I think we're entering past superhero fatigue and back into a real of original ideas, a lot of the ideas actually seem speculative or based on true stories.

I feel like this is great for the industry, but this new period of movies also ushers us into a new era of taste. What are producers looking to produce? What Scripts have studios been looking to buy right now?

I was thinking both of A24, which I’ve heard people refer as a entertainment company because it focus both on producing and distribution, and LuckyChap which is the company Margot Robbie founded. Could it be possible for a director to found their own company and making their own movies? How would that look like, realistically and economically speaking, if a young director/actor wanted to set up their own studio in order to have more control and freedom over their own projects?

Hey all. Honest question. I know that not many of you have experience in places like UK, or even NY: please, if you haven't lived or worked in those places, I'd appreciate not a 'hypothesis' comment. I'd like to hear from people that have genuine experience working in film and as an actor in atleast 2 of these places, to compare :)

So my question; what differences did you find? Do you find one better than the other ? I can presume that LA is probably the best with the most opportunities, but then I also presume there's possibly more competition and less intimacy, that can also work to a disadvantage ?

I've just been starting up my acting life in film, in London (come from a rigorous theater background as a childhood so not a complete newbie to acting). Don't have an agent anywhere, haven't applied yet, but will. I've been living in London due to my husband, but I'm originally a US citizen. At the moment I'm in LA for the winter for work and sun, but contemplating a move with my husband to NYC. I noticed in indie casting in London: more interesting projects and intelligent material. More responses when I applied to casting sites. More of an intimate scene for it in London. What I do notice here in LA: if I send out a hundred emails on casting sites, I barely get auditions (unlike London), BUT: I see paid indie projects and projects. Lol. No one wanted to pay in London, and it was hard to find projects with budgets. And then, I am curious to go NYC for certain reasons and cause I just understand how to interact there people more than spread out and less gregarious places like London and LA, lol, BUT, I'm terrified that there won't be a film scene there and enough projects to apply for.... I really need to find that sweet spot between somewhere where it doesn't feel impossible to network and meet people, and slightly intimate, but also where there are actual projects and work to apply to.

A part of me can't help but wonder, too, if I'm not girl next door enough for LA castings? I'm half New Yorker, half European, look European, and I have a bit of that creative grit and darkness to my aura, lol, so I dont know... Maybe I don't have enough blond hair and botox Cali girl next door in me to get call backs/auditions here in LA ? I know I'm exagerating, but it is a question...

I've performed and done crew work in the adult film industry for 5 years. Consent is a huge part of what I used to do and I would love to transfer my skills to a mainstream set.

I've already spoken with a friend that does costuming (from what she told me, costumers used to also double as intimacy coordinators). She gave me a thorough run down of what to expect.

I truly believe this is a job I would excel at and enjoy doing. Does anyone have advice on how to book my first gig?

Edit: Yes, I'm aware certification is needed. Google lists a plethora of programs. Please let me know which are legit instead of being mean, thanks😊

I'm curious about major film studios when they do film production and how that affects taxes etc. Does anyone know if the producers like to do production during the months of December and January on a film.

I would think that if I was one of the producers I would love to get a film made during that time because than I would get double the tax benefits.

Example let's say I filmed in 2024 December and the production ran into after January of 2025 that means I could have tax deductions for the same film in different years.

Matter of fact you could in theory (not tax advice please get a tax professional) rent equipment do script rewrites and delay production just to make justification of redoing a scene into the next year for tax deductions.

After all it seems to be a shady business. Hollywood has known to in the past had mafia guys run Hollywood unions and finance movie productions as well as use to own the movie theaters and were the star makers themselves. The mob guys use to own the casinos , bars and clubs where entertainers use to perform at. Therefore created the stars

Are there any particular construction requirements for soundstages; can they be in any enclosed space, or do they have to adhere to specific building codes? Also would one have to work with someone who specializes in soundstage construction, or would it be something a general contractor could do? Thanks 🙏

very early but I'm an Australian Actor coming over for a holiday (or vacation as you say!) mid 2025! I'd love some recommendations for a one day or half-day acting class/intensive/workshop I can take while I'm there!

