The Finances of a Model in New York City -- Revealed!

The Finances of a Model in New York City -- Revealed!

Posted: 09/24/2012 10:12 am

The word "model" evokes a life of glamour: lounging by pools, eating celery sticks and shopping for size zero dresses.

In reality, most models spend their days schlepping to casting after casting, usually being rejected from each one. They live in model apartments with three other girls, and only eat celery for dinner because they can't afford much else.

How do I know? I'm a model myself.

My life falls somewhere between the glamour and the hardship. I've supported myself in New York City for eight years. I've been fortunate to be able to turn my modeling into a career, and even become financially stable along the way.

How I Got My Start

I grew up in Toronto, Canada, where I started trying to get an agency to represent me at age 15. When you're tall and thin, people constantly suggest that you should be a model; my dad raised me, and because he had been a male model before starting his career in sales, he was supportive. It wasn't until I entered college that an agency finally expressed interest.

Ford Models signed me when I was just starting school, at age 18. My dad couldn't afford to pay for my education, so I took out student loans (college is cheaper in Canada, so I paid them off before I graduated). In the meantime, I booked some local catalog work in Toronto and finished an undergraduate marketing degree while bartending and holding a retail job to make ends meet.

In the beginning, my fledging career was actually costing me money. Sometimes the gas to drive to castings and the parking while I was in the city ate up the little money I brought home from jobs. Modeling in Toronto just isn't the same as modeling in New York... so after graduation, I moved to New York.

The Reality of Modeling in New York City

As soon as I got to the city, I booked the cover of Women's Health Magazine (left), and I was beyond thrilled. In addition to the great exposure, you would think that a cover pays a ton of money, right? Well, I was paid a whopping $250. I figured big money jobs would come rolling in, but they are few and far between, and the day rate (your entire pay) for magazine work is usually about $100-$400.

Runway shows are even worse. Sometimes girls are paid with "trade," which means they get some free clothes, but no money. It's not unheard of for girls with smaller agencies to not get paid for jobs at all. Models in need of cash can borrow money against their future earnings from their agency -- and pay a high fee for the privilege. There is no such thing as a model union: Models are generally young and easy to take advantage of, and trust their agencies to get them work and pay them. Unfortunately, not all agencies are trustworthy.

Out of the blue, I was measured by my agency to see if I could be a "fit" model -- a type of modeling that can be far more lucrative. Fit models have body measurements that match an industry standard for producing clothes, and if you're hired by a label to fit their line, you can work consistently with them for years. You act as a sort of live mannequin, trying on prototypes and getting paid upwards of $250 an hour. Of course you pay your agency a commission, as well as taxes, but after gaining several clients, I was working every day for several hours a day and doing very well. With a 34" bust, 27" waist and 37" hip, I am considered a very good industry size four.

So I was making steady money as a model, and working short days gave me the time to get another job. I still wanted to grow my income to gain a little more financial security in the very expensive city that never sleeps... so I began cocktail waitressing at a popular nightclub and made upwards of $1,000 a night doing bottle service.

I was making more money working three nights a week than at any kind of entry-level job my degree could afford me. I happily settled into my role of the stereotypical New York model/waitress, making a combined income of a healthy six figures.

The Ins and Outs of My Finances

I've been able to build a comfortable savings account, begin maxing out my IRA and live a great life in New York (kind of like this woman). I can write off my gym membership and some of my beauty treatments like haircuts, facials and pedicures as work costs, because maintaining my body is crucial to my job. (I can't do it all the time, but still, what a perk!)

I've since quit waitressing because the hours (and people) were tough despite the good money. It's scary relying solely on a job where you have to stay the exact same measurements all the time, but it's pretty much my only job requirement. I'm a huge foodie living in a city with the best food in the world, so I've had to become a bit of a gym rat. I don't count calories, but I do try to make healthy eating choices and I work out five to six days a week. A good mix of spin, yoga and weight training keep me in check -- and if a certain part of me (like my hip measurement) starts to get too big or small, I adjust my workouts accordingly. Getting pregnant or gaining weight could end my career. The industry is fickle and disloyal -- I've lost clients I've worked with for years because a new designer said I was too big.

But I've been lucky that I've been able to achieve financial stability. At this point, I make more money than my dad and I love that I'm able to help him out financially.

I have so many friends in the industry who have no money because when you make money this easily, you don't value it as much -- it's easy come, easy go. I know a lot of girls who have no savings and lots of debt: They get excited by the money, so they start buying expensive things, but then they lose their clients and freak out.

They're waitresses making $1,000 a night and they're all in debt! But the thing is, this $1,000 a night is temporary.

A Career With an Expiration Date

I know many women would dream of having my job -- being able to live comfortably working a few hours a day trying on clothes, but the reality is that it is a pretty unfulfilling job with a definite expiration date, in which you gain very few transferrable skills. As I get older (I'm nearing 30), it gets harder to see myself in another career. What will I do when this slows down? I don't really have relevant experience for anything, and while I could switch to the design and production side of fashion, I'm not passionate about that.

Many girls can't transition into corporate culture after years of essentially working for themselves, so they go into jobs where they can be their own bosses, like teaching yoga or heading to beauty school. Most of the models I know don't have a college degree.

