Often, I come across individuals on social media passing themselves off as industry types, whilst woefully contributing to the ever declining regard for art as a viable business.
I believe in paying for a creative's time and ability.
The reason for this is simple; basic economy.
You pay an artist to make art and that artist can make more art, living off it primarily. That's the dream. Yes, we all know that making art transcends money: but then eating is as old as the desire to make art too. Guess what? Food on the table costs money.
Recent threads on facebook with individuals who have no credentials to speak of save membership to free Facebook sites, are clogging up the industry with this nonsense. The old chestnuts were all there: 'I'm doing it for the love' - 'you've sold out' - 'I'm creating opportunity' and 'if you want to be paid to act, go work in Hollywood'.
Love for one's work is why payment for it is paramount. Without being respected enough to be paid, we cheapen the art, we belittle the industry, we kill the very thing we love. We disrespect ourselves too. Now I ain't talking about amateur dramatics, that's a hobby, that's a great breeding ground for talent, that's separate to the industry in terms of being paid and doing it for fun.
And it's like anything, if you don't pay for a thing, you can't have it.The theatre especially is an industry that requires skill, panache, an appreciation of craft and form in order to tell a story well. Those who live from it, who have that drive to live from it, who love it enough to live from it, well, they need to be paid for it.
Alas, it's the way of the world. I wish it was free, like the NHS should remain. I believe art is as important to humankind as free health care and free education. But it's not free. To live from it one needs payment. That's my point. We don't have that mentality to make those that create custodians of art, taking us all as a society down the wide path of enlightenment. Imagine that, national holidays where an artist is celebrated, where the cornerstones of our culture are artistically based: not money, not greed, not material advancement, not religion, but art, love of art, love, freedom, truth...houses and parishes given to artists from established Galleries like the Tate, from established Theatres like the National, like the Church of England ~ 'You are an artist in this medium, here is an allowance to live, share and teach art to others, go, go and be creative...' yes, of course you can receive grants to live and work as an artist, but my point is that being an artist is not recognised as a fundamental fabric of culture, subsidised by the State on every level...but I digress.
And it's like anything, if you don't pay for a thing, you can't have it.The theatre especially is an industry that requires skill, panache, an appreciation of craft and form in order to tell a story well. Those who live from it, who have that drive to live from it, who love it enough to live from it, well, they need to be paid for it.
Alas, it's the way of the world. I wish it was free, like the NHS should remain. I believe art is as important to humankind as free health care and free education. But it's not free. To live from it one needs payment. That's my point. We don't have that mentality to make those that create custodians of art, taking us all as a society down the wide path of enlightenment. Imagine that, national holidays where an artist is celebrated, where the cornerstones of our culture are artistically based: not money, not greed, not material advancement, not religion, but art, love of art, love, freedom, truth...houses and parishes given to artists from established Galleries like the Tate, from established Theatres like the National, like the Church of England ~ 'You are an artist in this medium, here is an allowance to live, share and teach art to others, go, go and be creative...' yes, of course you can receive grants to live and work as an artist, but my point is that being an artist is not recognised as a fundamental fabric of culture, subsidised by the State on every level...but I digress.
There is a lot of mediocrity.
There are time and money constraints in professional theatre, making one's passion all the more tempered with understanding and discipline. The film industry is rife with fly by night cowboys who do not pay: I know of several 'filmmakers' in East Anglia who not only decline paying performers, but refuse to: their belief being 'actors are two a penny, why should I pay them when the money can go on more important things?'
Through clenched fists, explaining to these people that the experience is all encompassing is one thing. But to try to make them see the foolhardiness of their economy is another. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Standards decline. We are hobbyists finally.
If you don't pay your creatives, it quickly becomes a sloppy undertaking, a choppy sea of loss of focus. Of course it does. Time is money. When you have people working for you, you get working properly to a schedule, you do your homework, you are less inclined to waste people's time. Invariably, factoring money into a project sobers one up from the giddy heights of 'creation' - a true artist can temper their passion with a process and once process becomes consideration, a budget is part of that.
If you don't pay your creatives, it quickly becomes a sloppy undertaking, a choppy sea of loss of focus. Of course it does. Time is money. When you have people working for you, you get working properly to a schedule, you do your homework, you are less inclined to waste people's time. Invariably, factoring money into a project sobers one up from the giddy heights of 'creation' - a true artist can temper their passion with a process and once process becomes consideration, a budget is part of that.
Training does not mean success, nor talent. But I champion any actor or art maker that has a process, that sees art as valuable beyond the self absorbing maxims of ego (the recent thread that prompted this entry cited: 'I'm trying to make a voice' - great, wonderful) and creates opportunity beyond that of the art maker. A path of enlightenment.
Look, art is universal and we humans have millions of ways to express it. But paying for your creatives time and talent secures the future of it, in all its mediums.
Budgeting for film was a class I undertook way back at Cheltenham, on the film course there, and certainly, a recent student filmmaker I worked paid all very well, having factored pay into the budget. A breath of fresh air.
But these people are few and far between: and that's awful. My heart sinks every time I see, 'expenses only' or 'exposure' or dear god, 'I want someone who is passionate about this film...no pay' - I'm bloody passionate. I've been working for twenty years. Passion goes hand in hand with profit for me and my people. It can be done, with consideration and focus, respect and patience. For all of us, for the future.
Join us. The water is lovely. And look, afterwards, we can afford to go for dinner.
@StrangeFas
(pic by P.Goldsmith)
(pic by P.Goldsmith)
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