Hey all. I'm a director from Europe, recently moved to LA, trying to build up connections and portfolio.

I got a series of proof-of-concept horror shorts that I want to shoot. Lean out of pocket budget but everybody gets paid their going rate. 1-2 day shoot per short.

Could anybody recommend some FB groups or other places to find LP/UPM to help me arrange these? I'm only aware of StaffMeUp -- just got ID verified and about to post there, but thought maybe there's something a little more "personal" out there?

Hey all. I'm a director from Europe, just moved to LA, trying to build up connections and portfolio.

I have a series of proof-of-concept horror shorts I'd like to shoot. Fully paid. 1-2 day shoots per short.

Are there any FB groups I could use to find LP/UPM at? Or where else do you all tend to advertise yourself to meet NEW connections online? I just got ID verified on StaffMeUp and will post there, but I thought maybe there are more "personal" sites?

Hello! I currently train resident ambassador animals at a wildlife rehab. I’m interested in moving into training animals for film. Any recommendations for company’s to work with, how to get into it, what it looks like working in that field, etc. ?

Hey everyone. Not sure this is a mistake or not with the doom and gloom of this sub. Plus we all know the stereotype of redditors but I want to be positive and optimistic. And here goes, my current show is entering post early in 2025 and I’m looking for a Post PA. Have gotten some recs but a lot of them are either a nepotism or political hire. Looking for someone, new, hungry and eager to learn. No experience is necessary. I mean come on it’s a PA position it’s supposed to be entry level. Kind of irks me when people say they’re looking for a PA and then want someone with 5 projects under their belt. I’ve always found that someone’s desire to learn and hard work is a lot of times better than experience. Duties below:

• lunch runs
• the occasional coffee run (we’re on a studio lot so won’t require driving)
• Accounting stuff (reconciling receipts, cashed)
• Copying and printing material
• knowledge of FileMaker, aspera etc.

There’s a few other things but that’s the general overview. Also be personable. Hours are long but the team is chill. The last thing I wanna do is bring someone in who doesn’t get along with our team. Believe it or not but the whole post team actually like each other.

Most important, be discrete. The material is pretty high profile so you have to be trusted with discretion and not talking about the material. Also you will deal with some high profile people so being able to be professional is very important.

If any of this sounds interesting to you or you know someone who might be a good fit, please DM.

Who knows this could be a cool story. A Reddit or begins their career off a Reddit post.

Also for everyone here, things are definitely picking up in 2025. Hang in there all of you who are currently struggling. It sounds bleak right now but promise it will get better.

As 2024 is drawing near an end, I'm curious where everyone's heads are at. We were all told to 'Survive til 25' as we hang on for dear life. I'm primarily an actor, dabble in a couple of other things, currently in Australia trying to figure out how quickly I should dash back. Are people hopeful there'll be an uptick, if not a boom?

Signed eternal optimist, every day realist.

Hey! I am looking for short cinematography courses in LA for the winter (not full on degree programs), and having a heck of a time finding anything, which I feel surprised by as it's LA and supposed to be the home of cinema! Help! Thank you in advance.

I'm not trying to sound entitled I know mailroom and floater roles are highly coveted but I'm genuinely curious if anyone else has had such a hard time breaking in currently or in the past.

I graduated this past May and have been hustling to get into an agency mailroom ever since. From July to December, I've connected with 18 to 20 agents/assistants, building great relationships with a few who I now talk to weekly. Thanks to these connections, I had an intake call with a top agency in early November, but they're not transparent about openings or interview timelines.

Another recruiter from a different top agency informed me I won't be considered for the winter mailroom cycle. Despite being "on their radar" since October and having tons referrals, I haven't even scored an interview.

The agents I know say I'm doing the right things, but it's been six months, and others seem to have landed jobs there in just a few months. Am I doing something wrong, or is this process just really slow? Is it normal to take this long? Should I keep waiting it out, hoping persistence will pay off, given I have a different stable job and these are top agencies?

I’d heard rumblings about this, and even remember it coming up back when the show premiered. But reading the whole retelling of events… just wow.