I graduated so long ago that I fear my degree is now outdated, and I haven't gained very much experience in the field since my college days. That, paired with the fact that I've never worked an office job in my life, would make it difficult for me to work a typical 9-5 schedule. When the fit job begins to wind down, I can see myself starting my own business, or applying myself in a field that I am a little more passionate about. I'm proud to be educated, but if I could go back, I definitely would have studied something that I enjoyed instead of pursuing a degree that I thought would lead to the biggest paycheck. Maybe then I wouldn't have gone into fashion to begin with!

Sometimes I wish I had graduated and taken an entry-level job at a company where I could have climbed the ladder and maybe even been a CEO by now. I would have a lot more job security and an impressive resume, but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my 20's and live it up in NYC the way I have -- and that's an experience I wouldn't trade for the world.

After talking about money with friends at a fitting, Ashley Stetts was inspired to start The Frugal Model, where she shares tips on saving (and more).

Follow Ashley on Twitter @thefrugalmodel

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/learnvest/model_b_1904427.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share

Viet-Nam Mobile Phone Carrier Prefixes

HTmobile:  92

Mobi:  90, 93, 122, 124, 126 (even number at the end)
S-Fone:  95

VietTel:  98, 168

Vina:  91, 94, 123, 125, 127 (odd number at the end)

Los Cabos

Los Cabos is a municipality that encompasses the following cities & towns:

San José del Cabo 69,788

Cabo San Lucas 68,463

Colonia del Sol 48,032

Las Palmas 11,562

Las Veredas 10,478

San José Viejo 7,222

La Ribera 2,050

San Bernabé 1,794

La Playa 1,417

Miraflores 1,384

Total of 238,487 people, according to the 2010 census.

Los Cabos is located at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur. It encompasses the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo (the municipal seat), as well as the Resort Corridor that lies between the two. The area's economy, like many resort areas in Mexico, was based on fishing but is now geared towards tourism, though sport fishing and golf are the area's main attractions. Also the tourist can enjoy watching whales who come to visit this area to spend the winter in the warm waters.

The municipality has an area of 3,451.51 square kilometres (1,332.64 sq mi).

El Arco, commonly called "the Arch," is a real reference point in Los Cabos and is only reachable by boat, UNESCO recently declared the Arch a World Heritage Site.

Just south of the Arch is Land's End, a rock that juts over the water. This is the last instance of land in Cabo marking the end of Baja California and the beginning of continuous open waters southward.

Safety Tips

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point

on your body.

If you are close enough to use it, do! 

2.. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,

DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you....

Chances are that he is more interested

in your wallet and/or purse than you,

and he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,

kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole

and start waving like crazy..

The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives..

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars

after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit

(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.

DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator will be watching you, and this

is the perfect opportunity for him to get in

on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,

and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,

LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. 

If someone is in the car

with a gun to your head

DO NOT DRIVE OFF,

Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead gun the engine and

speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.

If the person is in the back seat

they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes

bail out and run.

It is better than having them find your body

in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting

into your car in a parking lot,

or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:

look around you,

look into your car,

at the passenger side floor ,

and in the back seat.

B..) If you are parked next to a big van,

enter your car from the passenger door.

Most serial killers attack their victims

by pulling them into their vans while the women

are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car

parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,

and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone

in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back

into the mall, or work, and get a

guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator

instead of the stairs.

Stairwells are horrible places to be alone

and the perfect crime spot.

This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun

and you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target)

4 in 100 times; and even then,

it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying

to be sympathetic:

STOP

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,

well educated man, who ALWAYS played

on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.

He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often

asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,

which is when he abducted 

his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard

a crying baby on her porch the night before last,

and she called the police because it was late

and she thought it was weird.. The police told her

'Whatever you do, DO NOT

open the door..'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby

had crawled near a window, and she was worried

that it would crawl to the street and get run over.

The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,

whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer

has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax

women out of their homes thinking that someone

dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it,

but have had several calls by women saying that

they hear baby's cries outside their doors

when they're home alone at night.

 

10. Water scam!

If you wake up in the middle

of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a

burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your

outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and

then attack.

What Non-Members Need to Know About SAG-AFTRA

What Non-Members Need to Know About SAG-AFTRA

By Jonathan Handel

APRIL 25, 2012

It's new! It's bigger! It's hyphenated! It's SAG-AFTRA, and it's not quite the same as SAG or AFTRA. When the two unions merged last month after decades of discussion, they created a 160,000-member organization that combines bits and pieces of its predecessors. Look closely and you'll find the old and the new, mixed together, sometimes confusingly.

So what does this behemoth mean for you, the non-member? Most important -- how do you get in?

Getting Taft-Hartleyed. One way a person is eligible, according to the SAG-AFTRA constitution, is if he or she "(h)as worked, is working or is about to work in a position covered by a SAG-AFTRA (or AFTRA or SAG) collective bargaining agreement." In other words, once you book your first union gig, you're SAG-AFTRA eligible.

That's right: You don't have to be a member of the union to get that first union job. You do have to be a good actor, though, hardworking and lucky -- but you knew that already. Getting in this way is sometimes referred to as being "Taft-Hartleyed," which refers to part of the federal labor law.

