Having a day job as a filmmaker

[@veryextremelyoriginalusername]

I’m someone who’s had a passion for drawing and etc all my life and my dream career is to be an art professor, but I’m probably going to go into accountancy. Based on my skills set that would probably be the most stable path for me, and to me the main value that I see from it is how many other parts of life I can enjoy if I have that job during the day. I’m a junior in high school and it’s been a really rough decision to make, but I’m really glad I saw this video to help push me in a direction where I can spend my life enjoying things, while stable. Thank you

[@matthewaustinpye]

This is so inspiring!

[@Littlefirefilm]

Wow I didn’t know this story. It’s fascinating

[@BryceDearden]

I realize this wasn't the final conclusion you presented, but I think it's worth bringing up. One frustrating thing my friends and I (Mid 20's) have talked about is that "day jobs" don't exist in the way they did for our parents and grandparents. My grandpa delivered bread, and that was enough for him to own a home and send his four kids to Catholic school. My parent's generation got to work at one company and get good benefits and earn a pension. Even "boring" 9-5 jobs now ask so much more with extra hours and the knowledge you'll probably have to leave the company to get a raise that's more than a few percent. I am not trying to start a big pity party. I just hear stories like Wallace Stevens' and wish I could have a simple 9-5 that I put just enough effort into and make movies on the weekends.

[@deanpeter2on]

I totally agree. You should read the book "The Good Enough Job"

[@BryceDearden]

@@deanpeter2on I’ll add it to the list! If you started a “filmmakers book club” I would join

[@jeffoffej]

Really enjoyed this episode Dean-and agree that there's more artistic freedom in funding my own projects. Also, to come full circle on the poetry-cinema topic, William Carlos Williams also comes up in the essay "Personism: A Manifesto" by Frank O'Hara: "I like the movies too. And after all, only Whitman and Crane and Williams, of the American poets, are better than the movies." Thanks man.

[@deanpeter2on]

Wow that’s a great line!

[@nizeyimanasharif6500]

Thank you so much am in that situation

[@sangeonpark7436]

Great video, very insightful. Thanks for making these videos and please keep making them!

[@deanpeter2on]

Thanks for watching!

[@HilliIndustries]

Thank you mate! A good friend of mine s a childrens doctor, working at a hospital and also he´s an actor. And a pretty good one too. He´s been all over Television and even in movied that showed in theaters (in germany). He´s not a Christoph Waltz but maybe that´s not even his goal. I know a german filmmaker who made 4 feature horror movies (all of them are straight to DVD but at least he´s following his passion) and he´s working for a Comparison shopping website as his part time job. And when it comes to me: I am a german filmmaker with a part time job at an scientific institute for laser technology. And WHY NOT? It helps a lot. "Hey man can you film a 5-10min. advertisement for my company? We give you 800 bucks." and I can just say "No" and even add a "that´s faaaar to little money!". But years ago, there have been times where I would have done it.

[@deanpeter2on]

Whoa that sounds like a cool gig!

[@FerLopezPaz]

Robots/automation during the day, filmmaking at night and on the weekends. 12 years hustling, working on my first feature film (documentary). This hit home, and made me feel better about the everlasting feeling of being on the verge of “selling out” or making a “poor life decision”

[@deanpeter2on]

There’s no such thing as selling out, we all do what we gotta do

[@dianastalkshow]

Yes for sureee thank u for this reminder. A while ago I came to the realization that as an aspiring documentary filmmaker, I don’t wanna put pressure on documentary to fund my entire income. It puts too much pressure and makes it unenjoyable for me! I read an Elizabeth Gilbert quote that gave me so much relief. The quote is from her book “Big Magic”. It basically says that her day jobs allowed for her to become her own patron! That perspective of using day jobs to fund my art, essentially acting as my own patron, was so helpful for me.

[@deanpeter2on]

That’s a great quote! When I had a 9 to 5 I also loved donating to people’s Kickstarters.

[@micahbode]

Dude I love all your vids. Keep uploading

[@deanpeter2on]

Thank you!

[@krasipaskalevv]

Great video. Hearing you worked at VOX tickled a part of my brain that found your voice so familiar but didn't know from where. Looks like I've been following you for quite a while without realising lol

[@johnpaulsylvester3727]

You used to work at Vox? I thought you looked familiar…

[@deanpeter2on]

Yep! I still freelance there occasionally