Hello, I am 27F living in Los Angeles California. I have been here for over a year and went to school to study special effects makeup to work in the film and TV industry. I graduated in June 2024. I have been trying to find as much work as a Makeup Artist. I've been making some money, usually just under how much my rent is. Each month I get more gigs making just a little more money, and I am slowly building the network that is needed. I'm starting to run low on funds and might need to get another job to get by, which I can do. I will say living here in L. A is cool but, I have been feeling very isolated and lonely. Even though I go out as much as I can with my friends or to go out on a hike and run errands. I can't tell if this is just growing pains or if it is because I want to go home and be around my family.

It's just that back home in the East I found out that there is a film production opening in my hometown. It seems like a legitimate production space. I have received a job opportunity (with decent pay) to come back home and make a line of prosthetics for various makeup applications through a shop I used to work at. All of my family is back home and I miss them very much. I have been going back in forth with this idea for months now, and was wondering if anyone had more insight to give me. I can't tell if this is an opportunity made for me. I'm scared that whatever I choose I will regret either choice. All I want is to be a successful makeup artist (i.e. make enough money to pay bills and treat myself to a movie or a dinner with friends, and be able to see the family, whether I have to fly back every 3-6 months to see them) I'm hoping someone who has more life experience can give some perspective to help me.

View Poll

Does anyone know of more affordable alternatives to production list for applying to projects? I am specifically interested in applying to the Harry Potter series, but $60/month is steep especially since I probably have a slim chance as a relative newbie to the industry

Self-funded screenplay reading.

Searching for Low Cost Space to do a screenplay reading. I'm in West Hollywood, but anywhere that's semi-centrally located is great as an option so less stress to get there.

I'd like to invite 8 to 12 people and bring in snacks and drinks.

Any tips or tricks to get the best price in the range of the non-union Mexican equivalent of Steven Spielberg.

During the downturn in work, I’ve been working on my MSW thesis project and I’m looking for crew members to participate.

tinyurl.com/filmindustrymentalhealth

I’ve designed a survey to study mental health service usage by any “below-the-line” film crew member who’s over 18 and worked on at least 5 paid jobs. The aim is to determine whether there is a need for improved access to care and it will only take roughly 20 minutes to complete. Of course, I need film crew members to take the survey and the more the better, so if you can share it with your network, that would be awesome. Thank you!

https://preview.redd.it/qcxgiu1nsn7e1.jpg?width=612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8df1e492378851967af55b649577a0cd7c587118

At the beginning of November I interviewed for an entry level position at one of the major talent agencies in LA and I thought it went well. I spent time preparing researching the agency and came up with interesting questions to ask at the end. I was able to address most of the questions with confidence and asked multiple questions regarding the position and agency. Shortly after the interview I made sure to send a thank you email to the recruitment rep who reached out to me and set up the interview.

Two weeks pass and I get no response so I followed up with the HR rep and she responded with the typical "no decision yet but we'll get back to you" answer. Fast forward another month and still no response so I sent another follow up email but this time I did not receive a response.

I understand that things move slowly in entertainment and hiring in general is at a slowdown but I'm also desperate for a new job. Current job is cutting my hours and I'm running low on money. I've been applying to other places and have gotten some responses (none of them in entertainment). I got an in person interview lined up later this week for a basic job with low pay but stable hours and affords me enough time to work on my writing.

Should I just take this as a "no" and continue my search elsewhere? Or should I follow up again with another email or even call the office? I don't want to annoying about it but I also don't want to let this go unless I get a straight up "no".

What are some good sources / resources for finding job postings?

I know mostly it’s networking and who you know but looking for sources to find that foot in the door job

I've heard work is "picking up" in Australia. What do you all know about it? What kind of work, where, and is it American productions shooting in Aus?

TLDR: I’m a 45 yr old pharmacist with a passion for creature effects and makeup since childhood. I am looking to make a career change into practical / special effects and looking for advice. I plan to get my pharmacist license in California and find a part time job in LA as a pharmacist while searching for internships and jobs with effects companies.