Background Vouchers. The rule is different if you're working background. To get in that way, you "must have completed three (3) days of work as a background actor under a SAG-AFTRA (or AFTRA or SAG) collective bargaining agreement." Some background positions on union shows are considered union positions, and others are not. You'll get a voucher if you work a union background job, and your goal is to collect three vouchers.

Upgrade to Principal. If you're working a background job (or as an extra in a commercial), it's sometimes possible to be upgraded to principal -- for instance, if you're directed to a line of dialogue. This is rare, but if it happens, not only do you get paid more, but it also makes you SAG-AFTRA eligible.

Reciprocity. Another way to get in is reciprocity. If you've been a member of Actors' Equity or one of three smaller performers unions (AGMA, AGVA, or GIAA) for one year and have performed as a principal in a production under one of those unions' contracts, you may be eligible to join SAG-AFTRA.

New Media. If you're really entrepreneurial, you can become a producer, finance a union production, and hire yourself. This is feasible if the production is for new media, and if your goal is to be a multitalented entertainment entrepreneur, it might be the right step for you. But if you don't have a head for business or a good partner, don't even consider it.

Special Cases. Finally, if the National Board determines that you're "engaged in work that advances the (union's) active organizing efforts or general goals," it can decide to admit you. Don't count on this one; the language is meant primarily to cover situations involving radio and TV broadcasters. (They, and recording artists, are covered by SAG-AFTRA in addition to actors.)

No Open Admissions. Notice what's gone: AFTRA's old "open admissions" policy. Unlike SAG, the TV-centric AFTRA was an open union. Anyone could join just by paying a fee, and when the unions merged, everyone in SAG or AFTRA, no matter how he or she had gotten in, automatically became a member of SAG-AFTRA.

But before you despair that you missed an easy backdoor into the new union, consider this: Not everyone who can join should. For some -- maybe for you -- it might be too early.

That's because you're not just snagging a card -- you're signing on to a set of rules. Among them are Global Rule One (formerly a SAG rule) and the "No Contract/No Work" rule (derived from AFTRA). The two are a bit different, but the bottom line is this: Once you're a member, you can't work nonunion gigs anymore.

That means nonunion movies, TV shows, commercials, Internet projects, student films, and even industrials are off-limits starting the moment you join. And it's called Global Rule One for a reason: Even if a show is shooting in Canada or overseas, you generally aren't allowed to accept the gig if it's nonunion.

That's OK, you might think, because if I join SAG-AFTRA today, I'll land an agent by tomorrow and be booking jobs the day after.

Sadly, it doesn't work that way. It's tough to get an agent and even harder to get booked on union jobs. If you don't have the chops and some good credits, the agent and the union jobs will be hard to come by -- even with that coveted card. And no, the union won't help you find representation or get work. It's just not one of the things it does.

So, to build up those credits, you may need to keep working nonunion jobs -- which you can't do once you've joined. Even SAG-AFTRA advises: "The time to join is when it makes sense for you. (Everyone's) situation is different."

Translation: Ask your acting teachers, friends, mentors, and coaches for advice. Then consider your options carefully.

In some situations, though, you may have to join the union. If you work a union job and become SAG-AFTRA eligible, 30 days later you automatically become SAG-AFTRA Must-Pay. That means that before you work a second union job, you'll have to join. Producers are required to verify your status by checking with the union -- a process that SAG rather quaintly called Station 12. Must-Pay applies in California, New York, and many other states but not in "right to work states" such as North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and other, mostly Republican states.

Once you're in, you'll be part of a new union that is almost 80 years old and fights for wages, working conditions, residuals, and pension-and-health benefits for its members. Be proud of that SAG-AFTRA card -- you worked for it!

For more information, visit SAGAFTRA.org and the legacy aftra.com and sag.org websites.

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news-and-features-news/what-non-members-need-to-know-about-sag-1006881752.story

Films as Startups: How Indie Producers Build Buzz

Films as Startups: How Indie Producers Build Buzz

Wednesday, 05/02/2012

by Christine Erickson

The film industry is not what it used to be. Gone are the days when writers shopped a script around Hollywood, hoping to catch the eye of major production studios.

Instead, that model has been turned upside down. Films are aiming to captivate an audience first, without the assistance of studios. Technology and social media have made it feasible.

Writer Bill Balas entered his feature-length script into a contest for Fresh Voices, a social network for screenwriters, which captured the attention of producers Peter Katz and Don Le.

Rather than following the traditional path of production, the team used Balas's script to create Already Gone, a short film about a crook who only robs from other criminals. The three-minute video is directed by Ross Ching, and stars Shawn Ashmore of X-men fame and Harry Shum Jr. from Glee.

This bite-sized teaser gets the premise of the film in front of an audience, and if the film is bought, will lead to a feature-length film at some point. Consider the video a less expensive pilot that will reveal hard numbers to potential financiers up front.

How Social Media Incubates the Pilot

Studios spend a tremendous amount of money in marketing a film, but independent filmmakers are now capable of distributing their content on the smallest of budgets. Sites like Kickstarter, Twitter and Facebook have changed how films are made.

"The advantage we have is that there are people behind this project," says Katz. "Before, we didn't have anything to show. There are a lot of challenges just using scripts, especially when you're dealing with dense material. It doesn't always convey the director's vision."

