try and weasel my way into the industry unless they were the ones that wanted to help me. I'd rather be known as the guy they chose to help rather than the guy who kept bugging them for an interview.

What are your thoughts? I think I may need to re-think my stance on connections...

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Originally Posted by Chiribo

So yeh, back to Hollywood, it does always sound that in the industry there, it really is about who you know, and what you may possibly know about them

Exactly... It just feels like an empty victory if I achieve success that way, ya know? How did I earn it if all I had to do was know the right person? It's like entering the Konami code before playing Contra and saying "look I beat the game without dying lolol."

I'd see it differently if, say, one of my movies fell into the right person's hands, and they offered to help me out. But that, if you ask me, is totally different. THAT connection I earned. Simply knowing people is a cheap "in" to the industry, but unfortunately one of the easier ways in.

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Originally Posted by niki

I understand you as I am like that myself, but my impression is that the field you chose may require a lot of ass kissing and fake friendships to advance. That goes for every artistic domains on a level that varies depending on centralization and money involved. =/

Well, there is the independent film circles, but it looks kinda closed itself if you're not willing to do artsy abstract films with lots of fucked up teenagers doing drugs and having sex.

Yeah, you're right on the money. I highly doubt Michael Bay got into the industry with "talent."

I definitely consider myself to be very independent with filmmaking... However, I don't object to a little brown nosing here and there as long as the person is worth the brown nosing.

I followed that personal guideline my junior year when I refused to kiss the ass of the director I was forced to work under. She was the most inept, unskilled retard I've ever worked with in my life, and if I wanted to get any further in that department, it meant kissing her ass. I chose not to. I just did my job and did it well, but it wasn't enough. I went on to make Losers independently, easily the biggest hit of the year, and probably one of the biggest hits that any student has brought to that school (at least in the 4 years I was there).

Had I kissed ass like my friend did, and gotten the director's seat for the following year's advanced project, I would have made something less impactful, less personal, and in the long run, less good. I think I was pretty much bred to do things independently. It's much more rewarding for me when I can have my work propel me further in life rather than my ability to suck the right cocks.

But I see what you guys are saying. It's an unfortunate truth I need to conquer.

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