FULL STOP

INT - TYPICAL 80S ROW HOUSE

I am a child of the 80’s and grew up during a golden era of film 1984-1986 watching movies like Star Wars, Back to the Future, Indianapolis Jones, The Goonies and lesser known cult classics like The Explorers and Flight of the Navigator. At a very young age I remember seeing behind the scenes making of photos of Back to the Future and realizing that movie “magic” could make anything real. When my grandmother got a Panasonic Camcorder I almost immediately inherited it (I.e. took it over). I remember the conversation between my mom and her when my mom kept telling me to put it down. Her response was “you don’t know he could be the next Spielberg." Grandmas always see things with rose colored glasses.

When I was around 8-9 yrs old, I became very interested in makeup and creature effects. I started out with standard Halloween makeup kits purchased from Walmart. I was also into model making, and one night my hands were covered in Testors model glue when my mom asked me to get dinner out of the oven. I thought I would play a prank on her by pretending to burn myself when getting it out and using red and black markers to make it look like I was burned and the skin was peeling off. She was quite pissed as she almost took me to the emergency room (my mom is quite gullible).

CUT TO-

EXT - HUGH SCHOOL

Fast forward to sophomore year of high school and I decided to take drama as an elective after seeing the annual pantomime show they put on. My pantomime involved walking out on the stage, opening a gate and walking to the edge of an imaginary pier. I cast a fishing line and after getting a bite. I proceeded to struggle like I was reeling in Jaws or something, only to pull up a tiny 1” fish. After that, I was sitting in front of the drama teacher’s desk when I heard him talking about needing someone to puppeteer Audrey II for the production of Little Shop of Horrors, the annual fall musical.

I volunteered, not knowing I was starting a tradition of uncomfortable costumes of chicken wire, wool, and a burlap sack for the Velveteen Rabbit at one point. With that production, I volunteered to help with the technical side of production hanging lights and building and painting sets. I was hooked. I proceeded over the next 4 years to work on Little Shop of Horrors, The Velveteen Rabbit, Grease, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Fiddler on the Roof, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Haunting of Hill House, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat across high school, community and college theater. I started my freshman year with a $5,000 scholarship as a double major in premed and theater.

FADE TO

INT - COLLEGE CLASSROOM

My grandmother, who raised me, had dreams for me that didn’t include a career or life in the arts, and so I eventually graduated with a BA in Chemistry and attended pharmacy school before becoming a pharmacist. Throughout this time, I still couldn’t shake the bug. I found a costume shop and mail order resources for make up materials and started teaching myself how to do life casting and foam latex running.

I studied the work of Rick Baker (and continue to read the book Metamorphosis by J.W. Ritzler). I sent pictures to the great Dick Smith with a letter and my phone number. I was completely shocked and honored when the phone rang while I was watching Sunday Night Football, and it was him! I spent an hour talking with him about how he started out in dental school before discovering alginate and, while attempting a life cast of himself in his apartment, the shared phone out in the hall was ringing.

I even took a precision machine tooling class my 3rd year of pharmacy school to make a Stedicam. I learned to write a screenplay from books and had the opportunity to be an extra in "Stanger Than Fiction" when it was being filmed in downtown Chicago.

TIME MOVING ON MONTAGE TO -

INT - RETAIL PHARMACY

Life circumstances made it difficult to pivot, and I ended up having to work as a pharmacist to pay the bills. My wife and were married sophomore year of undergrad, eventually had kids, and a life in the pharmacy and nursing worlds. I have continued to be miserable at work as a pharmacist, and, after contemplating suicide, followed by a couple of years of therapy, I’ve decided to return to my roots and change careers to something in movie making, particularly in practical effects and creature making.

HAPPY ENDING ?

So far, my plan to pivot is this: I am attempting to get my pharmacist license in California and find a part time job in or around Los Angeles and begin applying for shop jobs / internships. Basically, I have a passion for making movies and love creature effects. While my goals may not be Academy Award-winning, it would be icing on the cake.

All I want to do is earn a living making movies to support my family and pay the bills. So what advice can anyone give me about making the transition? Tips on searching out that foot in the door job or good places to live vs ones to avoid? I know cost of living is much, much higher, and we’re wiling to sacrifice to make it work. My 5 yr goal is to be fully out of pharmacy and working as a member of the I.A.T.S.E. Local 44.

Cross posted to R/spfx R/filmmaking And the replica prop forum n