Sadly Animation is as much a business in the entertainment world as the rest of the production studios in town - it is cut throat to get into and even once your in it is NOT steady work. It can absolutely shake a students' will down to their very foundation (I know I can speak from experience). But there are definitely great things about wanting to be in this industry - otherwise WHY ELSE would anyone try to be in the industry.
So I try to gain advice and insight from blogs like APA's. While reading his post on No Pay, I saw a comment by Michael Taylor. I made my way over to Michael's blog which was also wildly fansinating to read! I decided to email Michael and ask him a question.
"Looking back at your 30+ years in Hollywood, knowing what you know now, would you do it again?"
It's a ridiculous question that cannot be answered, but I wanted to just get something from someone in Hollywood who would say what I think from time to time, and that is: No - it's not worth it.
I got quite the opposite. Michael wrote a wonderful well-written email back to me that he has granted me permission to post. Ladies and gentlemen please enjoy:
Neil;
I don't recall what I said to Matt in my comment on the Anonymous Production Assistant's blog, but you're asking some big questions here. It certainly wasn't my "dream" to end up a juicer in Hollywood -- but when I graduated from college with a head full of movies, my only real goal was to go to LA and get into the industry one way or another. Given that my knowledge of the realities of Hollywood was extremely sketchy at the time (with no Internet and thus no blogs, inside information about the industry was very hard for an outsider to come by), my aim was simply to get in, see what it was all about, and take it from there.
That's pretty much what I did, and I'd be lying if I told you it was all one long Sound of Music singing my way as I walked up the lush, verdant mountains of Hollywood. It wasn't... and more than once I seriously pondered bailing on the industry altogether. But I stuck with it, followed where the business led, and have no real career regrets. I met a lot of great people, did a lot of traveling all over the country to work on feature films and television commercials, and had a lot of fun. I also worked my ass off, but that's part of the deal whether you're in live action or animation. Hours will be long and tempers can grow short, but if you get the opportunity to work on a good project, the rewards are there. And never underestimate the joy of engaging in a difficult effort with like-minded people -- there's an enormous satisfaction in that.
Would I do it again? In a way, that question is meaningless. I'm a very different person now than when I rolled off the turnip truck into Hollywood -- and this town is very different place than it was back then. No film student comes to LA as ignorant as I was back then, but the learning turned out to be half the fun. As trite as this sounds, it really is the journey that matters, not the reaching the destination.
I've had no problem with career longevity -- at 36 years and counting (three more 'til I can retire), I've had plenty of work in Hollywood and beyond. Yes, there have been some serious ups and downs -- working free-lance (and it's all pretty much free-lance work in film and TV) is like riding a roller coaster -- but that's increasingly true in many walks of life. The notion of signing on with a company upon graduation, then working an entire career to get the gold watch of retirement 40-odd years later is largely a relic of the past. The ups and downs you just learn to live with. There isn't much choice.
I have mixed feelings about all this "follow your dreams" stuff. That kind of rhetoric is the cotton candy fantasy of young people fresh out of school, who have yet to butt heads with the demands of the real world. If you have a strong leaning towards a given profession (animation, in your case), by all means follow it -- in the words of Joseph Campbell, "follow your bliss and the doors will open for you." There's some real truth in that... but dissecting the difference between a "dream" and a "strong passion" is something only you can do -- trying to do that for someone else is a fool's errand. There are no easy answers. You'll have to decide whether or not animation is a passion worth following, and if you do, be prepared for periods of uncertainty and disillusionment ahead. That comes with the turf... but also know that if animation is indeed the True Path for you, things will get better after a while. Work and life seem to come in cycles -- ups and downs -- that we all have to ride out from time to time.
Although I don't know who Glen Keane is (time to google his name, I guess), his quote makes sense up to a point... but what if you're not "completely sold" on any career path? Rather than settle on something less that perfect, you can keep searching until you find that one true path -- and what if it's not there? Sooner or later you've got to make a choice and stick to it.
There are so many intangibles in life, and this is just one. It's hard to know the right thing to do, especially when you're young with limited experience in the real world, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and make the best of it -- and hope you land on your feet. And if not, you'll still learn a lot from the experience and thus be better prepared to make the next big decision when it comes. We all make a few bad turns in life, but with any luck, it'll all come out in the wash.
Glad to hear you like the blog. FYI -- if you click the "New to this blog? Click here and scroll down" link under the photo of the gloves on my home page, it will take you to a post with direct links to twenty or so "greatest hits" over the years. There's one called "It's the People" that tries to put the career conundrum in perspective. You might find some other posts there worth your time... or not.
Good luck with your career decisions. Life is a confusing mess at times, and there isn't always a "right" answer for whatever you're facing -- just do the best you can and make it work for you. We've all been there at one time or another. You'll get through it and be okay.
All the best;
Michael Taylor
In one of my past posts I told you guys if your ever in a coffee shop just start up a convo with any random stranger. Humans are INCREDIBLY FASCINATING. Everyone has a story, no matter how dull you think they might be, there is something (one would hope - if you run into someone completely plain then let me know...I need to meet this person).I urge everyone here to read a post Michael has on his blog about the people he met: It's the People
Well, jumping off the coffee shop platform and my email exchange I challenge you to do this. Find contact information on someone you admire, either online or in person, and write to them. Ask them for advice. Ask them about their story. Ask them what they are most proud of.
You'll be happy and amazed at the response. And if you're like me, you will already know the answer. But you just need to hear it from someone else! Someone who has made it. There was nothing in Michael's email that I did not already know. But it took HIM to tell ME for it to start sinking in. One can only drink their own coolaid for so long before they try someone elses' to realize they're one in the same.
Thanks for reading, and thank you Michael.
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