American Chopper

Art and Failure

I wrote this a while back, but it sums up how I feel right now, again.

Hello, I am Louis James and I am a videotape editor.

Today I spent all day putting together a demo reel for an actor. Not something I usually do, but it was a gig brought to me by a good friend. And a gig is a gig, right? This actor shall remain nameless, but you most certainly have seen him in at least one of the almost thirty films he’s been in. One film was one of Miramax’s highest grossing films. Most parts he’s played have been in the supporting or character role, having been the lead only in small indie-type films that you probably haven’t seen. The guy is talented and has played in films staring the following actors: Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman, and Terence Stamp, to name a few. Big-time actors as you know.

The problem is, he is having trouble, and has been for a while, getting cast again in another film. But with the body and quality of work he has he shouldn’t be. [He will though, it’s a lock, it’s only a matter of time for sure.]

I bring this up because I’ve been noticing that a lot of people I know are having the same problem. They are talented and experienced, yet they do not seem to be working, or else they are working shit jobs that they hate just to keep an income. And I’m not talking about other actors at all, I am talking about many people in many different arts and industries. What I am also noticing is that a lot of people without much talent, experience, or even brains seem to be doing just fine. And this sucks. That’s not to say that I want to see anyone unemployed, but why do the truly gifted so often go unrecognized? And it’s not from lack of ambition; the people I’m talking about are pushing themselves hard. They’re just having trouble connecting.

Sometimes I think it’s because the people doing the hiring aren’t talented enough themselves to be able to spot talent and lump everyone into one big group. Sometimes I think it’s because talented people often do not want to lower their standards and won’t take jobs that don’t past muster. Sometimes I think it’s because talented people are more likely to complain at a substandard job if economically forced to take one, whereas an untalented person is less likely to complain. Sometimes I think it’s because there are simply not enough jobs out there that actually require talent.

All I know is it takes a lifelong and lifestyle commitment to develop talent, and it is a damn rotten shame it is not as recognized or rewarded as often as it should be.

Hollywood! (No, not my dog.)

Make your own!

‘brows