Lifetime Employability

[Tom Meegan]

I think think the fact that generalists need to hire specialists to compete begs the question:

Will skill “X” help create life time employability?

Any skill that transcends tools will help lifetime employability.

That being said, deep knowledge of current tools is essential if you want to be on the ground. It is typically more valuable to be exceptional with complex expensive tools than with complex inexpensive tools.

Think of building design and construction as an example.

Architects do not need to keep up on the specifics of crane operation. It is helpful if they know about major changes in the capabilities of cranes, but architects do not need to know how the levers work.

Contractors need broad and fairly specific knowledge of many areas. Plumbing, heating, electric, cement, drywall, etc.

Subcontracts need to focus on being the best available at a certain price point for their chosen skill. Carpenters need to know a lot about nails, lumber, etc. They need to know about plumbing, electric, etc in so far as these trades effect carpentry.

If you do choose to specialize, you have to be learning new skills in the chosen specialty all the time. And to be excellent, you need to understand how the different disciplines interact.

If you aspire to be an architect you need to find big fish clients, because many small projects don’t need an architect.

Contractors do well by combining the skills of specialists.

Television and film projects are very like this:

Architect = Large project Producer/Direcctor (Superbowl Commercial/Feature Film)

Contractor = Producer on small to medium project, Operations Manager on large project

Subcontractor = Operator, editor, artist

One key to specializing

[Bob Zelin]

I will add my stupid opinion, as I have been in this business for a very long time, and have seen the extinction of film editors, CMX linear editors, and now AVID editors.

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW will be obsolete one day soon (long before you are ready to retire), and you BETTER be ready to learn something new, because there will ALWAYS be something new. We are currently seeing the old dog AVID editors saying “FCP sucks” (and everything else sucks), because they learned the AVID, they know how to cut, and they dont’ want to learn anything else. Well, FCP will eventually die, as everything else will (well, maybe Photoshop won’t die out).

Keep learning FOREVER until you are dead.

Bob Zelin

[Andrew Kimery]

Lots of good POVs here that I think showcase how many times the answer in this business is, “Well, it depends…” The size of your market and the size of your projects have a lot to do w/whether or not being a specialist or a jack of all trades is the best approach. As Walter said, there are a ton of people in Hollywood that just editor, or just assistant edit or just operate a camera, etc.,. There are also a ton of people in Hollywood that editor and do vfx or write and direct. What’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for the next. One has to recognize what one’s own strengths and weaknesses are and see how that matches up w/one’s location and the types of projects one wants to work on.

Being a specialist is only a helpful if clients are hiring specialists and being a jack of all trades is only helpful if clients are hiring jack of all trades.

-A

[Alex Melli]

I’ve enjoyed this discussion quite a bit, especially the fact that it starts with a seemingly basic, innocuous question, but ends up really getting to the heart of what we do.

I would add that one’s true skillset is ultimately driven by their interest and passion. You’re never going to spend the days and weeks necessary to learn the latest program unless your inner desire drives you. Those learning because the “have to” and “everyone else is” end up being capable at best, but never truly embracing a new platform and pushing the limits of the new medium.

Keeping up on all of the latest cameras alone became an insurmountable task, and one day it dawned on me that I’m a director, not a cinematographer. My job is to tell him what I want, and his job is to deliver. We work together to that end, but I surely can count on the fact that he is a specialist, and his intricate knowledge of the camera surpasses mine, so I let him do his job proficiently. Now I still browse all of the camera brochures and articles, but that is being aware of the tools at my disposal.

Alex Melli
http://www.suktion.com

I would also reiterate that the most saleable skillset is people skills. I’ve directed a feature and many shorts, and as incredibly important as every single technical and artistic element is, nothing is accomplished alone, and collaboration has proven to be the biggest reward.