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The Director’s Chair Issue #60 – Nov. 19, 2005 (What is a Pro?)

Filmmaking – What Is A Pro?
by Sam Longoria

The word “Professional” is often bandied about by indy
filmmakers, and I’ve heard and read many things I just
wouldn’t expect a “Pro” to say, though the person writing or
saying them claims to be one.  Time for a definition of
terms.

Question: What qualifies a person to be a Pro?

Answer: Paycheck.

That’s the short answer, but anything longer is just
embellishment. It’s one thing to make movies. It’s a whole
different animal to get somebody to cut you a good check,
for the work you’ve done.

Paycheck is more important than anything to a Professional,
because you have to eat and pay bills, or you can’t
function, much less create pleasing Art.

Question:  How does a person become a Pro?

Answer: By adopting a Pro attitude.  The Pro attitude is “I
work in the movie business.  I do good work, and I must be
paid for it.”  This is regardless of the budget of his
current Project, whether it is high or low.

Some don’t become a Pro until many paychecks, but you can
have a Pro attitude right now, even if you’ve never been
paid for doing your art.  If you adopt the Pro attitude now,
you multiply your effectiveness many times, and shorten the
time until those paychecks come in.

A person with a Pro attitude has aligned his brain cells and
unconscious mind, so every action and thought is geared
toward one outcome – to be paid for his work, what his work
is worth.  This has many benefits, chiefly the quality of
his work improves.

You can take years to get a Pro attitude, or you can do it
right away.  I recommend you read a book with a funny name
by Stuart Lichtman, an expert on the human brain from MIT.
http://snurl.com/brdr

Another great book on developing a Pro attitude is Napoleon
Hill’s classic “Think And Grow Rich.”  It’s free in the
library, or get it here online. http://snurl.com/hlk4

They are both good books. Stuart’s is like a series of
games, so it’s almost effortless, and it will improve every
aspect of your life.  Napoleon’s classic book takes a while,
and you have to muscle it through by will power, but it’s
great.

Once you’ve adjusted your attitude, your unconscious mind
will steer your every action and memory, every skill you
have, and those you need to learn, toward delivering what
you need to do your job, and be paid your paycheck.

Once you do, your natural love of your Art has a chance of
being fulfilled. Until you do, you’re just floundering.

You may disagree with my brutal bottom-line assessment of
what a Pro is. You may feel a Pro isn’t defined by a
paycheck.  To you a Pro might be merely a person with a lot
of experience in a certain area, or a person with a natural
talent.

Well, “Professional” is defined,

“Pro*fes*sion*al, n. A person who prosecutes anything
professionally, or for a livelihood, and not in the
character of an amateur; a professional worker.” —
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA,
Inc.

Unless he has a paycheck, his “lot of experience” just makes
him a hobbyist. By definition, a hobbyist is not a
Professional anything.  There is nothing wrong with being a
hobbyist, or an “amateur,” (which means you do something
“for the love of it”), but generally, amateur quality is not
up to a Pro standard.

It’s common to say, “You have so much talent, you’re a real
Pro,” but even natural talent, practiced and refined, won’t
be Pro until one’s work quality is good enough to motivate
another to pay him for it.

While skill and/or talent certainly are important, the
defining quality of a Professional is payment.

Think “paycheck.” May you earn many big ones.

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Sam Longoria is a Hollywood producer, working in film since
1970, in a variety of jobs.  His work graces several
Oscar-nominated films, and one Oscar winner. Sam teaches
Independent Producing at http://hollywoodseminars.com

© 2005 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved. You may forward
this in its entirety to anyone you wish.  Hollywood
Seminars, Box 2449, Hollywood CA 90078 USA
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Copyright (c) 2005 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved