ACADEMY ROUNDTABLE
ABOVE Daniel Peters is used to being out filming, but spent lockdown keeping in touch with his clients.
creation side, then getting paid isn’t so much of a priority, you can survive doing stuff you like, and it’s a good way to live. I never liked the idea of being a ‘poor artist’. The equipment is expensive so I had to get paid to afford to buy it. So keep going, but be mindful of where you are actually headed. PD: A lot of the time, the work I show to get paid jobs are the labours of love, the projects I shot alone for no money. They are what I can talk emotively with clients about, they are where I become animated and enthused about what I can do. I think clients vibe off something they haven’t seen before that isn’t connected to another brand. I’d say this is your chance to make these things yourself. If you could make one strong film or a little series – this could be your talking point to get that paid work back on the table. I think you have to love what you do so much that you’d be doing it even if you didn’t get paid for it. Don’t waste this time off. It’ll be over soon and we may never get this chance again.
When things don’t go well, we have the tendency to become a wreck, but I encourage people to stay connected with sources of inspiration. Be aware that there are still things being made. For example, we hired new people during lockdown to continue with our projects. No man is an island and it’s so important to reach out, network and focus on your relationships, even though it’s counter-intuitive at times. Always be productive and take advantage to do the things you really wanted to, but never had the chance to complete so far. MM: Keep your networks humming along and if you’re running short of cash, consider doing anything. The six weeks I spent cutting grass for Ryedale District Council were among the happiest of my life. The lovely railway job came my way in the middle of lockdown through a connection on LinkedIn. The enforced wait before starting meant the locations were planned to within an inch of their lives. I still took a day longer than I budgeted, but it was great to be visiting new places (and still not having to talk to people). Collaborate, learn a new skill, sort out your archive, believe in yourself and make something happen. Don’t sit around waiting for a job to come in. Make something for yourself, because one day, soon, you won’t have the time. Just saying that has actually helped me. I hope reading it helps others. JO: I think you have to ask yourself why you are in the business. If it’s to earn lots of cash and get famous, then the reality is that it’s unlikely to happen for the vast majority. If you’re in it for the art and
SS: Having to do things differently builds the muscle of thinking outside the box, so this benefited our practical creativity drive. Also, working from home implies more individual work and proactivity, which is always a plus for the business we’re in. We’ve also improved our time planning skills. What advice would you give to filmmakers who are struggling to make ends meet? DP: It is difficult, I don’t wish the issue on anyone. But if you have clients you don’t want to lose and you can’t be there with them to film, maybe ask them to film things on their phones and you can edit something for them. Maybe they might need help, but do it on a Zoom call so you can help them arrange lighting. Maybe try and sell bits of kit that were too fancy that you don’t really use all the time. We will hopefully get back to normal, but we also have to think in a way in case we all end up back here again soon. MS: It might be hard to see this, but the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t necessarily an oncoming train. We will eventually get through this. Just look at how, historically, we had somany different types of global crises, but still films got made. If anything, it will provide more material for documentaries. Although it was probably a first for everyone on the planet to stop work at the same time, things carry on –make sure you keepmotivated by setting short-termmilestones so you have plenty to tick off throughout your day.
SS: Keep yourself informed so you know what kind of help is available.
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