Katz's non-traditional production strategy is similar to the tech startup incubator model, which helps develop entrepreneurs' visions into businesses that they can present to investors.

"Imagine if genre legends like Sam Raimi's and Robert Rodriguez's production companies financed and oversaw the creation of select filmmakers' short films — then released them on the web to see which concepts would reach the largest audiences and attract the most passionate fanbase," says Katz.

"Studios would use this information to decide which projects to finance and how to market them, instead of the traditional route where scripts can get caught in development and never see the light of day."

High-Quality Tech on a Low Budget

While social continues to support the business and marketing side of production, the technology available for filmmakers has become more affordable — even as the quality continues to get better.

RED introduced digital cinema cameras in 2005, which led to a number of competitors coming out with their own products. Today, independent films like Already Gone are being shot with cameras like the RED because the high-quality gear is smaller and cheaper than ever before.

"Because the camera is so flexible in terms of its cost, without losing that quality, you have a tremendous amount of indie filmmakers who are using the RED One, and the Epic and the Scarlet to shoot their movies," says Ted Schilowitz, co-Founder of RED cameras. "The same camera that the Peter Jacksons, and the David Finchers of the world use to make their movies, all the young independent filmmakers with much smaller budgets are using the same exact tools."

What do you think about the "teaser first, full film later" concept? Do you think technology and social media will continue to change the future of filmmaking? Let us know in the comments.

http://mashable.com/2012/05/02/indie-film-social-trailers

Movie-Making Budget

The $100,000 Budget

Writer / Director / Producer Profit points

Cast 15,000

Above the Line Expenses 15,000

Assistant director 1,500

Production/art designer 2,000

Script supervisor 1,200

Cinematographer 5,000

Assistant camera operators (2) 3,000

Gaffer/electrician 2,000

Grips (3) 3,000

Sound mixer & boom operator 3,000

Makeup & hair 1,000

Photographer & production assistants 0

Craft services & food 10,000

Props & sets 1,500

Wardrobe & makeup 500

Camera rental 5,000

Lighting rental 5,000

Dolly 2,000

Tape stock 200

Sound equipment rental 1,500

Trucks & gas 1,000

Location fees 1,500

Insurance 3,000

Office supplies 500

Total Production Costs 51,400

Editor 5,000

Editing equipment 10,000

Composer 1,000

ADR 1,000

Sound edit 2,000

Total Postproduction Expenses 19,000

Contingency 0

Total Budget 87,400

The $1,000,000 Big Indie Budget

Writer $20,000

Director 30,000

Producers 30,000

Cast 180,000

Taxes, health 25,000

Above the Line Expenses 285,000

Casting director 16,000

Extras 4,000

Unit production manager 16,000

Location manager 6,000

Assistant directors (3) 14,000

Production/art designers 10,000

Props supervisor 2,500

Script supervisor 5,500

Cinematographer 12,000

Assistant camera operators (3) 14,000

Gaffer 6,000

Electricians (2) 8,000

Grips (3), dolly grip 16,000

Sound mixer & boom operator 10,000

Costume designer, assistant 7,000

Makeup/hair artists (3) 11,000

Still photographer 4,000

Production assistant's expenses (5-8) 1,000

Payroll taxes 10,000

Craft services and food 22,000

Props 3,000

Set construction 14,000

Wardrobe and makeup 3,000

Expendables 2,000

Camera package rentals 24,000

Lighting/grip package 14,000

Dolly 7,000

Film stock 30,000

Audio stock 4,000

Sound equipment rental 6,000

Trucks/drivers 4,000

Electrical generator 6,000

Location expenses 14,000

Insurance 30,000

Permits 6,000

Police 4,000

Legal 10,000

Lab fee for develop/telecine 50,000

Total Production Expenses 426,000

Editors 16,000

Editing systems 8,000

Composer/musicians/recording 20,000

Music rights 50,000

ADR 6,000

Sound editor, mixing 20,000

Negative cutter 5,000

Opticals and titles 14,000

Telecine 16,000

Answer print 12,000

Total Postproduction Expenses 167,000

10% contingency 87,800

Total Budget 965,000

How Becoming a Movie Director Works

How Becoming a Movie Director Works

The world premiere of Steven Spielberg's first feature film, "Firelight," was a gala event in March 1964. The lead actors and the director arrived in a borrowed limo as a searchlight swept the Phoenix sky. The packed theater watched the tale of alien abductors for two hours and 15 minutes. Local critics applauded the science fiction film, and at 75 cents per ticket, the movie was profitable.

The next day, Spielberg, 17, and his family moved to Los Angeles. While attending California State University, Long Beach, he attracted the attention of executives at Universal Pictures. He went on to direct television shows and then award-winning movies. His first blockbuster, "Jaws," came 11 years after that Phoenix premiere [sources: Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Encyclopedia Britannica].

Contrast that with the experience of Alfred Hitchcock. He worked for six years designing the dialogue cards between the scenes of silent movies and then as a film cutter, scriptwriter, set designer, production assistant and, finally, as a film director.

After two melodramas, he finally had the chance to direct his first thriller, "The Lodger," in 1926. Because it was a silent film, Hitchcock used a lot of visual cues to heighten suspense for the audience and keep them guessing about the ending. The result? Studio executives found the movie too odd and left it on the shelf for months before finally showing it apologetically to distributors. They liked it, paving the way for Hitchcock's first hit and successful directing career [sources: "Hitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings and Interviews," Encyclopedia Britannica].

