I've been in the sound and music industry for over 30 years and have seen how it has evolved, so I may have some information you don't. Just saying.
You have two decades on me, and I'm sure you know things I do not. That has almost nothing to do with the fact that the statement I was responding to...
I'll argue that there's a much stronger sense of entitlement nowadays, and that has made the tea boy/runner/assistant position harder to sustain for most composers and recording engineers. Too many people only care about their end goal of being a well-known composer, and not about the invaluable learning of going through the journey, as you mentioned in your video. They want a hard timeline for when they will be making the big bucks and be in the industry's spotlight, and want to get there quick.
... is a straw man, or at best a sweeping generalization. "Kids these days" is not a firm foundation on which to build a position—or have I misunderstood you here? I don't mean to commit a straw man myself, either
And I agree with you. But reality comes at people fast. It's a tough and competitive field, and they don't teach how tough it is at school. If a healthy living is working 9 to 5 and being paid enough to be able to afford a mortgage, a car and kids, you probably already know that most assistants will not have that. Hell, most composers won't have that.
Fair enough, and having some grandiose notions disabused is all part of the post-academic experience. It's part of growing up and becoming a functioning member of western adult society, in other words. I completely agree that schools do not spend nearly enough time on this aspect of the career/industry as they ought to.
But yes, this is part of a bigger issue (some might call it political) but the fact that to some it is a "radical idea" that one should be able to support oneself on a single minimum wage job...just shows how western/American capitalism has brainwashed the population. Should not a high-skill job in a high-expense city provide somewhat over that amount? My music editor friend tells me that the base
assistant music editor rate on a multimillion-dollar production is
$45/hour. You'll be lucky to make half that on the same project as a composer's assistant. It's not like these productions are starved for money, it's that composers have been squeezed and are passing the squeeze downward. It's not fair to either person.
You used the word 'brats', not me. Entitlement takes many shapes and forms and degrees. And it's one thing to fill out a survey and another one completely is being in the trenches in the thick of it. Hindsight is 20/20.
Yes, I perhaps extrapolated connotation a bit too much. My apologies. The point stands though. Can/should people act better in the heat of the moment? Sure—composers
and assistants alike. I see this as a moot point. People are people. Humans are humans. We are all as likely to mess up or act as we wish we had not as the next one. The survey (which, to be fair, was filled out by self-selecting individuals, which already shows some bias toward eagerness) shows what it shows. In fact, here are some anonymous composers' answers:
Again, self-selecting bias aside, these are not the answers of megalomaniacs, evil people, or incompetents. By and large they're just working professionals who want/need the help of other professionals. (Here's the thought behind "I'm not your superior, just your boss; I was just here before you; etc.") The work needs to get done and they need someone to help accomplish that. Most adults don't have a fully-developed prefrontal cortex (the "executive decision-making" center of the brain—strategy, impulse control, and logical empathy vis-a-vis
sonder) until 25. 25!! I would wager that most "self-centered" assistants are fresh out of undergrad, and/or went to grad school early, so though they might know Giant Steps or stereo mic techniques or how to decode a MIDI byte they literally do not have the cognitive capacity to even attempt to be fully-professional until halfway through their third (!) decade....and if you look at the data here, "work ethic" and "communication" top composers' chief concerns re: their current/former assistants. Correlation does not imply causation, but these are certainly incredibly correlated.
All this to say: empathy should be extended both ways in any human equation.
Not so. Picture moving to a country where you barely speak the language, have no family or friends and all you have are some savings that are running out pretty fast. That doesn't sound like a "support structure" to me. I just wanted to get in the industry badly enough that, if I had to take a night shift flipping burgers at a shitty all-night diner, I would have done it so I could keep going at my dream. All I'm saying is that I don't see that drive and determination that much now.
That certainly takes a lot of grit and determination, and I do not mean to downplay your role in it. But being able to even think about moving internationally for work, and having savings
at all, is more privilege than many have, as much hard work and exploitation of you that that subsequently entailed. Trial-by-fire is a great way to learn many things...but there is a difference between running the gauntlet and exploitation. If you were okay with your own exploitation, that's your call, but I don't think it's fair to expect that of others.
And please know I say all this in full respect—I don't know you, but even if I did I would not want even a fundamental disagreement to become a personal attack. I for one am thankful for your insights; diversity of experience is one of the best things about this forum.