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Retirement?


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Just wondering what others think about retirement.

I'm 64 and I don't plan to ever retire, retread yes, go play golf, no. Do you all out there in the world of sound have plans to retire? If so, what is your plan or course of action? Travel? Drink? Learn to surf?

 I've always heard it said that you don't retire from the "Biz", it retires you.....   That seems true enough for many, but I also know many who got to a point and said enough, I'm out. I suppose after a particularly bad commute home I might do something rash and burn down the van full of gear on the 405.....   But basically I'm already transitioning into my last/3rd act now. I still get plenty of calls but I take less of them ( the Palmdale/Mojave/Nights) and I try to pass them to my friends and family who are younger. I still find what I do fun enough and the people doing production great bye an large and don't want to stop yet....  I love recording music, ( mine and others) and I do make some coin doing so, but I mostly charge something to keep everyone focused. I shoot photos and make doc's which I do for me only without thought of $$$. I would be happy doing this full time only I think but I feel a reluctance to give up production sound now that I've finally learned what I'm doing... My feelings are that as long as I'm healthy and I enjoy mixing, to do so until the phone stops ringing and I've been Retired by the Biz, or I hit what?  70, 71, 72?  It's hard to tell at this point in time. I'm sure it will come into focus someday and I will know. But it reminds me of the 5 stages of ones career.....

Stage one.  "Who the fuck is Crew Chamberlain"?

Stage two.  We can't get the guy we really want, but there is this new guy Crew Chamberlain.

Stage three.  Got to have Crew Chamberlain.

Stage four. We need somebody like Crew Chamberlain, but not so expensive.

Stage five. "Who the fuck is Crew Chamberlain"?

I guess I'm at stage four heading for five. 

Any comments would/could/should be wonderful to hear from our many members, brothers and sisters. Thanks.

CrewC

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The five stages of ones career is hilarious.

I have a long way to go since I am a youngster still. But I like to think that the beauty of freelance is that one can always work the work to your hearts content. While your heart can cope that is.. The rest of the time I would personally pick the "learn to sail" option.

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Hey Crew--word on the street is that you are really still in #3, at least according to the LA people I meet up here (SF)!  

I don't see why you can't work as long as you're physically able and the phone keeps ringing.  That's an advantage of doing short-schedule jobs, you end up knowing a lot of folks whose production schedules and commercial fortunes obey their own individual gravities, so to speak.  I've observed that the folks of your stature who I've seen bail usually did so for health/family reasons or because they weren't getting the sort of long-form gigs they were used to anymore (not just movies/episodics but docos too) or because they started new businesses (or new interests) that demanded all their time.   I tried to "retire" from production sound at least twice in the past, in order to dive fully into what I thought would be a glorious career in post, and ended up coming back--I missed the action on set too much to give production sound up completely, especially if people were still asking!  But like you I've diversified, and that really helps keep things interesting.   Health-wise, after 40 years on location I find that when I'm working I'm certainly a tired old man, but when I'm not working I feel worse--the aches catch up.   So I'm leaving the biz either feet first or because the production community has "voted me off the island", and not before!

 

 

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I decided to "retire" when carrying a bag with 25lbs of gear became the standard. I also missed the action so I jumped back in by opening the Professional Sound Services shop in Ft. Lauderdale. Being older than most gives the impression that I'm like "Yoda", I'm not but who am I to turn down the adoration?

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Crew whatever you do don't retire. I reached the UK retirement age ten years ago and have no intention of giving up.I wouldn't know to pass the time. I am renowned for having a power nap in the afternoon sat at the cart. I have never missed "Turn Over" and it has become a source of amusement for people to put end slates on a rehearsal or take photos of me asleep. Being this age also means that you don't suffer fools gladly and you don't have to put up with crap from somebody two years out of film school. Regarding your five stages they are very relevant especially in these days of penniless dreamers.

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I reached 68 when the phone stopped ringing. For the past many years I had been plugging into the back of the camera on doccos and corporates, so the whole digital business passed me by - and so had the expense of buying anything more than mixer, microphones, radio mics and pole, some of which were of venerable age and would now not be out of place in a museum; but they bloody worked!

 It took a little while for me to realise that I had retired, but the penny finally dropped and I'm selling the gear now, which enables me to return the begging bowl to the shelf for a while. I find that the time available to me is eaten up by house maintenance and torpor, in equal parts. I very much miss the friendship with workmates - even cameramen could be house trained, I found - given patience and firmness. Like Malcolm I found my ability to tolerate halfwits was eroding quickly; no doubt a significant factor in the phone becoming silent.

On the whole, I am glad I am out of it. The Golden Years for me, when I was a staff recordist and the Union was strong, have passed away: we shall not see their like again. 

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I'm morphing into the Al mode....

"no not today....and you want what for how much?"  That feels good at times. 

I still get out, and doing more TV news than anything, there is an adrenaline rush often, that keeps me going.  The long hours are now such a part of my life, can't seem to shake 'em!  Actually sitting in a hotel room this morning after a very hard, hot and wet 7 days and word as to what is next is an hour away...paid the bills online, dropped a few notes to friends and will take whatever comes.  At almost 64 hope, figure, wanna go a few more years.  In this part of the biz the phone will stop ringing at some point cuz I will say no to hurricanes and floods once too often.  

But until then....

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I retired when I realized that I didn't like the work anymore.  I retired when I was done.  Sold my gear and never looked back.  I don't miss it, although I do mis the great people that I worked with for 35 years; well most of them anyways.

My retirement allows me time to travel with my partner and to do the sound work that I now do occasionally.  For a tiny bit of money, thirty or so days a year, I get the honor of recording the acoustic community in my area; new music, old music, voice, small ensembles, orchestras. My boss is one of the most awesome engineers I have ever met and maybe the nicest man in the world.  I couldn't ask for a better retirement gig and I am so grateful that I can do this now.

Don't delay joy!

Life is good.

D.

 

 

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14 minutes ago, atheisticmystic said:

I got into production sound in 2010 at age 45, had my first (and only) child at 47, and owe more in school loans than most MDs.

Short answer: never.

P.S. Pass the ibuprofin please.

 

How is that even possible?

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I would love to retire. Sit at a bistro table in some little cafe in Italy or France or Spain, with a coffee or wine (depending on the time of day), and watch the world go by. Read the paper, do the crossword, go to art galleries, ride a motorcycle on deserted roads. You get the idea.

Will I get this chance before I die? I hope so. But I hope to start practicing soon, doing these things part-time between jobs. I can't wait!

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1 hour ago, atheisticmystic said:

I got into production sound in 2010 at age 45, had my first (and only) child at 47, and owe more in school loans than most MDs.

Short answer: never.

P.S. Pass the ibuprofin please.

I find that I have to be relentless about smalling down and lightening up anything I carry/bring/work with.  In urban areas, even outside NYC or London or Paris, the day is arriving where you'll have to be able to do at least some work off public transpo, esp those of us in the "smaller-shorter" job world.   Part of the current USA mania for "in-fill" and "urbanization" is the disappearance of parking, the increase in traffic and downsizing of workspaces: I'm trying to adapt.

Acetaminophen for me, please; make it a double.

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