People who are in it for the money

I find it rather astonishing that there are people who become actors, musicians or comedians just to make money.

I've known people who were intelligent and talented who had no education or trade who looked to writing thinking it might be a way out of low wage jobs, but I think they knew they were clutching at straws.

"I need to finish my novel so I can make some money," one said.

I saw a documentary about Toshiro Mifune. They interviewed the actress Kyoko Kagawa who said that, in Japan after the war, people became movie stars just because there was no other work. Mifune himself had been a photographer in the Army and applied for a job as an assistant camera operator. His application was misdirected and he became a movie star instead.

I read about a child actor who was doing it just because she wanted to. She met another child actor who said he didn't like acting---he was doing it for the money, something that had never occurred to her.

And there was Gallagher, the comedian. He was big in the late '70's, a prop comic. Had some specials on Showtime. He was known for smashing watermelons with a sledge hammer. He was interviewed by Marc Maron on his podcast. He claimed he was a chemist before he became a comedian and that now he was out to spread scientific knowledge using his skills as a comedian. I think he was full of crap. I haven't heard of him doing anything like that and he's said himself that the work he did as a "chemist" was for a company that worked with such a narrow range of chemicals that all he had to do was take two classes at a community college to qualify.

But Maron asked why he gave up science and Gallagher said it was because comedy was so lucrative. He was in it for the money.

Then there were the Von Trapp Family Singers. The Sound of Music wasn't quite accurate. Captain Von Trapp lost his money in the stock market crash. His wife and children began performing because they needed the money.

Now I know people who majored in film in college. The economy is so bad that they're not missing out on anything. I can't see how they'll make any money making movies, either. It seems impossible and all they're interested in is movies about super heroes. They learn to direct. I see them making shot lists, but they've never worked with actors and I don't think they know anything about the history of film.

I've met some in the '80's for whom it was all or nothing. Hollywood or bust. Commercials and industrial films were beneath them. I tried to talk to them about feature films being made back then in the days before prosumer video for little more than the cost of film and processing, but they had zero interest. I don't think they made any student films, which may have been just as well.

Now that I think about, Charlie Chaplin said he went into it for the money.

That may be the key to success at least for some people. You need to at least be aware of the business side of it.

Robert Rodriguez didn't make El Mariachi as a work of art. He made it for the Spanish language home video market. He called up the companies to find out what format they needed it in before he set out to make it.