Becoming a movie director requires experience, effort and contacts. Nobody simply steps up and starts directing major movies. The process of becoming a director starts years earlier with getting an education, building a portfolio and gaining experience in directing films and other aspects of movie production.

But what does a director actually do? How can you get your foot in the door with a studio? And what jobs will help you on your way up? Keep reading to find out.

What is a Movie Director?

A movie director is a storyteller who needs a lot of people, equipment, creativity and planning to bring his story to a movie audience. And in the process, the director has to hold on to the vision while dealing with temperamental artists, union contract requirements, uncooperative weather, studio time, budget demands and a handful of other uncontrollable uncertainties.

Roland Joffe, director of "The Killing Fields" (1984), has said directing movies resembles "playing on a multilayered, multidimensional chessboard, except that the chess pieces decide to move themselves." And Japanese director Akira Kurosawa described a film director as being a front-line commanding officer. "He needs a thorough knowledge of each branch of the service, and if he doesn't command each division, he can't command the whole," [sources: "The Future of Work," "The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa"].

While directing a movie can lead to a shiny Oscar, it also means taking on a lot of responsibility. Simply put, a director is responsible for a film's overall vision. He has final responsibility for the actors, the shots, the script, the props, the editing and much more [source: Full Sail].

Responsibilities involved with directing include:

working with the movie producer to cast the actors

organizing and selecting shooting locations

interpreting the script -- and in some cases, writing or selecting it

approving sets, costumes, choreography and music

giving actors direction while conducting rehearsals and shooting the film

directing the work of the crew during shooting

working with cinematographers on shot composition

working with editors on creating a rough cut and final film

[sources: Full Sail and U.S. Department of Labor]

That's a lot for a single person to do, so directors usually delegate some of the work. Assistant directors, for example, may be responsible for overseeing specific locations or for cueing actors and crew. A second-unit director may be in charge of directing stunt sequences. Or a director may describe what he wants out of a scene and then have the film crew find the location and lighting that work.

But some directors do more than simply direct. They may also write the script, act in the movie and serve as its producer -- or even do all three. Mel Brooks wrote many of the scripts for movies he also directed and produced, and Sydney Pollack often acted in the movies he directed. Woody Allen has written, acted and directed his films, while Spike Lee has done all that and also worked as producer [sources: Internet Movie Database, New York Times].

In addition to being in charge, taking many roles and turning the vision of the story into a movie, a director needs to be flexible enough to deal with unexpected challenges and open to suggestions from cast and crew that could make the movie better.

The rewards are great for directors who can manage movie-making chaos and tell their stories well. Directors are usually paid 10 percent of a film's gross earnings, blockbusters that bring in $200 million or more can return a healthy cash reward for their directors [source: Moviestaff.com].

But the first step to fame and fortune, or at least a career as a movie director, is getting your foot in the door. And that takes education, experience and persistence. Let's look next at how to get started.

Getting Your Foot in the Door as a Movie Director

You want to be a movie director. You have the desire, and you think you have the persistence. Now you need the education and experience to attract a movie production studio's attention. As Akira Kurosawa noted, you can't be a front-line commanding officer without thoroughly understanding of every branch of the service. In the case of a film director, that means understanding everything about making a movie.

While some directors like Quentin Tarantino succeeded in directing movies without a college degree, that has become much more difficult. Earning a degree can help you understand the technical aspects of the business and help you gain credibility with a studio. Many colleges and other schools offer degrees in film directing. Among the best-known schools and some of their famous alumni are:

New York University -- Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone

University of Southern California -- Ron Howard, George Lucas, John Singleton

American Film Institute in Los Angeles (master's degree) -- Amy Heckerling, David Lynch, Terrence Malik

California Institute of the Arts -- John Lasseter

University of California at Los Angeles -- Francis Ford Coppola

Plenty of other schools also offer courses in directing movies. If you attend one, you'll be likely to learn about the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography and editing, as well as learning to work with actors and crew members. You'll probably also examine directing styles, techniques and strategies, along with elements of storytelling (plot, character and theme), and the history of film. Besides attending classes, students at filmmaking schools participate in workshops and make one or more films while they're in school. Some schools, like the American Film Institute offer targeted training, like the AFI's annual Directing Workshop for Women [source: American Film Institute].

Many schools also offer mentoring programs and help with internships to help their students get started in directing films. Taking low-level jobs, like interning or assistant positions, can be a valuable way to make the contacts that can help you move up in the film industry. And sometimes the contacts that you make with people on your level may turn out to be as valuable as with those above you.

Once you have a degree and some experience, another important step is turning clips from films you've helped make into a portfolio that you can show studio executives and other potential employers. Keep reading to find out more about building a portfolio.

Building a Portfolio as a Movie Director

Nobody will be willing to take a chance on you as a movie director unless you can show you have enough education and experience directing movies. One of the best ways that you can gain credibility with film studios -- and with potential investors -- is by building a portfolio of your directing work.

Before digital technology, film directors built a reel of film clips from the movies on which they had worked. They sent the reel or took it with them to meetings with potential clients and investors. That approach has been largely replaced by the portfolio, an electronic collection of clips that can be sent electronically, provided on a DVD or included on a Web site.

