From: David Tetzlaff (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Feb 18 2009 - 13:05:01 PST
I shall attempt to venture a serious answer. You are not trapped as a
production intern any more than all of us are trapped as wage-slaves
under capitalism. Everyone has to find a way to make a living, and
for the vast majority of people this 'job' ranges from boring to
alienating to down-right soul crushing. I'm not just talking about
artists. So unless you are one of the miniscule few who can find true
contentment from the work of their paying job, you have to
compartmentalize, put your material survival needs in one slot, and
your human expressive needs in another. If the internship is that
aggravating in and of itself, quit and go do something else. However,
i suspect that part of your problem may be futility you feel about
the work you are making on the side. I suppose there are a few driven
artistes who would make their work if they were the only human alive,
just because they had to for themselves. But for most people,
'express' is a transitive verb. Films need an audience, and given the
scale at which experimental film works that really means experimental
filmmakers need a community. You might want to try to find or make a
place where like-minded filmmakers get together to show work, talk,
help each other out... This is one of the reasons experimental
filmmakers tend to cluster in big cities. I take it from your email
address that you're in New Haven. Not too much happening there for
makers AFAIK, but there are regularly interesting programs and
conferences at Yale, and non-Hollywood, if not necessarily
experimental, fare at the Whitney cinema. Check http://www.yale.edu/
filmstudiesprogram/events.html
There's actually a big experimental conference there this weekend
with Ken Jacobs and others in person.
http://www.yale.edu/yrihs/quconf.html
And of course, you can hop on the Metro North for a short ride to the
world capital of experimental cinema. Maybe instead of interning at
some Studio, you could intern for Serra at FMC, or at Film Forum or
Anthology or...
>
> I thought this would be a great question for everyone on the
> frameworks
> platform. Does anyone have so advise, motivation for someone who is
> passionate about Experimental Film but is trapped as a studio
> production intern. It's to the point I hate waking up to goto
> "work." I
> do shoot my own stuff on the side but it suffers because I have become
> so aggravated with the internship. Does anyone have any advice I can
> keep in mind will finishing up.
> Best,
> Jay
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