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I want to start at the bottom


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I went to LACC's film program a few years ago and decided I wanted to do production sound. I got some gear and started 1manning low/no budget productions as I transitioned from my 9-5 job. I quit my day job in 2008 and been doing production sound since.

I'm Victor, Vic, Victor P. Bouzi on IMDB. Based in Los Angeles but able to work as a local in NYC.

My ultimate goal is be a production sound mixer for long form big budget narratives, these production are all Union. I don't have any experience working on union sound teams, I'd like to get that production experience but don't know how. I know how to get gigs on CL and Mandy.com but those gigs don't help me get to my ultimate goal.

So my question is how do I start at the bottom & get big budget Utility gigs to make contacts & gain the proper experience. As of now all my experience isn't helping me get the gigs I want. I'm a hard worker & love being a sound guy, but I want to be a working Union Mixer, not just a sound guy. I think starting as a Utility would help me find the Mentor that I'm looking for.

What do you guys think?

added: Maybe a stupid question, Do I have to be in the Union to work as a Utility Sound Op?

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It's a good plan, Victor, and a tough road.

Unfortunately, the best way to make contacts and show your skill and committment is to take those low-budget jobs as a boom operator for another mixer. Some union mixers stumble onto cheap and free jobs now and then (although rarer these days with the massive quanitity of guys like you filling those jobs). It's all a matter of timing and luck. But mixing on CL/Mandy jobs will likely not lead to union utility/boom work. It might, however, some day lead to union mixing work... maybe.

One of my 2 regular boom guys started on cheap non-union movies. I was doing similar projects as I was moving up from utility/boom to mixing, and someone gave me his name along the way, saying he was good. One day a network 2nd unit I was supposed to boom suddenly needed a mixer. I said, "I'll do it!" The other mixer said, "Great! Find a boom guy for tomorrow." I went to my phone and called the first name, Aaron. He was available, and he impressed me with his work ethic and set manner. He had 25 of 30 union days from a movie that flipped. I told him I'd get him his last few days if he would help me by giving up non-union stuff and making himself available to me for day work. Having a regular crew is so important. Now, between me and one or two other mixers, he works all the time, and might move up some time in the near future with experience gathered from several mixers. It's about timing and being prepared for when opportunity arises.

I'll point out that it was luck that got me that first 2nd unit day, which led to many others on that show, including whole episodes.

And to this day, I am still hoping to join the ranks of "big budget narrative" mixers. Only time will tell.

Robert

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Those gigs are pretty low paying and the contacts made are all in the low budget world.

Yes, but everyone has to start from somewhere. You can learn a lot from low budget work and can afford to make some mistakes. You may end up making friends with some producers who down the road may be able to get you better work as they move up in the world too.

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The best thing you can do is to get to know as many people as possible in the industry. I have yet to meet anyone in the low budget industry whose ultimate goal is anything other than to break out of the low budget world.

Make contacts

get experience

eventually, at some point, you or someone you know will get a lucky break. Hopefully they will take you with them, and if it's you, then you will take who you want with you.

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Yes, but everyone has to start from somewhere. You can learn a lot from low budget work and can afford to make some mistakes. You may end up making friends with some producers who down the road may be able to get you better work as they move up in the world too.

yes but as far as MY goals go, CL and Mandy are a crap shoot. But those sights have paid my bills.

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...

Waiting for luck doesn't seem like a viable life plan, but I'll be here waiting.

...

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Preparation is what you learn from doing all the low budget films. Opportunity is why you work on a lot of projects and meet a lot of people.

Keep in mind that the low budget films themselves won't make you prepared. What you bring to them in terms of attitude and professionalism, and what you work your butt off to learn from them is what helps make you "prepared."

Whatever level you're at, don't ever undercut the price of other mixers at your level. If you do, you'll turn what could be your biggest allies into something else.

Good luck... or should I say, "Good preparation and opportunity."

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“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Thought I'd +1 this one!

For me: I was a baker at a confrence center/weekend guitar player live engineer hack - led to meeting friend with uncle that wanted to make film - led to making first feature film with no expierence - led to, a film with bad sound ;D.

But since then ( 5 years ago) I'm now union ibew 45 and and feel that I'm putting out pretty good sound and have a little imbd list.

I thought I was just lucky at first to have such an awesome job now, but since have realised that I worked towards job security and I invested in my equipment.

I'm not sure if this story helps but, my main point is taking your future in your own hands.

