I’ve often heard it said that in the film, you should “never work for free”. And there’s a very good reason behind that: by agreeing to reduce your wage to zero, you’re devaluing your contribution, and employers won’t come to value you as someone who makes a meaningful contribution as compared to people who charge for their work. Also, it’s expensive as f*ck to live in Vancouver! But as someone just starting out in the industry, or someone looking for an opportunity to level up within or between departments, how do you get someone to pay you if you don’t have many credits to your name? Similarly, if you are an emerging indie film producer and you have zero dollars, how do you make a movie if you have to pay everybody?
The indie film industry closely parallels the major motion picture or network television industry, but without those huge paycheques or unions offering protections to actors and crew. Indie film, however, provides opportunities to creatives and crewmembers that might take decades to get on larger films.
I’ve been telling my students at In Focus Film School and LaSalle College for years: yes, you shouldn’t work for free, but there are three notable exceptions to that rule. And the flip-side for indie film producers is that there are three notable ways to entice people to volunteer their time. They are as follows:
1) You’re going to learn something new
The moment you stop learning is the moment you stop being competitive in the field. I make a point of asking everyone on set about their jobs and why things are done a certain way. If you’re new to film or new to a certain department, likely there’s something you’ve never done before – whether that’s rigging a light, applying for a grant or making a call sheet. The more you know, the more marketable you are, and therefore, the sooner you can start earning good money or join a union doing what you love.
2) You’re going to meet someone influential to your career
Often, the people who recommend you to the next job aren’t even the producers, PMs or department heads. Sometimes it’s just someone who quietly noticed how hard you worked, or what a good attitude you had when the going was tough and remembered your name during a production meeting. Therefore, make sure you get to know everyone on set. Hand them a business card if you have one and add them on social media. Your peers are your future employers!
Once, as an exercise for my students, I created a network diagram showing just how reliant my entire film career has been upon networking. The chart shows the progress made from the first Facebook call I answered looking for a volunteer 2nd AD through to eventual introductions to the filmmakers with whom I would ultimately produce some of my biggest films to date. Importantly, I also flagged specific individuals I met on each show who would eventually introduce me to the people who would invite me to future shows.
3) You’re going to get to do something really cool
Where else but film might you get front row seats to watch someone to flip a car, burn down a building, or explode someone’s brains into a ceiling fan without getting arrested for arson, murder or mischief? Not every indie film has the budget for spectacle, but from time to time, you get to do something really cool. As a producer, be aware of what potential cast and crew-members might find cool, and it might not necessarily be the like the aforementioned sort of thing that lands you in jail – it could be stuff like meeting a celebrity, filming at a very special location, using really specialty film equipment, doing really rad special effects or – for people just leaving film school – simply being on a real film set. Try to match people with their interests and you’ll get great results simply from people wanting to try something new that will make a great instagram story or an unforgettable addition to their demo reels.
One final piece of unsolicited advice: if you join a production and agree to work for free or a drastically reduced wage, do not ever complain or half-ass it just because you aren’t being paid a lot for your time. You agreed to do the work knowing what the wage was, and you had every opportunity to say no. Once you’ve committed to a project, you must follow through. Earning a reputation as someone who complains about the honorarium, doesn’t work as hard as they would have otherwise, or quits halfway through a project will follow you around. You always had the option to say no, and nobody will ever hold it against you if you can’t make it work with your schedule or budget. But once you commit, treat it like the opportunity it is – a way to get ahead!
By: Ingo Lou