Saturday 26 April 2014

Can I please have this job forever?

Source: http://giphy.com/gifs/gNAfPN8Uzp1kY, taken from 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006), directed by David Frankel


I begin to realise that working in a warm, friendly and creative environment such as the one of EEFF is probably one of the best things that happened to my short professional career. It is indeed really important to find a job that gives you pleasure, especially if you plan to do this job for a lot of years to come. My parents worked in jobs that they never liked, and I could see how exhausted they were from the endless routine of their jobs that did not give anything back to them apart from a relatively good salary. I am glad that they always pushed me to pursue my dreams, since now I am realising that having a job that fulfils you is crucial. After all, you spend 1/3 of your day working, you might as well do something that you feel like it is worth it. 

Working at EEFF does not feel like a burden to me. Obviously, it can be really stressful some times, mostly because I want to make a good impression through my work, but at the same time I am enjoying it so much that it feels like I am not even working. What saddens me though is that working at film festivals is rarely a stable job. Like most of the jobs in the Cultural and Creative Industries, at least according to Gill's research (2011), it is a project based job that you do for up to 6 months per year (if you are lucky), and then you have to seek other projects for the rest of the year. Some people work here part time, while having another stable job all year through. Most of them though are not that fortunate. The CCIs are ruthless and demanding. And, especially in the film business, based on what we discussed in the office the other day with people that are more experienced than me, if you do not make a big name for yourself (or work in the top organisations in the field like the BBC or the BFI) it is highly unlikely that you will ever make enough money so that you could afford a flat on your own, especially in a city like London. That is why networking is such an essential part of our industries. On the other hand, as I said to my father when he told me that my life is going to be really difficult if I choose to follow this path, I prefer to starve than have a job that makes me miserable.

At this point, a montage of inspirational speeches from movies seems like the key to lighten the mood and regain confidence:




References:

  • Gill, R., 2002. Cool, Creative and Egalitarian? Exploring Gender in Project-Based New Media Work in Euro. Information, Communication & Society, [online] 5:1, pp. 70-89. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691180110117668 [Accessed 24 April 2014].


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