For example I don't agree that craigslist is a crap shot. You have to learn how to work with it. Contracts, reserach, time on the phone, telepathy ect.

•self help, I'm currently reading "writing that works" because this is a huge part of our job. Client relationships. and I currently need to work more on my writing than hiding a lav handling or what ever.

•when ever I get a chance to work with someone that has a long imbd, emmy, or what ever that makes them more wise/cooler than you I always ask what I should be doing better.(in a cool way of course)

There is a great dvx user thread about getting more work. I'll see if I can find it.

How long have you been at it?

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“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

That is so perfect. Whose quote is it? I tell people all the time that if you stick with it, your break will come. But you must be prepared, so when it happens you can deliver the goods. The above quote is so much more eloquent.

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That is so perfect. Whose quote is it? I tell people all the time that if you stick with it, your break will come. But you must be prepared, so when it happens you can deliver the goods. The above quote is so much more eloquent.

According to my crack research team:

Seneca

Roman dramatist, philosopher, & politician (5 BC - 65 AD)

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I'm writing that one down! Good one, Rich. I've run into DPs who've put out beautiful pictures under trying conditions, and when I asked them how it happened, they'd shrug and say, "you know, it was just a lucky accident -- I happened to put the camera in the right place at the right time and hit the switch." But then they'd add, "funny thing... I find the longer I work in the business, and the more experience I have, the more I run into lucky accidents."

As to advice for Victor, I'd remind him of Senator Michael's caution, that the problem with hanging out with Craigslist neophytes is that they may well have bad habits and have no idea how to really work professionally. (I recently worked with a group of very nice people who paid OK, but had no clue out to slate and had never seen a printed sound report before, which frightened me.)

If you're in the NY union, I'd contact 695 and see if your existing credits are enough to qualify you just to get into the LA local. You may not be able to get on the experience roster, but at least it's a start. I figure making contacts here and participating in local meetings might eventually pay off, but it's clearly a question of networking, doing occasional favors for people, passing on referrals, working hard, and getting very lucky (or at least being in the right place at the right time).

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Ill echo what others have said here. I think that everyone had there own path. I also believe that patience and determination are important qualities to posess. It seems to me like you are doing what you can to take the reigns of your future... which is great.

For me, the low/no path DID work out. I'm not a huge feature mixer, but I'm fortunate to have a decent footing in the NY market. When I started shifting my focus from studio (music) work to production work, I took whatever I could find on CL or mandy (granted, these sites offered slightly greater prospects back then--12yrs or so). One day I took what would be one of the shittiest "jobs" of my career to date. It was 30 days straight on an independent Skyy Vodka, project green-light style, promo for Sundance FF. I think they paid me $60/day flat... The shooting team was just myself and an equally underpaid cam op. All I was expected to do was lav people directly into camera, listen back from time to time, and make sure batteries didn't die. Looking back at it now, it was a total joke, but I met some people in that trench who would go on to shape my future in considerable ways. I had so much down-time on that gig (between battery changes), that I made super close friends with the production coordinator. He was my age, he lived not too far from me (in the then very different from today Williamsburg), he was into the band I was in at the time. We have stayed very close and have recently been each others best-men. Anyway... long story short... he called me one day for a position he needed to fill on an upcoming reality show. I was going to be the tech coordinator for teams going out into the field. I learned so much on that gig, not only about location sound equipment, but camera's, lights, etc. It was invaluable. I eventually convinced them to let me go out and mix a few segments. My next break came when I got a call from a producer from LA who was putting together a travel show. He had gotten my info from one of the aforementioned underpaid cam ops. That operator and I traveled the US together working on this show for the better part of the next 2 years. I was in. From that point it was all about contacts and marketing myself and my skills. I continued to work bigger-budget reality for the next 8 years or so until one day I decided that I was going to make the shift to work that I found more personally fulfilling.

I guess it was about two or three years ago now that I joined local 52. I have been very fortunate to have fallen in with a circle of very talented mixers and boom ops who have kept me working, and occasionally throw me work that they can't take... I'm fine with that. I'm on a path, and I'm in no huge hurry. I get paid to do what I love and I work enough to live comfortably. I initially teamed up with my first "big feature" mixer b/c I was standing next to a colleague who got a call to day-play and he wasn't avail to do so. He passed me the phone and the rest is history. I still work with that mixer today.