You'll definitely want to include any movies you have directed, but here are some other items to put in your electronic portfolio:

Educational experience, including the classes you've taken

A resume showing your experience to date

Contact information so you can be reached

Clips from movies that show your skill in other areas, such as editing, writing, animation and cinematography

A listing of film festivals you have entered and awards won

Directing in other areas -- music videos, commercials, animated shorts, TV shows

Stills and storyboards showing the thought and process behind the finished product

If you don't have the time or expertise to put together your own portfolio, there are companies that specialize in doing this for you. My DVD Portfolio, for instance, offers several options at different prices. "Rising Star," on the low end, turns your 30 photos, video and bio information into a customized presentation with 60 seconds of video on a master DVD. More expensive options provide additional room for more photos and video.

You'll probably also want to create a personal Web site that studio executives and investors can visit. Everything from your portfolio can go onto your Web site, but you'll have room there for longer video clips and additional information.

With education, some beginner experience and a portfolio, you need to take the next step of finding work. Let's look next at why no job is too small.

No Job is Too Small for a Budding Movie Director

You can close your eyes and see yourself as a respected movie director. You're thanking lots of people for helping you earn the shiny statue in your hand. But when you open your eyes, all you have in your hand is your electronic portfolio -- and the rent is due.

While directing movies may be your objective, you'll probably need to take other jobs along the way to build your portfolio and pay your bills. You can practice your craft with many types of directing or even writing, acting or producing.

Maybe a local band needs a music video or a furniture store wants a commercial to play on local TV and radio. Maybe your cable station could use a film director for a documentary. Or maybe you want to try your hand at directing independent films and entering them in competitions.

You won't be alone if you don't go right to directing films. Consider these examples:

Sydney Pollack studied and taught acting and was a Broadway actor before directing TV shows.

Tim Burton studied animation and worked on animated films for Disney. He made a short animated film that was deemed unsuitable for children but convinced Paul Rubens to choose Burton as director for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985).

Martha Coolidge worked for a children's television program, made some documentary films and directed a TV miniseries.

John Singleton directed music videos, including Michael Jackson's "Remember that Time."

Steven Spielberg directed episodes of television shows and TV movies, including "Duel" (1971), which attracted the attention of George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola.

And once you do break into movie directing, you'll still probably need to work your way up through assistant director jobs. Francis Ford Coppola, for example, worked as a soundman, dialogue director, screenplay writer and associate producer before becoming known as a director [source: Internet Movie Database].

While the competition is stiff, there are movie-directing jobs out there. You may find your niche in documentaries, in TV or in cable movies instead of in studio-backed films. And perhaps, with education, experience, networking and persistence, some day you'll have a shiny Oscar or two to set on your shelf.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-director.htm

Thomas Kinkade (01/19/1958 - 04/06/2012)

Thomas Kinkade dead: 'Painter of Light' had many fans, but few critics were among them

Thomas Kinkade embraced his popularity even as he drew less than appreciative attention from those within the art establishment who derided him

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: Saturday, April 7, 2012, 8:50 PM

Updated: Saturday, April 7, 2012, 8:52 PM

SAN FRANCISCO  — To fans and the countless collectors who helped build painter Thomas Kinkade's commercial art empire, his idealized vision of the world usually served as a simple, soothing addition to the living room wall: a soft depiction of a churning seascape or a colorful garden or a cottage brimming with warm light.

Kinkade's vision, and the artworks he prolifically created from it, paid off handsomely for the self-described "painter of light," whose business grew into franchised galleries, reproduced artwork and spin-off products said to fetch at their peak some $100 million annually and adorn roughly 10 million homes.

Kinkade, who died Friday in Los Gatos, Calif., at age 54, embraced his popularity even as he drew less than appreciative attention from those within the art establishment who derided him, at least in part, for appealing so brazenly to the widest possible audience.

"In their minds, he represented the lowest type of art," said Jeffrey Vallance, an artist who hosted a show of Kinkade's artwork in Santa Ana, Calif. in 2004. "He was different from other artists. You kind of felt like he was giving people what they wanted."

Kinkade's art empire included reproductions of his numerous paintings in hand-signed lithographs, canvas prints, books and posters, calendars, magazine covers, cards, collector plates and figurines. As his art drew wider and wider attention, Kinkade didn't shy away.

"It is clear that everyday people need an art they can enjoy, believe in and understand," he wrote in a catalog to the 2004 show.

For Kinkade, such art meant light-infused renderings of tranquil landscape scenes, homes and churches that evoked an idealized past, some of which included religious iconography.

As word of Kinkade's untimely death spread Saturday, fans flocked to some galleries to buy his work.

"It's crazy beautiful. We're struggling with our own emotions, yet the public is coming in and just buying art off the wall," said Ester Wells, gallery director at the Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery in Pismo Beach, Calif. "Right now, people are just coming in and buying everything in our inventory."

Many customers bought art as a tribute while others said it was a smart investment: they feel his work will now be worth more down the road, Wells said. Others stopped by just to say how sorry they were to hear of his death.

"We're going to lose a great artist to the world but we'll never forget him," Wells said, adding that she thinks Kinkade will be remembered as another Norman Rockwell

Kinkade regarded Rockwell as his earliest hero. His mom had a big collection of copies of Saturday Evening Post magazines, he said in a biography on his website.

