Working in the US

[Mike Garrod]

I am a UK based loader and camera assistant keen to work on US productions either there or overseas. I was wondering what restrictions might be involved as well as the best way to go about networking there. I have bases in San Fran as well as LA and am happy to travel to meet people on spec but with no green card and an abundance of crew already around can anyone advise on the best approach?

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Marry an American, it's what most people do and the only dead cert. I know disturbingly large numbers (three immediately spring to mind) of UK crew who are courting or who have married Americans, not to say that their intentions are not good and pure but I doubt the implications have slipped their minds.

 

Other than that, cheat. I have heard that this happens very frequently, but I would not want to risk blotting my copybook with the INS in this way. There are other fiddles - be very rich, do it through a UK limited company (although this is such an obvious dodge I imagine the INS are on to it by now), but really doing it freelance requires that you find an American company who're willing to go through the paperwork and claim that you're unique. Tricky.

 

And frankly, d'you really want to live in a country governed by... HIM?

 

Phil

[Matt Pacini]

"... And frankly, d'you really want to live in a country governed by... HIM?

 

Phil

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

OK, let's just be clear here about who threw the first stone!

 

Apparently he DOES want to live in a country governed by Bush, since that's what his question is about, so this was just completely out of context, an opportunity to get another cheap shot in there about America.

Since Blair is arm & arm with Bush, I supposed we could make the same statements about England, could we not?

So it's all the same, except we have better food, pay less taxes, better health care, more work, better living conditions, and the weather is better.

Plus, we make it so much easier than England, for foreigners to cheat in order to live and work here.

 

Yeah, I have no idea why he'd want to come here.

 

Matt Pacini

[Guest dpforum1968]

Oh my the Brit hit an American nerve :-) To my English friend take my advice, the Americans don't like to be knocked. As Canadians we have learned this.

 

With regard to the first Englishman's question about working in the USA it will be impossible for you to get a work permit without HUGE amounts of paper work, time, and money. Don't even bother, especially for a film related job.

 

I come in and shoot in the USA on a monthly basis. In Canada you clear US customs on Canadian soil, why this is I have no idea???? But anyway, when they ask why I'm going to the US, I say VACATION. Then they say, ok good-bye have a nice trip. I've done this more than 40 times and never once had a problem. Especially when you're holding a return ticket they don't question you. Simply have the US company send your check to you in the UK if they have a problem paying you while you're in the USA.

 

If it's a big respectable company they won't work with you on this as you would need a US social security number at the very least. FYI, this Canadian has a US social security card and it's 100% legit. How did I get it? Simple, the US gov't handed it to me while I was going to film school in the USA.

 

I'm especially cautious these days not to say the word "film" when dealing with US customs. Hollywood people are up in arms over this so called "run away productions" to Canada. Yes the streets of Toronto are clogged with white trucks for the many Hollywood productions under way in the city at any given time. When I say "Hollywood People" I mean crew type of folk, the producers are making more money shooting in Canada so they don't care.

 

This means that US customs has become much more vigilant about keeping Canadian film workers out of the USA. California politicians are screaming about lost jobs, and if you saw South Park the movie then you know the song. "Blame Canada! Blame Canada!"

 

Now film worker types in LA need worry no longer, the Canadian dollar has shot up sharply in value against the greenback. This will do more to reduce the number of US productions in Canada than any thing the politicians could do.

 

And before I get blasted by the forum for Canada "stealing" American jobs. Remember this...The Canadian gov't does not put a gun to the head of Hollywood producers and force them to come here, THEY COME OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL!

 

If you lost a job in LA because your film went to Vancouver or Toronto, you where sold out by one of your own. Sorry, but that's a fact.

 

Gee how did we get onto run away productions? Well I don't work on US features shooting in Toronto so I could really care less if they come or go.

 

I'll be shooting in the USA this month, so God bless America!!

 

DC

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Ah well. Canadians are just Americans, only with style, grace and a social conscience.

