8 Embarrassing First Jobs Famous Filmmakers Endured

They had to start somewhere...

By Padraig Cotter /

Filmmaking isn€™t the exotic, glamorous job it might appear to be from the outside; it€™s hard, stressful work that can crush anyone who isn€™t one hundred percent committed. The hours are long, the pay can be low and there are thousands of people lined up to take your place if you can't keep the pace. It can take years - or even decades - to land any kind of job on a big budget movie, and most filmmakers will have to start on the bottom rung before they get anywhere. Actors will have to do cheesy commercials, directors will have to do music videos for terrible bands and nearly all of them will have to do PA jobs in production companies; a place where pride goes to die. That's the way the business works, so the faint of heart need not apply. Some filmmakers are so desperate to get their career kickstarted they'll accept just about anything, which can lead to a few embarrassing entries on their CV€™s. It could be an early acting gig or doing set work where no dignity was allowed, but regardless of their feelings it was these early experiences that helped shape their careers. Even if they would like to bury the memories.