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Art and Entitlement II: Hollywood Writers
My take on the entitlement coming from some of Hollywood’s “best”.
As Hollywood slowly crashes and burns, I read an article via the Hollywood Reporter highlighting the troubles writers are facing in light of all the downward changes occurring in the industry at the moment. The article mainly focuses on how writers are struggling to find work and are dealing with layoffs and lack of opportunities. Some are turning to jobs such as bartending or teaching. It was very enlightening on the mindset of some of these wonderful people. Two notable quotes stood out to me:
“Nobody ever starts their career thinking that it will last forever. I never thought I’d be a writer for as long as I have, but I didn’t expect to run into a brick wall. I thought it’d be a slow tapering, but this feels like a cataclysm. It was a very emotional thing I did when I applied for teaching jobs. I don’t know if I’m ever going to forgive Hollywood for this. To go from the pandemic to the strikes to this? It feels like one war of attrition after another.”
And another:
“For writers who are trying to pay their bills, it’s really scary because we only make money if things sell. As a showrunner who is a queer woman of color and I can’t get work? That’s saying a lot. It’s very frustrating.”
The sense of entitlement exhibited by these two is amazing. I’m in awe of it.
The first quote, “I don’t know if I’m ever going to forgive Hollywood for this.” So dramatic. Hollywood doesn’t owe you anything. They don’t owe you a job. Maybe what you’re writing isn’t good enough. Maybe you’re difficult to deal with. Maybe there just isn’t any openings for you to fill at the moment. You lost your job, and that sucks, but they didn’t commit some heinous act against you. Being unemployed sucks, I know. Not knowing how you’re going to cover your bills, rents, etc. is frightening and my heart goes out to people struggling financially. I’m not being insensitive here. But the industry doesn’t owe you anything. Stop looking for someone to blame and focus on finding another job. Use your energy productively. Go pen your next masterpiece. Maybe this will be the best thing that happened to you! But feeling entitled to it? That’s not going to help you right now.
The second quote, “As a showrunner who is a queer woman of color and I can’t get work?” Wow. So do those two qualities entitle you to a job? More so than other people? I like how she didn’t describe how brilliant of a writer she is, but instead focused on her identity. Apparently, her identity alone is the reason she deserves the job.
Identity politics is one of the big reasons Hollywood is dying. The industry has been infiltrated by some of the most whiny, entitled, cowardly people in our society who only see things through the lens of their identity. Who are now in positions to determine the creative direction of popular entertainment. It’s no wonder so much of it is terrible. When your identity is your primary character trait, I don’t have much faith in your creative abilities. You’re too focused inward(on self) versus outward(on the world around you) as the best artists seem to be. You can’t write compelling stories because you “need to see yourself in them” or these stories need to be fixing all the ills of society. Get over yourself and write to entertain. To make people laugh, cry, or get excited to go on a grand adventure of their own. Your identity doesn’t matter more than producing great stories. And you are not entitled to a job because of it.
It’s okay to feel like you deserve, say, a certain salary due to your knowledge and years of experience. Or to be paid appropriately for your services because you do great work. But a company does not owe you a job. Regardless of your talent, they have the right to choose whoever they want. If you’re not picked you have to keep searching. Actors deal with this all the time. When you find another job, guess what? You denied someone else that position. How do you think they feel? Not so good huh?
Entitlement does nothing to help you grow. It doesn’t hold you accountable for your own failings as an artist. And it will cause you not to work as hard as you should. You just expect a positive outcome. You don’t expect to work hard for it.
I hope these writers are able to find work, but I also hope they see how entitled they come across from this article. It definitely doesn’t endear them to the people in a position to hire them. A little change in perspective, a positive attitude, and far less entitlement will go a long way.
LA and the Demise of Hollywood
A once great kingdom, has fallen.
