Anyone else been forced to turn their back on the industry?

[eccles291]

I've just been reading a few threads in here about the lack of understanding some people in this industry (who should know better) actually have of audio post! i.e. - having too little money for a decent post sound budget and then expecting us to do a lot of work essentially for free because we're "passionate about audio"! Unfortunately, the passion we have doesn't pay the bills or put food on the table! It brought to mind how bad things have got over recent years as far as volume of work and plummeting rates of pay goes and, quite frankly, it's pretty depressing TBH.

I started my career as a runner back in the late 90's and worked my way up over the years to ADR/Foley mixer at a multi-award winning company in London. In 2004 I was made redundant which pushed me into the daunting move to the freelance world and subsequently I got into the cutting rooms as a sound editor. I enjoyed sound editing more than anything else I've done in film and would love to have been able to carry on. Unfortunately though, having a family to support, it just wasn't financially possible for me to keep hanging on for jobs to either come my way or, for the ones I'd been promised, to actually start - one of which, having been put back a few times by several weeks, never actually happened in the end.

I've been lucky to have worked on a lot of big feature films in my time but I've been forced to take other work outside of audio (which, sadly, looks like it's become permanent now) and I find it really hard to accept that my career in the film industry is over. It's made worse by having been slowly squeezed out, rather than deciding to get out of my own accord.

So, are there any others here who have suffered a similar fate or are worry that it might be coming?

[houser]

Sorry to read about your troubles.
If it helps, I would say that anybody with half a brain knows that nothing is permanent and that goes for the filmindustry in it's present shape also.
Universal are closing their sound department and Skywalker is bought by Disney.
Be nimble, be quick, take care of the family, and good luck.

[networker]

Universal IS NOT closing their Sound Dept.

[eccles291]

Thanks houser. :)

Originally Posted by networker

Universal IS NOT closing their Sound Dept.

Gotta say, I was a bit stunned when I read that! I really hope it's not true, especially for all those directly connected.

[networker]

it's not true...trust me.

[eccles291]

Good. Any jobs going?!

[dr sound]

Originally Posted by networker

Universal IS NOT closing their Sound Dept.

Universal has a very active TV Sound Department while their
Feature Department is in a state of Flux.
A few months ago it might of looked like the Feature
Sound Department would close. I would listen to
"Networker" as he has very good first hand knowledge of what
is happening there at Universal.

Remember, There are for more people than jobs in Post.
It is a very difficult business.

[capt kirk]

i had no work at all in 09 and into late 2010....i was resigned to the fact it was over....then some jobs trickled in, and now i;ve been booked solid for a year, and am OVER BOOKED !! into late 2014.....what a insane ride......remember, tough times don't last, tough guys do.....

[peter5992]

At the risk of coming across as a crazy dreamer, I did exactly the opposite --- I practiced law for nearly two decades and then quit my job, emigrated to the US to start a new life (won a Green Card in the lottery!) and decided to go back to my first love which is music and sound for movies.

I find it difficult to get paid gigs but for now I am working on projects of fellow Academy of Art graduate students (motion picture and TV, animation, game design; a lot of talented kids here) which is a lot of fun, gets me experience and skills and occasionally a small toe in the door, and most importantly allows me to build a network of future collaborators and friends. I am fully aware that this is not an easy industry to break into but for now I still have my law license and I work at a big law firm in downtown SF in litigation support. That pays the bills and allows me to listen to great music all day long.

I love this community, by the way, it's a great venue to tap into the minds of seasoned professionals.

[steppenwolf68]

Hi eccles291,

I'm totally with you.
I started my carrer in 1997 working as an employed sound editor in a renowned post facility that had 60 employees at that time (today: 3).
In 2001 I started working as a freelancer which worked out really good in the beginning but since 2010 it's getting worse and worse. At the moment I'm sitting here with no upcoming project/job in sight and I don't know what to do...
I've done a lot of commercials, corporate films, tv shows, radio programmes and feature films but the post scene here has changed: studios went out of business, others were sold and are now solely run by the new owners and some studios just work with a lot of interns.

Last year I applied at a local studio as a freelancer. When I told the manager my rates he just rolled his eyes. I told him that we could find
a reasonable compromise but he would not agree. He told me "I call you" but that never happened of course. Now, a couple of weeks ago a voice talent that I know told me that the manager has hired a 21 year old (goodlooking) girl.
Well, I can't compete with that...