afternoon rant

Being back in Canada, with a wealth of knowledge specific to my field (feature film production and development) you'd think I'd have no problem finding work locally in "Hollywood North" as it's been referred to so often, right? Think again.

Canada enjoys a host of pet-names south of the boarder; Canadia, Cockroaches of the North, Canucks, America Junior, the list goes on... They own us, quite litterally.

I spent 2 and half years trying to become one of them; I was close, really close. SoCal is my second home, and I intend on returning. Where is this rant coming from?

This morning I put a call into one of the many "american productions" that enjoy the benefit of a lower dollar, tax breaks from my governement (french spelling), lower labour rates, desperate vendors, discounted studio space and "friendly, hospitable people".

My primary experience and training is as an above the line assistant, for producers on set, as well as administratively for executives. I'm the guy that runs around getting coffee, parking the producer's car, buying "gifts" for over-paid stars and helping with daily patch-work. I'm not complaining, though. I'm MORE then happy to do this grunt work, for which I get paid just enough to eat, sleep and breath. I understand that it's necessary in the over all plan of my life.

What did the person on the other end of the phone tell me? "We're fully crew. " THEY brought their people with them.

the optomist inside me, if he really exists, is a big fan of globalization. I think it's an inevibable step in economic and political evolution. People need to wake up to reality, that you and your profession are now competing on a global level. It's no longer good enough to out-bid the guy down the street. I understood this 3 years ago when I decided to leave my home and move to a city where I would no longer be a square peg trying to fit a round hole.

However, internationally, the rules don't allow for this. I'm NOT able to immigrate into the country that has globally monopolized the industry I work in. Yet, when the work comes my way, potential employers come prepared, writing me out of the equation completely.

Instead of finding square holes in the US, I found a rectangular one called the the INS (immigration and naturalization). The problem with globalization, is that the only ones that benefit, are the decision makers above, while the little people who carry out the orders are hung out to dry; my phone call this morning being the perfect example.