Greetings to all,
I have been a lover of movies for as long as I can remember. I love watching movies, I love talking about movies, and most importantly I love making movies.
Recently my sister and her fiancée have made the decision to go to school in Pomona, California. This affords me an opportunity not normally available, the ability to be near and hopefully work in and around the movie making capital of the world. As this is now the case in my life, I come to this forum of experienced film makers with several questions that will hopefully help me with the concerns that I have with jumping in to a very volatile industry.
I recently got to work on my first SAG low budget feature and it was an eye opening experience. I worked with the Grip and Electric department and from what I have seen this is what I want to do. During my time on set I had time to watch and learn about how a real, albeit small, movie set works. I definitely want to focus my energy in to Grip department, my ultimate goal right now is to work my way to Dolly grip. Being the one responsible for the camera movements seems so awesome to me.
My first set of questions is about experience. I have not gone to film school, nor do I have a lot of experience, however I do have the drive and the passion to succeed. I believe not wanting to be a Director/Writer/Producer/Cinematographer will help in this matter.
- Will I be able to find work with little to no grip experience?
- Will drive and passion to help me find jobs?
- Is it a good idea to work for free to start out and then start charging?
My next set of questions is in regard to unions. Most of the people on the set I worked on were working as freelancers. I know that there are various unions in and around Hollywood.
- Should I try working as a freelancer, or is joining a union a better way to find jobs?
- Does anybody have experience in union dealings?
- Do they have unions for Grip workers?
On the set I worked on there seemed to be a few tools that were invaluable to the grips I was working with, such as; 8in Adjustable wrench, multi tool, Box cutter, Needle nose pliers, Flashlight, Gloves, 3/16 speed wrench, small clippers, and obviously a tool belt to hold it all. Is there anything else I need to purchase to have all the proper tools needed?
Thank you for your time
Aaron
