CAS Quarterly

Fall 2015

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C A S Q U A R T E R L Y F A L L 2 0 1 5 19 Peel and cast members of her Web series Agua Dulce I don't care about the money and I feel like they will appreciate me donating my time to their passion project." This is a very contentious three-way divide where most of us could exist in any of the three camps—depending on who the passion project is for and how we were approached. So, where do you draw the line? Consistent with the theme of this article, it is a balance. How do we happily achieve that balance and effectively communicate our feelings on the matter? My personal sug- gestion is to refrain from gloating about it, refrain from lording your generosity over anyone, but just know that, without you providing your labor and equipment, the proj- ect would be in a pretty tough spot. A passion project that loses its previously arranged and equally generous sound mixer will find themselves in a serious pickle as it suddenly becomes very apparent what unique and valuable services we provide as sound professionals. Good producers know when they have a precious, skilled resource provider at their call and how to not abuse them. They don't want to spend their Tuesday night piecing to- gether a sound kit—even a very simple one. We know there is no Guitar Center solution to the tools and talent that we provide. But, that's not to say that we should hold our pre- cious knowledge and resources hostage. The inherent value in providing these precious resources to a worthy recipient is very apparent. If they are a professional producer, they understand what you provide for them—even if they don't know the details of the web you weave. You are the guy or gal that provides a professional sound result quickly, with a smile on your face. But why are passion projects relevant in a discussion about sociability? In my experience, any low-budget job can be both the result of, or the reason for, sociability. What I mean to say is that these projects can be considered training grounds where you improve and expand upon your skills of tactful conversation, social engagement, and positive demeanor, or they can be something you're asked to be involved in because you naturally encompass these traits and therefore, have a reputation for being a positive and pleasant force on set, which can be quite the asset on a "passionate" set. Consider this: You're social and you're skilled at your job in production sound. You work on well-paying projects and when you have downtime, you happily help a producer friend on their low-budget passion project during your hia- tus without dismay of any sort. In fact, it was kind of fun. You helped make a charming short film or Web series on

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