When I was living in Venice, California, a really good friend gave me some great advice. “Stay away from the film industry and you’ll stay sane.” I followed his advice, and I still have very positive memories of Southern California. Unfortunately, for my sanity, celebrity has come to Instagram. A gossip and celebrity magazine, Enstarz, has declared that Dan Bilzerian is an Instagram celebrity. This should be no surprise to anybody that has followed Youtube or Vine which have produced their own celebrities. In fact if you are a top 40 Youtuber, you make at least $1 million (USD) per year.
The film industry is pretty brutal for its stories of backstabbing and allegiance to the bottom line at the expense of art.
Hollywood and everything bad about it has come to Instagram. The more money that brands pump into Instagram marketing will only make this more true. Instagram has rooftoppers – one died from a fall – and selfies at Auschwitz as a trend. The only thing missing is an annual awards ceremony replete with red carpet and paparazzi.
Most actors in Hollywood only make $5,000 per year, and have a second job. Most photographers are doing a bit better at $28,490 per year. But at the upper tier, the rewards are very great. This is why competition is so fierce. Competition is so fierce that editors at influential fashion magazines have to compete for Instagram likes.
Can you have community when everybody is dead set on a Hollywood kind of success? It’s really tough. I won’t say no since I did make one friend in Hollywood. However, people move to Los Angeles for the weather and to be famous, not for the community. You could say the same is true of Instagram with its popular sunset hashtag and stories of overnight fame. In fact, a brand paid $5,000 for a photo to be published on Instagram.
The problem with chasing fame is the same thing as the problem with chasing money. No matter how much you chase, you need more. It’s really hard to be happy with what you have. For my sanity, and for yours, too, dear reader, I totally recommend staying away from the trappings of celebrity.
Here’s what you can do instead:
- Shoot film – shooting film slows you down. You have to be more careful about your shots. There are no redos.
- Give yourself a photo assignment. Instead of focusing on getting more likes and follows, shoot a series of photos as part of a photo assignment. I really liked the book and movie versions of Solaris, so I shot a series of black & white photos with the hashtag, #solarisbw.
- Take a break from social media. This is tough, but you actually find that at least some people missed you.