Question of a moral dilema

Ok here is the thing you can either keep busting your ass every day struggling just to try and make it in the field that you want to make your name in or you can take an easy break that is handed to you but you dont want to be involved with what could come a long with it. Now my thing is what do you do? Do you continue to struggle or take that easy chance?

See I am an up and coming artist/musician/actor. I never made it out of high school, used to be involved with the distrubition of illegal narcotics, and was affiliated with know gang members. Which to be honest is just common in the areas that surround where I am from. Well I have pretty much gotten out of those things that I once was involved with. So me and a couple of my friends have decided to put together an independany movie and try to get it entered in one of those independant film festivals once it is done. Now the movie is loosely based on and around the lives of the people currently in my circle and the people I once dealt with. So I get in touch with one of my old friends from back in the day just to clear with him that he doesnt mind if I use a character based on him since a lot of stuff that we are thinking about putting in to the movie he was around for. Well the money part to get things going is kind of tight right now and we are still rounding up the money. So he says he is cool with it and said that if I need any money to get things going just let him know and he will help out. Well thing is he is still involved with a lot of the things I walked away from and I know how the money is made. Plus I really didnt want him around after I asked him that question but if I take money from him I feel like I sort of have no choice but to deal with him again somewhat. So just curious what would you all do?

i'd recommend usuing your own money, it's not a good idea to be beholden to anyone in these situations.

I delt drugs as well as did them when I was younger and an 8 ball a day habbit isnt something I want to be a part of anymore my life is much better now. yea I strugle to get things done but I have earned every bit of what I have accomplished in my life right now. It feels much better to work hard and achieve something that you strive for.

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Originally Posted by devil13

I delt drugs as well as did them when I was younger and an 8 ball a day habbit isnt something I want to be a part of anymore my life is much better now. yea I strugle to get things done but I have earned every bit of what I have accomplished in my life right now. It feels much better to work hard and achieve something that you strive for.

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I personally never had a drug problem and have never done anything outside of weed every once and a while. So needless to say I never had an 8 ball a day habit because I never messed with the stuff but I can get why you wouldnt want to go back to that. Me personally I was not the type to get big in to the using of drugs just because my theory was why use what you can make money on. But I feel you though and I was kinding of thinking the same way as you guys did. But I guess its one of those things where you just want to see if other people are thinking the same way just to give you that sense like you know what yea I am making the right choice.

hmmm id try to find alternate means of making the money i mean making an indy movie usually isnt too expensive unless you have to buy all new equipment and you could always look for a backer thats completely legit if you really need the money

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Originally Posted by Kidthorazine

hmmm id try to find alternate means of making the money i mean making an indy movie usually isnt too expensive unless you have to buy all new equipment and you could always look for a backer thats completely legit if you really need the money

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You hit on the head with equipment and things of that nature. Right now the only equipment I have in my circle of people is studio equipment for recording cd's. So all the equipment used is going to have to be bought because I dont have it right now plus I do need a little extra money just for the other things that go a long with making a film. But you are right it is not going to cost a ton but with all of the other stuff that I am currently funding and working on my money is stretched pretty far so I am trying to come up with an extra source. But I will probably just continue to break my ass and hopefully bring in some extra cash

also remember in terms of cameras and whatnot you can rent them for your first few production and most places that rent out cameras also have editing and sound facilties that you can rent for relatively cheap unless you want to the whole thing digitally (actually some places accomidate that now too) but actualy you caould build a PC capable of editing movies for about $800 then drop another $400 for some good software (or DL a bootleg) then buy a couple of digital video cameras and your ready to go cept for shooting expenses and actors.

Once you take his money, he is involved. This is your project, you and your friends, the ones you want involved. Don't let a person goad you into doing what you don't want to do. I understand you two have a past, shared memories etc, but you are hesitant, there's a reason for that. Follow your instincts or you will regret it. Also, in your project ...he can be loosely based on that character, and it's not him right? You owe him nothing, don't allow him to make you feel like you do .

If you're making a movie then your first task is to organize your business partnership first...this way you can take money from investors (no matter their background) and keep your film yours and their money for what it is...an investment. If you want to wait till everything is "right" then the wait will be quite long...take the money and keep it all business. Movies are too expensive to be moral about it. Production costs are one thing...talent, post production, and the 1001 little things that eat away at your budget are the real killers. Make no mistake....even "no budget" films are still expensive.

Plus to be honest movie making has always had a bit of dirty money associated with it...no shame in that. Ultimately movie making is a collaborative artform...it's never really just yours you know? Also once you get in the $$$ side of things...it's gonna get complicated and depending on the contracts you agree on you'll need a lawyer. Keep in mind this is mainly to cover yu and your friends ass in case something goes bad while shooting.