There’s a lot I could say on this topic, and believe me I have a lot of thoughts about it, but Los Angeles and to a greater extent, Hollywood is not the place to be anymore. You could point to countless events: people moving out in droves due to taxes, lowering quality of life, dumb politics changing the landscape of the city with homeless encampments popping up all over, criminals being given a slap on the wrist and rising costs for law abiding citizens. It’s like the people who run these places have utter contempt for the populace. New York’s not much different and worse in a lot of ways.
For the burgeoning artist who wants to work in film though, even the incentive of Hollywood being there, is no longer enough. Streaming is failing(Disney is hemorraghing money with their platform), mass layoffs occurring at many of the major studios (I think Paramount is looking to sell itself), producers focusing on identity and agenda over storytelling, and the demise of the “Hollywood” celebrity have completely changed the landscape. Things have drastically changed.
Not to mention the rise of disruptive technology like A.I. Of course there’s ChatGPT, the software that absolutely terrifies the writers in Hollywood.
But have you seen Sora?
Sora is so pervasive that Tyler Perry cancelled his plans to build an $800 Million dollar studio citing how powerful the software is. Although it’s still not ready for primetime, in about 3-4 years it will be. Studios will no longer need massive backlots with expensive overheads. They will no longer need to employee hundreds of production people. Of course, people will whine about the loss of jobs and how A.I. is dangerous to society, but I must stress this very real fact: You. Cannot. Stop. It.
I expect other studios to eventually downsize in relation to the new technological changes. Perry saw the writing on the wall and got out least he make a huge financial investment that completely sinks his business.
Sure, people will complain about A.I., but I see it no more “fake” than all the greenscreen Disney uses in most of its productions.
Black Widow (2021). They greenscreened a bar. Yes, a bar.
The future is coming whether you embrace it or not. And A.I. technology for filmmaking and other creative endeavors will become standard practice in the years to come. I’m calling it now, Sora or whatever A.I. program takes over the film industry will be used to bring people back from the dead.
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Wait…something just came across my desk.
It looks like actor James Deen, the handsome leading man of yesteryear who died in a car crash in 1955 will be appearing in a new film. Yes, you heard that right. James Deen is set to make his return in an upcoming film.
Only a matter of time before Audrey Hepburn, Bruce Lee, and Marilyn Monroe make their returns. You just know Marilyn Monroe will be back with how much her image has saturated entertainment media over the years. Even in death, they leech off you.
I digress. Back to the topic.
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Hollywood also has had its share of scandals plaguing it which has soured its image over the years. High-profile criminal convictions, sleazy producers, shady parties with the elites doing all sorts of weirdo and illegal behavior, celebrities singing “Imagine” during Covid. It’s just a mess.
The parties aren’t as F. Scott Fitzgerald as this anymore, but the vibe is. IYKYK
And lastly, the decline of movie theaters to a younger generation of viewers. I turned 39 this year which places me 20 years ahead of many college students today. Many of my actor clients fall into this age group and I often ask them about shows they’re watching, movies they’ve seen or are excited for. Many of them barely watch tv shows and a majority of them rarely go to the movies. My age group, when we were their age?! The movies was the place to be! Now, they’d rather chill at home and watch TikTok videos. Not knocking it at all, just pointing out that the viewership has changed. They don’t care about Hollywood as much as Hollywood thinks they do. The Hollywood celebrity is far less influential to the youth than the social media celebrity. Which in turn, makes Hollywood irrelevant. It no longer has its hand on the pulse of the culture and is desperately playing catch up. Fighting with every ounce of energy left in order to hold people’s interest.
“Look at me! I’m still here! I did all the things you wanted! Love me!” Hollywood desperately screams to the youth, who stares coldly into the abyss of their iPhone 15 as some zoomer dances on TikTok.
When I go to the theater now, it’s like a ghost town. Even on supposedly busy Friday/Saturday nights. Unless it’s a really huge release(Dune 2 for example), people aren’t showing up as much anymore. It makes me sad, but that’s just time moving forward.
