living in the midwest

[Alex Hall]

Would living in the midwest hinder a DP's ability to get jobs on the east and west coast? Or do productions just take into account the quality of the DP's previous work. I woudn't think that you would have to live next to a major film market in order to get hired, but I could be wrong.

[Guest]

Well if you're big and famous then you can live any where for sure. The studios will bend over backward to accommodate you.

 

Problem is what do you do whilst you are in the process of becoming big and famous?

 

Obviously working on episodic television outside of NYC or LA would be a problem.

 

R,

[Jeff Barklage]

Living in the midwest can hamper your prospects.

First off, the amount & level of the work available in the midwest is not the same as on the coasts. Where as there are many larger production companies in these regions, they generally shoot local only when their budgets are not large enough to travel to the beach!

This is speaking of commercial productions.

Ad agency folks really like to vacation/work in fun areas, and they will do so when their budget can handle it.

Otherwise, they will shoot in their own region, but that means that the budgets are already low to begin with.

Lower budgets mean that they are more hungry for cheaper labor, so for a DP to start to build his/her reel, this is a great way to do so. But eventually you will want to branch out to 'greener pastures'.

Just trying to get an agent on the coast whilst you live in the midwest is a REAL challenge!

I tried for a number of years to even get return phone calls from agents and it wasn;t until I did a Bud-Light SuperBowl spot and was written up in SHOOT & ADVERTISING AGE before I even got to actually speak to an agent.

So, it's a tough nut to crack.

Now, you can live in the midwest [where its a helluva lot cheaper] and work on the east or west coasts, but you sometimes need to bend the truth as to your real zip code actually is...plus travel expenses may have to be eaten by you.

The market is so saturated with other incredible DP's, that unless you have a great director or producer friend who will really go to bat for you, production would rather not eat the costs of your travel & hotel & per diem & car rental, etc...

So, find a friend or cheap apartment in LA or NY [if you can] and go at it!

Good luck!