Now if you REALLY want to go full on Gurilla or gonzo about it...get some decent cash from your investor...tailor the story to what you can have access to and keep things at a fast pace...watch those 10min film school things Robert Rodriguez puts on his DVD's....great ideas for how to shoot onthe cheap and to make what you have access too look like something with an insane budget....his tips from his El Mariachi and Desperado flicks are must see's in how to do action scenes with little $$$ and resources.

Morality and Ethics are great...but don't get so high and mighty about them that they cost you what you really want...after all...all great art has some blood money associated with it at some point.

Zaire has it right; movies take a lot of people and a lot of effort, and the best way to get that people and that effort in there is to get other people investing in your work.

However, nothing kills a good project like bad people. It's one of the reasons I will NEVER collaborate writing-wise with anyone again. I've known far too many people who were burned because they trusted the wrong people, and I've been burned by that myself. Ultimately, if you can't feel comfortable working with the individual, it's going to sour your impression of the whole thing, and who wants that?

If it comes down to, like, "I must take this money or the movie won't get made", then it might be OK to set aside your misgivings. But, depending on where you are, what the movie's about and who you know, there's money floating around everywhere - you just need to jump through some hoops to get it :p.

there are programs supported by government where they are giving credit for such persons whose life was involved in criminal. You like artist (or coach in sports too) can startprogram at school. They support with equipment and money to do something for good in ghetto's. I don't know how it works in USA but in Sweden is good start to get contacts and see how that branch is going. That's if you plan to live from your creative work.

Same lifetrip you described in your post is like ripped of from my life:) Except I finished high school and lived in 7 diferent countries trought europe and changed 9 elementary schools in 8 years and 4 years of high school in once in postwar serbian part of bosnia.... Actualy in worst ghetto town on earth :) If i didn't moved out of there before 3 years who knows where would I end.... Just keep on doing good stuff! :) That's what I'm doing.... stop smoking and move:)

P.S. I think your government would give out jobs like that. Tell me if I'm wrong.

Seriously? Just go for it. You'll regret it if you don't. You can always take additional artistic license to separate yourself from the scene you left behind. I must say though, I have had similar opportunities and simply was unable to express the memories in an objective fashon. Good luck!

OEC

ok thank you to everyone who has responded to this point. I have read each and every post and will respond to everything that was said in this post.

As for the price of making a film well I am aware of everything that needs to be considered and planned when going in to a project of this size. As for actors well that part is no problem because everyone as of right now that will be working with me is in my current circle of friends and this is not something that everyone is doing for money it is more so a project of love. It is something that me and one of my boys came up with while discussing several other business ventures that we are currently involved with and it is an idea that we both really fell in love with once we fully talked out how the movie should play out and what events from the lives of the people in our circle we would put in to the movie. So once we told everyone what it is about people said that they would be in it. I guess you can say this film is going to not only hopefully give some people a shot at a break in life but it will also be showing things in a light and point of realism that most hollywood movies only hint at but fall short of really touching on. This is about realism and if everything goes right well some of the stuff seen in it would probably be best described as gripping and heart wrenching. Some of the stuff that is going to be touched on made local news where I am.

The main reason that I am hesitant on involving this person from my past is because I know that a lot of what he does is not with honest intentions. And with something this big and important to me I just dont know if I would feel comfortable having someone involved that I dont completely trust. I know if I deal with him things will be easier but with me I question at what cost. I mean I really just dont like this person at all as a person anymore. See I still deal with people who do things here and there or whatever. But with him he was doing things that went beyond my level of comfort and to me crossed the line of maybe being wrong to do and went right in to the now that is just a completely fucked up thing to do level. Thats why he is one of the people that I stopped dealing with.

I thought about trying to get a small loan from the bank just to help out with some costs on several of my projects. But I was told by someone that it would be real hard for my circle to get a loan and my best bet would be to work hard at saving up. I mean either way anyone who actually takes the time to know me at this point knows that things will get done sooner or later even if it practically kills me in the process. See I am the type that cant give up on something even if it takes years just because I am a fighter. I once fought because I just liked to do it but now I fight in more than one way just to prove a lot of people wrong. After considering my own feelings and reading what people are saying on here well I am really leaning to the side of you know what if it takes working a little more and busting my ass even more just to earn some extra money to save well it in the long run is worth it more than dealing with a person who will bring up some ghosts from my past that I dont want hanging around me anymore because it will just keep me weighed down.