When I was in film school pre-2010, Hollywood had this veneer of sophistication. It was the standard of quality storytelling, featuring our very best artists showing what imagination and vision could be with a big machine behind it. The sort of moving pictures we got back then inspired millions nationwide and the world over. It was the place to be and everyone was clamoring to be there. Fast forward well over a decade later and it’s becoming a desert wasteland. *watches tumbleweed roll across Sunset Boulevard*
If Ariel was performing Part of Your World, she’d rise out of the ocean and see the Los Angeles landscape be more reminscent of Fallout, not Beverly Hills 90210.
Hollywood, 2024. Still want to be here Ariel?
So what does this all mean? Does that mean one shouldn’t move to Los Angeles? Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to say. We have to take a hard look at these things and determine if it’s still viable. I’m not moving there anytime soon, not because I prefer New York(I don’t), but I don’t want to upend my operation to go to a place where the party may already be over. Maybe in the next year things will change and I’ll reconsider.
But for now, it’s too uncertain. For me and for Hollywood.
Shilling Is Ruining Our Industry: Thoughts on MPB's GFX 100 II Review
Learn the difference between a review and an infomercial.
I’d like to begin this post by stating that I think Amy, the presenter, is one of the best in the business. She’s passionate, knows her stuff, takes beautiful photographs, and delivers information with enthusiasm that rivals any network television presenter. She’s fantastic. This post isn’t about her. You are loved Amy. I loved your videos with WEX and it’s great to see you with MPB. WEX lost a good one. I know you’re just doing your job.
I’d also like to add that I love MPB and they are my preferred place to trade camera gear. They give great rates for used gear, offer free shipping, and a hassle free experience. I sold my Panasonic S1R to them a several months ago and was very pleased with my experience.
Now, I must define for the normies what a shill is. A shill is a person who pushes products/services due to some sort of financial incentive while being disguised as someone who genuinely loves said product/service. They could have a contract with a company or be an affiliate or be granted exclusive access to products, events, etc. But their m.o. is always to push things for the brand in order to get you to buy them. They will expouse all the wonderful upsides of the product/service and encourage you to part with your hard earned money.
The shill lacks integrity. The shill won’t be critical of the product because their partnership with the brand will be at stake. The shill wants that sweet affiliate revenue. The shill doesn’t want to lose out on paid for trips to cool events in cool cities. And the shill does not give a shit about you or if the product/service they’re reviewing will actually help you. Notice how the shill recoils and is incensed if you call them out for what they are.
Sadly, shills are everywhere. They are rampant in the photography/video industry but you will also see them in gaming, film, music, cosmetics, fashion, tourism, travel, and more. Most influencers are shills. Paid for people who are just there to promote a product instead of offering an honest review of the product so you, the consumer, can make a smart purchasing decision. I find it insulting, irresponsible, and dishonest.
So in the video above, the title is “Is Bigger Always Better? Fujifilm GFX 100 II Review”. Review being the operative word. A review, in the actual sense of the word offers a critique of the thing it’s reviewing. The pros, the cons, the benefits, the downsides, probably comparisons to other products. With a title like “Is Bigger Always Better”, you’d think there would be extensive comparison to smaller formats or previous cameras in the lineup, but no.
There’s no critical look at any of the cameras features. The weight. How it feels in the hand. The file sizes. The shooting speed. The limitations of all the various video formats. How it compares to previous models or competitor products.
A review is not a promotional video or product showcase that just reads off the specs, constantly praising every little feature, while not pointing out any downsides or looking at alternatives. For this video it’s just “100 Megapixels!” “The video features!” “It’s incredible!” “We have a new film simulation!”
Just praise, praise, praise. This is not a review. This is shilling for Fujifilm and of course, for MPB.
If you truly want to do good by your customers, it would be better to offer an unbiased, real review. If you’re a YouTuber who does reviews of any sort, you fall into this as well. If you begin your review with “Fujifilm was kind enough to send me the camera for a couple of weeks.” You’re probably a shill and your review is probably dishonest.