"The scenes were nostalgic and brought back very happy memories for people," said Marty Brown, who owns four galleries in Southern California that sell Kinkade paintings. Brown's galleries had already had a record sales day by noon on Saturday, he said.

The customers ranged from curious people who'd seen news of Kinkade's death on the news to longtime collectors purchasing a few more pieces.

"Some people are coming and buying a couple or buying their first piece, or just buying something. But they all feel pretty bad, to tell you the truth," he said.

Kinkade had a fan base that was unprecedented, and he made collectors out of the many people who brought his art into their homes.

"That's market penetration that we've never seen in art, for sure," Brown said.

Yet some of the qualities that made Kinkade's art popular and accessible to everyday consumers also led to its criticism from art experts.

"I think the reason you probably aren't going to find his work in many museums, if any, is that there really wasn't anything very innovative about what he was doing...," said Michael Darling, chief curator of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art. "I really think that he didn't bring anything new to art."

Kinkade was also criticized for selling reproductions of his works, not the originals.

"That was something that drove the art world crazy," Vallance said. "You were never really buying the real thing, you were buying something made by a machine."

In the 2004 catalog to his California show, Kinkade offered an answer to his critics, saying he didn't look down upon any type of art.

"As to the myriads of products that have been developed from my paintings, I can only state that I have always had the attitude that art in whatever format it is accessible to people is good..." he wrote. "All forms of art reproduction have meaning to some body of people."

But Alexis Boylan, who edited a 2011 book of essays, "Thomas Kinkade: The Artist in the Mall," said Kinkade presented his art as value-driven and contrasted it with rap music and other forms of art that he was less fond of.

"He saw his art as antagonistic towards other forms of artistic expression," she said. "He was very antagonistic towards modern and contemporary art."

Amid the success, though, Kinkade had run into personal difficulties in recent years.

In June 2010, he was arrested outside Carmel, Calif. on suspicion of driving under the influence. That same year, one of his companies also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy filing came as the company had started making payments on an almost $3 million court award against it in a lawsuit filed by a Virginia couple, Karen Hazlewood and Jeff Spinello.

The Virginia gallery owners sued Kinkade and his company in 2003, arguing that he'd fraudulently persuaded them to invest in a licensed Kinkade gallery, according to the Los Angeles Times. The couple alleged that they were being undercut by discount sellers whose prices they were barred from matching, and they had merchandise they couldn't sell.

The court eventually sided with the couple. Kinkade faced similar lawsuits from other owners as a number of Kinkade galleries failed from 1997 to 2005.

Brown said he hopes people remember Kinkade not only as a commercially successful artist, but one that raised millions for charity by auctioning his works.

"We've got a lot of people out there today that are a little sadder today because Thomas Kinkade passed away," he said, adding: "I just hope that he's in a better place."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/thomas-kinkade-dead-painter-light-fans-critics-article-1.1058026?localLinksEnabled=false

Movie Acronyms

Movie Acronyms

PA Production Assistant

1st AD First Assistant Director

2nd AD Second Assistant Director

2nd 2nd AD Second Second Assistant Director

DGA Trainee Directors Guild of America Assistant Director's Trainee

UPM Unit Production Manager

PC Production Coordinator

APC Assistant Production Coordinator

DP Director of Photography

AC Assistant Cameraman

SAG Screen Actors Guild

WGA Writers Guild of America

LMGA Location Managers

What's your 20? Where are you?

Ten One Hundred in the bathroom

Được được!!

Sống 1 kiếp người , Bình An là được.

2 bánh 4 bánh, chạy được là được.

Tiền ít tiền nhiều, đủ ăn là được.

Người xấu người đẹp, dễ coi là được.

Người già người trẻ, miễn khỏe là được.

Nhà giàu nhà nghèo, hòa thuận là được.

Ông xã về trễ, miễn về là được.

Bà xã càu nhàu, thương mình là được.

Khi con còn nhỏ, dạy dỗ thật nghiêm.

Tiến sĩ cũng được, bán rau cũng xong.

Sau khi trưởng thành, ngoan ngoãn là được.

Nhà to nhà bé, ở được là được.

Hàng hiệu hay không, mặc được là được.

Tất cả phiền não, biết xả là được.

Kiên trì cố chấp, biết quên là được

Bạn bè xa gần, nhớ nhau là được.

Không phải có tiền, muốn gì cũng được.

Tâm tốt việc tốt, thay đổi số mệnh.

Ai đúng ai sai , Trời biết là được.

Tích đức tu thân, kiếp sau cũng được.

Thiên địa vạn vật, tùy duyên là tốt

Có rất nhiều việc, nhìn xa trông rộng.

Mọi người đều tốt, ngày ngày đều tốt.

Anh tốt tôi tốt, vậy là quá được.

Nói tóm lại, tri thức là quan trọng nhất.

Nói nhiều như vậy, hiểu được là tốt.

Vẫn còn chưa hiểu, xem lại là được!