 

And better food? MORE food, sure. But better? American chocolate tastes like candle wax.

 

Phil

[Guest dpforum1968]

Uh oh Phil you're going to get into trouble with the Americans and the Canadians!

 

Canadians HATE being told they are "just like Americans" that's why we have to wear those, "Don't shoot I'm Canadian" T-Shirts when we travel :-)

 

Besides my conservative views make the typical George Bush supporter look like a liberal left wing nut job. I don't want to cut people's welfare off, I want to put welfare recipients onto ice flows and send them off into the arctic ocean.

 

Get my drift?

 

RDCB

[Guest fstop]

As an Englishman with Canadian citizenship, I can't help but keep reading this thread!

[Ram Shani]

dpfrom1968

 

so if i want to came and work in canada how things over there? which is the best place vancover or toronto?

 

 

ramdop

[Matt Pacini]

Well, nobody likes their country to be made fun of, it's just that we're the usual target.

And you're right, our chocolate IS made of candle wax, but it keeps so much longer that way!

har har! (I'm with ya, I hate regular American chocolate, but I shouldn't be eating it anyway).

 

And by the way, I don't buy into the "evil Canadians and the runaway productions" BS either.

It's a free market (well, almost), so if they're cheaper, so be it.

Canada has been smart enough to give tax breaks & stuff to productions, and California in particular, just doesn't get it.

They look at every business, (no matter how small) as an infatigueable cash cow to be milked of money until it dies or moves away, and keep charging their fees, taxes, etc.,

They view giving businesses a break, as "corporate welfare" and "tax breaks for the rich", then they whine when jobs pour out of state and out of the country.

Business creates jobs, not the government, but they don't get it (at least not in this state!).

 

Matt Pacini

[Guest dpforum1968]

To Ramdop:Re working in Canada.

 

Well of course here in Toronto we like to say we are better than those west coast Toronto production job stealers! Ooooops. :-)

 

Seriously, the biz in Toronto and Vancouver follows the boom bust cycle of the rise and fall of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar. In January 2002 an American got $1.55 for every US dollar. So a 50 million dollar budget became 77.5 million Canadian just for changing countries. And you get the same gear, same crew, and you won't get disentary in Canada :-)

 

But, now the exchange rate is not so good for Americans, today an American gets 1.19 for every US dollar, which is the point where many big shoots begin to shun Canada. As the exchange rate is no longer attractive enough.

 

This has already seen a big drop in Toronto and Vancouver productions from the USA. There is a some what of a domestic Canadian industry. We do make more documentaries per capita on gay marriage and beavers than any other nation on earth. You can get a job on one of those shoots. Provided you are a minority, a French speaker, or a woman. Being all three is even better.

 

(A bit of econ 101: The Canadian buck has gone up so much because the US dollar has gone way down against every major currency on earth. The US trade deficit and budget debt has pushed down the value of the US buck. The theory is that within a year or two there will be a rally in the US dollar and it will start to come up. Then I hope it knocks the living daylights out of the Canadian dollar!! Why? Because 100% of my income is in US dollars!! I am losing a fortune!)

 

Back to the film scene: Vancouver has a much nicer climate than Toronto, but this is a disadvantage for them. Their igloos melt much sooner every year than ours do!! Ha Ha Ha on you Vancouver!!

 

DC

[John Sprung]

Ok, so a Canadian dollar is 84 cents U.S. A Canadian gallon is also different from a U.S. gallon.

 

But how many minutes are there in a Canadian hour? ;-)

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Guest dpforum1968]

Oh I almost forgot...you want to work in the USA? Simple, tell them you are there to pick vegetables in the fields of California, or be a nanny, or run a leaf blower. Then you're in like flint. (oh a slaughter house is also a good one, not many white bread Americans want to work in one of those, oooo yuck!)

