Confessions of a Serial Interviewer by Steven Ra Ga

I spent 8yrs working in and around the industry. It made me bitter and jaded, similar to my uncles on my fathers side. One of my uncles was a producer back in the 80s on a James Coburn film, he feel in lust with the leading lady until that ride ended. My other Uncle was an Actor who tried his hand at Hollywood, he didn’t like the fake people and ultimately left, he occasionally acts on films now in Northern Ontario.

My cousin grew up in Vancouver she got into locations on the film sets and worked with the Smallville people for a while.

Turns out on my moms side we have cousins who are in the industry in Toronto. Had I known years before I would have gone there for schooling rather than Vancouver.

I never wanted to be in film, though I spent the majority of my youth watching sitcoms and cartoons. My step father and mom allowed me to go to school in Vancouver, they payed for my cost of living while I took out $50k in student loans to pay for my classes. I was very fortunate my step dad payed off my debt in full after I graduated.

When I failed the application for Emily Carr I ended up going to Vancouver Film School instead, I basically had to barter my way into the school as I wasn’t qualified enough to take on their programs, I was trying to be a graphic designer, picking up the reigns of my late cousin who was a pioneer in the craft. I started with a foundation program which was a gimmick money grab, we did arts and crafts, learning Maya CGI to learning to act, it was fun but I kind went insane because you did most of your sleeping in classrooms. It’s a 1yr intense program with no summer break just go, go, go. It was normal to be studying 100hrs per week. After that I stupidly chose to go into their film program because it was intimidated by the programing portion of the digital design program.

You see I am dyslexic, numerical and alphabetical, I am way better now but it’s mostly when I say the info in my head it gets twisted. So I opted for the easy way doing film was more labour like your didn’t need much skill to make it, or so I thought. I basically took on a challenge rather than the easy path in life. I think I am stupid for doing it, I am sure Gods got a hard on, about it me building character and all taking the harder road over the easy one.

The 2nd yr was tough I ultimately majored in interior design and set creation for film. I thought I bet I can make something with this. And it kinda worked I built up an impressive reputation, I got o some big films but ultimately my ego was my downfall, I complained to the wrong people who sidelined my career. Which led me to walk away from the film industry, that and I couldn’t pay my bills anymore. I had burned through the money I was given and I was tired of washing my underwear in the sink because I was never home I time to clean them during laundry hours.

I also massed a large amount of socks even to this day, because you never had time to wash them so you always just bought new ones so you could have clean ones.

People often glamorize the film industry, I think if you are a marvel actor it’s most likely awesome but you have to understand there are two categories to the industry. The Rich and the poor, also known as above and below the line.

Above the line are Actors, Directors, Studio Heads, Producers and often heads of departments. Below the line is everyone else from Background Actors to Grips to Set Dec to Carps to Locations and onward.

I mostly lived below the line unless it was an indie film under $100k budgets. You ultimately realize the only way you are going to make is if you move to America or the UK or you get famous on social media. It can be fun if you like that lifestyle but if you don’t or you are in conflict with yourself you will burn out.

I recall the last film I worked on was some strange one, I just so happened be driving to work when some Karen made a big deal over my driving, turn out that Karen worked on set with me and she made it her mission to screw me over every time I saw her on a show. She would complain to the head guy and have me put on swamped duty. This sucked cause a swamper is a guy that rides with a truck driver who picks up and drops off stuff for film. And I’d you are stuck with them they make you do all the heavy lifting. Plus you are on their schedule so good luck having a poop on your own time. Not to mention almost all the truckers on set are Hells Angles, not that there’s anything wrong there but it makes for some really awkward conversations, when they are trying to recruit you, I would be like man my brothers a cop, a total lie but it would help get me out of that conversation.

I still remember I was on set for Wayward Pines and this guy I met was showing me around. He is like “that’s where you get tools, this is the kitchen, here’s where you find a broom and oh if you need to hide a body talk to transport.”

IATSE 891 was my union, I was on the back up of the back up list. They called me when they called everyone else first. You had to wait until 11pm to get a call for work, then have to be on set for 7am and with Vancouver traffic you had to be out the door by 5am so you got maybe 4-5hrs of sleep a night, unless you landed a show then you knew when you worked. Which was Wayward pines, we used to have to drive 2hrs from Vancouver to Aggisy work 12hrs then drive 2hrs back every day for a week until production finally hooked us up with a hotel at Harrison Hot Springs Hotel. That was the best part of the journey.

When the pilot was over we were told if you don’t work for 3weeks we will hire you back in the show. But you can’t work. I recall telling a guy I thought was my friend that I had to work to pay the bills I had not savings and couldn’t just take 3weeks off and wait to see if I got work. Clearly they didn’t bring me back. I should have kept my mouth shut but I felt like being honest is the best approach. I was wrong.

Later I would go on to challenge the exam. I order to be a permitted member you have to pass and exam. This exam study material is 1000 pages of items and notes. There are 4 exams, 4 variations of one exam. I know this because the Union canceled the course but kept the exam requirements. They told me I would have to find the study material from an IATSE member. I ultimately did and one of the exams but I didn’t know how to study for it since I didn’t have a guide. Needless to say I failed the exam and couldn’t retake for 6months.

At this point I was like fuck it. I am out.

From their I branched out into the indie film market. Filled with MOWs movie of the week mostly Hallmark films. Good pay and less hours. Small crew.

For a while though I had to do free gigs with no pay to build my credits and sharpen my teeth. It sucked I payed $50k for school to work for free… My bitterness grew…

While doing free indie gigs I met all kinds of people. Most of them were bitter from their life choices, the film industry is rough, you make little pay, the hours suck and everyone is competing for your role so you have to be tough. The sound guys where the worst since they heard everything on set they would come out yelling about, everything throwing their dark energy everywhere like a Jackson pollock painting.

Costume designer were just as miserable often horny and disheartened when not complimented for their designs.

Transport well we talked about those guys.

Art Department where I spent most of my time was wild, same attitudes but more odd, since most weird artists.

Painting dept. well I stayed away from them.

The grips and lighting crews were all posh assholes they would act like they were the number one star of the film crews. Yes they helped with the cameras and the expensive stuff and got to be closer to the the meat puppets (actors) but like tone it done a bit eh.

Producers were like sleazy car salesman’s . Always hiding line items to make a profit.

Makeup was in dream land most of the time.

Props were very sketchy. They often had fake names and wouldn’t trust people off the get go. Always had to meet them in weird places if you needed a fake gun for a set.

Stunt guys were like crash test dummies they lived like the Spartans looking for a beautiful death.

After the indie world I left for green pastures. Set my sights on the events and traveling exhibits world. But the Film Bug never left.

When I moved back to my home city I tried to get into the Union. It proved to be difficult. Not only would they put me through a series of interviews, ultimately the head of the Art dept through my portfolio at me as if to say I insulted him just applying for the industry. Apparently I wasn’t good enough by their standards. Like I am good enough for Vancouver a massive industry by this city I am not even close to their talent…