Being in the right place at the right time is important, but it isn't all about luck; Sometimes its about anticipating what the right place may be and making sure to firmly plant yourself there.

I guess this post can also partly double as the Who I Am Today that I never posted years back. I know I'm leaving out plenty, but you get the gist. I strongly believe that there is no experience like experience. PM me if you want. I have a friend in LA who runs a rental house. He often promotes from within. I can promise anything, but I've seen people go from working in his shop to mixing on gigs that he outfits, and I've seen it often. It may not be the path for you, however, in which case I'm sure you'll get plenty of other valuable advice.

Best of luck,

Wyatt

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@ RPSharpman, thank you for your insight. Waiting for luck doesn't seem like a viable life plan, but I'll be here waiting. I'm a persistent fellow and sorta likable I'll try and update this topic.

You don't actually "wait" for luck.... you just claim it when it happens. I define luck as, when opportunity meets preparation. You're never "waiting" when you're in preparation, you're learning. I should read all the posts before I type I guess..... :P

Hang in there Vic, I ask the same thing you do at times. I want it bad as well, it's my ultimate career goal currently too. One thing I learned that worked well when I was making my path in the post sound world living in LA a few years back before the writer strikes in 07', you will progress and grow if you continue to show you're a good hard worker. Those that will help you strive for your goals will notice you and later become your assets.

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  • 3 weeks later...

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

And preparation = Victory

Good stuff. Love the above Quote!

I'm new to the Los Angeles Area, I was in San Francisco, and didn't too bad in that area. But you can't go back as they say. I do, however get to play the "if I had to do it all over again" thing!

There's a lot of bad mixers here. Fact of life. I can't get good paying jobs here because nobody know me, but I can get great sound for the productions that actually hire me for what jobs I can get. It's going to take some time - that's all there is to it. What you set out in life to do, do it well. The rest will come, eventually. However blanketed that sounds, it's actually true. You will get paid in full full for everything. Just not right now...

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Rules of building a business that I have personally learned and taught to my marketing students over the years of building successful operations...

Good and cheap never come in the same box.

NEVER work for free on the promise of better paying gigs in the future. They don't exist and once you have worked for free, raising your rates is impossible.

NEVER lower your professional standards in favor of a paycheck. You will deliver a product that is crappy and over budget, usually at your financial and emotional expense.....The client will still say it is your fault, and you will hate everything about the whole experience.

ALWAYS join professional associations. Not every one that comes along, but the ones where the true kings of the industry hang out. This includes the local Union. If nothing else, the networking opportunities are more than worth the price of admission and supporting your industry through membership is the right thing to do.

Become an expert in your field... One item at a time. As time accrues, you will master the info, which will allow you to gain the experience to actually master the art.

Study every shred of documents you can find, listen to the masters, research their claims and prove to your own mind what they say is true and accurate.

Question EVERYTHING...Not because you distrust, but because you want to know what it all really means. Study the old school guys and gear.. Because everything that they do today has a reason from yesterday.

Work for everyone you possibly can. Not to be known as a job hopper, but to learn tips, tricks, and secrets from each of them. Even the idiots can teach you what NOT to do.

There are three levels of service.... Good --Fast -- Cheap ....You may choose two.

Be patient, but persistent. If they said no today, it does not mean no tomorrow.

Attitude and professionalism always counts. ALWAYS.

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  • 1 month later...

**********UPDATE************

Been trekking along, I read all your reply's and found great wisdom in the words. I've truly been changed by this post. All the stories and words of encouragement has given me some new vigor. I'm so surprised as the amount of feedback and great advice I've gotten. I even ran into a young mixer who recently moved to LA and he had read this thread and learned from it.

THANK YOU to all the mixers who chimed in.

Days after my initial post I got a couple calls from former students I worked w/ in the past offering me paid work, not the best rate but now those former students are young producers and I'm their 1st call for sound. I just have to stay patient, keep preparing for my opportunity. I plan on trying to join local 695 this year and make some union contacts. Everyday I'm at work I think of the reply's from this post to help me be the best Sound Person I could be. I am a better mixer after reading this thread.

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**********UPDATE************

Days after my initial post I got a couple calls from former students I worked w/ in the past offering me paid work, not the best rate but now those former students are young producers and I'm their 1st call for sound.

That's the way it works my friend. As time passes be sure to raise your rate to cover your gear, inflation, rising gas prices, etc. You need to incrementally bump up your rate with them so they don't get use to hiring you as the "cheap mixer".

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