 

Want to work in Canada? Simple, tell them you are a convicted fellon from a third world country there to rob banks in Canada. (Hey don't laugh with the Canadian dollar so high it's almost worthwhile now.)

 

The Canadian government will give you a very informative booklet, produced in Quebec at tax payer expense, "So You Want To Rob Banks In Canada?"

 

Study this book and you're all set, it has dozens of helpful hints on how to not get caught by the mounties. i.e leave a trail of donuts to a working police car.

 

You guys probably think I make this stuff up or I'm being funny, gee I wish I was :-(

 

True Story: A few years ago a guy walked in to the Prime Ministers house, yes WALKED in at night. He found the PMs bedroom and threatened to kill him with a knife. He was held off by the PMs wife who had an Eskimo carving!! It took the mounties five minutes to arrive and arrest the man. Look this up on Google if you don't believe me.

 

This is how inept and stupid things have become in Canada. You must really be desperate for work if you want to come here.

 

Here's another idea, come to Canada and claim refugee status. Tell them your parents won't let you listen to AC/DC in your home country or some thing. What? It's as good a reason as any.

 

Then just find a farmers field that borders Canada and the USA, and just walk in at night? Thousands of people pull this stunt every year, especially Chinese people. Canada is dumb enough to let anybody in, so take advantage of this.

 

The US can't control it's short border with Mexico, what makes you think they'll see you making a crossing with a border 5000 km long?

 

DC

[Guest dpforum1968]

There are 52 minutes in a Canadian hour.

 

This is so the socialist Canadian worker can get paid for eight un-worked minutes every hour from his capitalist pig employer.

 

DC

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Canada sounds like Sweden. Looks like Sweden too. Maybe they should form a "polar-circle-union-treaty" wherein socialists can travel freely :P

 

What absolutely baffles me though, is that ANYONE can shoot in in England still with the almost 2:1 exchange ratio on the pound to the dollar. Yet, the stages are jam-packed here with big US-productions. There must be something they're not telling us. Is it the warm beer? :blink:

[Guest dpforum1968]

There's a long tradition of Hollywood shooting in the UK.

 

In Toronto they are right now building one of the biggest studio complexes in the world. Who will shoot there I have no idea? Maybe Canada will shoot bigger and better gay marriage and beaver films there?

 

Fact is the lions share of all film work is still done in LA. But California has been in steady decline for a decade now in all sectors. How often do you hear, "Is the best place to live" after the word "California." The state only makes news when there is yet another financial or natural disaster.

 

But I'm sure the Terminator will make things right :-) Hey he's a damn sight better than the idiot manure for brains twits that run Canada.

 

And yes that UK pound is pricey, $1.84 for one Pound at today's rate. I guess that's why they call it the Pound.

 

Well gotta go Coronation Street is on, gotta find out what happens to Kirk and the stolen ring.

 

DC

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Ah, yes, $1.84 to the pound. A triumph of economic management!

 

How can you possibly hold that the guy is anything other than a complete, unmitigated disaster!

 

Phil

[Guest dpforum1968]

Well there's really only one way to access the quality of the US president and that's, Entertainment Value.

 

Bill Clinton was amazing and will always be a classic, the whole sex scandal thing had us all on the edge of our seats. Way to go Bill!! (BTW, I met Clinton and I have a signed copy of his book, that's how much I value his entertainment factor)

 

But, George W. Bush, well he's entertaining in a whole new way. No sex scandals, he is a Republican after all, but the way he talks....oh just hilarious!!

 

A Canadian Comedy troop pretending to be reporters had him answering questions about a ficticous Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Poutine. Classic, very funny George.

 

Then there was the whole weapons of mass destruction thing, almost as funny as a sex scandal. All that way, and all those soldiers, and surprise no nukes!!

 

I for one was shocked that a technologically advanced nation like Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction. Oh George you really got us all with that one :-)

 

So I have to say I like W a lot, he's a very funny entertainer when given half the chance. Sure he's no Clinton, but no one can be.

 

DC