Mademoiselle is no longer an official French woman

Mademoiselle is no longer an official French woman

By Alexandria Sage | Reuters – Thu, Feb 23, 2012

PARIS (Reuters) - Official French documents will no longer force women to reveal their marital status by requiring them to choose the title Mademoiselle or Madame.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has ordered all regional and local governments to remove the title "Mademoiselle" -- used for unmarried women and implying a youthful immaturity -- from official documents.

From now on, people filling out government forms will get just two choices: Madame or Monsieur.

The change, signed in a memo to regional and local governments by Fillon this week, comes after lobbying from women's groups who argued that Mademoiselle is sexist. Its male equivalent -- Monsieur -- does not distinguish marital status.

Mademoiselle also carries connotations of youth and immaturity, making it potentially problematic for unmarried women after a certain age, and confers a lesser status.

Chanel's "Coco Mademoiselle" for example, is for example is described as a lighter, fresher version of the original Coco.

Respondents on official documents will also no longer be asked to supply their maiden names, their father's last name, or the name of their husbands.

Fillon noted that various government forms contained terms "referring, without justification or need, to the marital status of women." When forms are next printed, those titles must be eliminated, he wrote.

Two groups, Osez le Feminisme (Dare for Feminism) and Les Chiennes de Garde (The (female) Guard Dogs) began a joint campaign in September as a reminder that "the Madame/Mademoiselle distinction ... is a sign of standard sexism that endures in our society."

"Far from being flattering, the title "Mademoiselle" obliges women to divulge their private life, as if marriage conferred a superior value on women," wrote the campaign.

"It's a reminder of the time when women passed, through marriage, from the authority of their fathers to the authority of their husbands."

(Reporting By Alexandria Sage, editing by Paul Casciato)

http://news.yahoo.com/mademoiselle-no-longer-official-french-woman-161314263.html;_ylt=AlgLldRcUYPL2ZlDKKUHpN7zUc0F;_ylu=X3oDMTMyNDhqZDVrBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIFJlbGF0ZWQgSUIEcGtnAzBmYjk2Mjk1LWVmNDctM2M2Zi04ZTRkLTlmN2UyZTIxYWNlNQRwb3MDNARzZWMDTWVkaWFJbmZpbml0ZUJyb3dzZQR2ZXID;_ylg=X3oDMTM0MWp1M2wxBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDYjU1YWQ1MGItZTE1OC0zMzUyLThkZWQtODNlZWIzNGY0OGQ1BHBzdGNhdANob21lfHRyYXZlbARwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2UEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Pop Vocal Legend Whitney Houston, Dead at 48, 1963-2012

Pop Vocal Legend Whitney Houston Found Dead

By Billy Johnson, Jr.

Saturday 02/11/2012

Too many of us—myself included—are guilty of making insensitive jokes about the demise of Whitney Houston, her frail frame, loss of one of pop's purest voices, and battle with drugs.  But none of us are laughing now.

On Saturday, Houston's publicist confirmed to the Associated Press that the award-winning "I Will Always Love You" singer died. She was 48. The timing of her death, the eve of the Grammys, the biggest music event of the year, makes the horrible news even more tragic. According to CNN, Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. PT at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.  The Beverly Hilton is the venue for the music industry's most prestigious pre-Grammy party hosted by veteran executive Clive Davis, who discovered Houston.

In an industry flooded with novelty artists, who disappear after scoring one hit, Houston's longevity was unquestioned when she released her debut single, the ballad "You Give Good Love" in February 1985. The song's soothing opening ad-libs displayed her soulful roots while also celebrating her pop sensibilities.

Houston's sound was distinct, and clearly separated her from the funk-laden stylings of the era's other female R&B singers. Plus, she was a model who appeared in "Glamour" and "Cosmopolitan" magazines.

Houston's sound made sense when considering her pedigree. She was the perfect melding of the styles of her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston; cousin, 1960s pop singer Dionne Warwick; and godmother, queen of soul Aretha Franklin.

Houston's self-titled debut album topped the charts and was certified diamond. Her career was impenetrable throughout the release of several follow up albums, 1987's "Whitney," 1990's "I'm Your Baby Tonight," and 1992's "The Bodyguard" soundtrack.

Houston's fans were concerned when she married R&B bad boy Bobby Brown in 1992, but they professed their happiness.

By the late 1990s, Houston's drug problems began to become tabloid fodder. In a 2002 interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Houston admitted to her struggles, but maintained that she was doing fine.

The public received its first real glimpse of Houston behind-the-scenes in 2004 when she appeared on Brown's reality series "Being Bobby Brown." The bad publicity move depicted Houston as profane, combative, and delusional, seemingly supporting the behavior of someone on drugs.

Among the saddest indications of Houston's fall was her 2009 comeback album, "I Look To You." While the album received positive reviews, her live performances signaled that the damage to her voice was beyond repair.

Concertgoers stormed out of her 2010 "Nothing But Love World Tour" angry, complaining that Houston was not fit to sing live, and they demanded that their ticket costs be refunded.

On stage, Houston made light of her vocal struggles, and even seemed to be confident when doing so.

But the public scrutiny intensified, and was followed by additional stints in rehab.

While the cause of death has not yet been revealed, one can only wonder whether it was drug-related.

Anyone who remembers Houston's early work and the impact it had on music can only be saddened by her death.

I extend condolences to her family and friends, especially her daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/pop-vocal-legend-whitney-houston-found-dead-034610653.html