Is It Over Yet? - A Rant

Nope - still got one more month to go of hell on this movie. Working on this project has been like one long nightmare and I'll be glad when it is all done and in the can.

I don't have much that's good to say about this current job other than I'm employed and can thus keep the roof over my head and my animals fed and happy.

What sucks is at the end of all this - instead of being able to enjoy the finished product - all I'm going to see are the million daily fires and problems.

The million times my boss said to make the impossible happen when "no" just wasn't an option.

The million times I had to argue with the director or the producer about things like not being able to use a photo of Jimi Hendrix because we don't have permission from the photographer or Jimi Hendrix's estate.

The constant stream of "No you can't use that magazine. No you can't show that person's phone number. No we don't have clearance on SPAM. No you can't say D&D coffee tastes gross. No you can't take that photo of one of our former presidents and make it into a dart board."

"Yes I know it sounds ridiculous but we can't show the woman with the large tattoo of a tiger on her back because the tattoo artist holds the copyright to that work and he hasn't signed a release. I understand but it is my job to point these things out. What's that you say? You don't care and want me to turn a blind eye? Even though there's been precedent set with tattoo artists suing over how their work is protrayed? Yea I don't think that's gonna fly."

"Yes I know we need this famous magazine as a featured prop on Monday but I only got the mock-up today and the magazine hates it. They hate it so much they don't trust our graphic artist to fix it. They said maybe they can make one for us by Friday but no guarantees. Yes I know Friday is a union holiday and no one will be working. No they don't have to play ball with us. No they don't. No they don't. Because this isn't a product placement deal - its clearances and we're at their mercy. Because they have a magazine to put out and we aren't their top priority. Yes I'm doing my best. Yes I know its integral to the script and we're fucked without it. I'm doing my best. Make it happen no matter what huh? Okay....."

And so on and so forth.

I can't even justify the zillion hours I'm putting in - even to myself. Getting home with just enough time to get 4-5 hours of sleep before having to do it all over again the next day. The constant complaints and comments from my family and my boyfriend who just don't get what I do.

"Will you always have to work such long hours?" "Why can't you get benefits?" "I dont' understand why you can't join a union." "Why do you have to work through your vacation?" "You should be getting paid more." "Is it legal to have you work for so many hours?" "You're going to kill yourself if you keep up this pace." "Why can't we see you more often." "You're always tired when you're around us - we never get to enjoy your company."

Ahh showbiz.

Projects like this I hate cause they make me doubt why I stay in this fucking lunatic crazy business.