Please stop doing this. Shilling doesn’t help the consumer and just leads to a lot of buyer’s remorse and irresponsible spending. Or an innocent buyer purchasing a product completely wrong for their needs. Shilling also doesn’t help brands. While it may move a few products in the short-term, long-term it doesn’t cause them to make any changes or refinements to improve the product. Critique is not “hating” or “being negative”. Critique when done objectively is extremely useful in helping consumers make informed purchases while also improving the product, service, film, game, etc.
If you’re a brand, stand by the quality of your product and stop this business practice of buying people just so they can give you a favorable review. The GFX 100 II is an amazing camera that will be loved by many, but it’s not appropriate for everyone and being honest about this in reviews will help improve your brand’s image. Reviewers can easily recommend a Fuji X-T5 or X-H2S as alternatives for those on a budget or if they want lighter, smaller, faster. What happens with disingenuous reviews besides consumers wasting money is they grow a resentment towards the product because it wasn’t what they expected. Then they post bad reviews which hurts both the company and product’s image because someone made a misguided, misinformed purchase.
I’ve seen replies to these reviews with comments like, “Man that camera is a beast!”. It is. And so are the files. You probably don’t need it, won’t enjoy it, and will lose money when you inevitably sell it for a more appropriate camera for your needs. Going off on a tangent, but every camera isn’t appropriate for everything. You don’t use a tank when a rifle will suffice. The GFX 100 II isn’t really made for snapshots, to take everywhere, and to do everything. It’s not meant for sports. Or wildlife. Or street photography. You could use it for those things but there are better options and pros in this space understand this. There are different cameras for different purposes. Please understand this and buy accordingly.
End tangent. Back to shilling.
Sadly, the photography industry is rampant with these sort of reviews as “shilling” is a potential path to earning money. It’s not as lucrative as it once was, but every year, more photographers create a YouTube channel to review gear, hoping to earn money from being an affiliate or through ad revenue. And companies see this as the best way to sell their product. We have to do better.
This is not the way.
Mannequins (Street Photography)
Some recent “nude” work.
A collection of posey mannequins captured on the streets of SoHo in New York. Not sure if I’ll include it in my street portfolio or nude portfolio.
I’m leaning towards nude, it’s kinda cheeky.
New York in Color (Street Photography)
Color photos on the street of New York.
A collection of street images in New York City from the past couple of months.
Although much of the work I post is in black-and-white, believe it or not, I prefer color. As Winter gives way to Spring and the sun is more prominent in the sky, I feel much more inclined to go out and do street photography. I’m not a huge fan of boring overcast skies for this sort of work. Ample sunlight makes the colors pop, shadows more prominent, and reflections more interesting. Not to mention the overall energy of the city changing.
Instead of my A7RV, I used the Sony A7CR with the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 lens for most of these outings. While I love the quality of that lens, I found the shape of it a little too long for discreet street photography. I didn’t want to buy another 35mm, but since I have a preference for small, lightweight equipment, I bit the bullet and picked up the Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens.
When I paired it with the A7CR, I immediately knew this was the best lens for my approach to street photography. Super small, lightweight, sharp, and with fast focusing makes it still a great option in 2024. I also picked up the Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G Lens as a complement when I want a 50mm lens. I already have the Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens, but similarly to the 35mm f/1.8 I find it too long. I’ll keep both the 35mm f/1.8 and 55mm f/1.8 and use them for video work or in special cases when I need a faster aperture (i.e., client work in a lowlight setting).
A final note about the A7CR and A7RV. Both cameras use the same sensor and produce the same image. Besides the detailed, lifelike image quality, I’ve been most pleased with the color from the cameras. If using Capture One, I recommend not using the default Sony profile the program uses. I have my “Base Characteristics” see to the Fujifilm GFX 50S II as my ICC profile. This produces much better color than the default Sony profile Capture One uses. I’ve also heard you can get good results using the Canon R5C profile. Play around and do what works for you.
I’m really loving the color and performance from these cameras. Props to Sony.
More to come.