Working on film/TV crew - perfect for Aspies?

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I feel like this is one of the better industries for an Aspie for the following reasons:

1. Your job is very specialized (each department is specialized and the jobs in those departments are specialized). For instance, you could be in the camera department as a first AC and your job would be specifically to pull focus on the camera and to build the cameras or you could be the 2nd AC and your job would be to operate the clapper and load the film stock. If you're in the property department you could be the prop-maker and your job would be to build props. Or you could also be a weapons master and that would mean you specialized in firearms. You could be in the sound department and be the production sound mixer and your job would be to mix the sound during production. Or you could be a boom operator and your job would be to operate the boom microphone. Here's a good breakdown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_crew#Production

2. You work in a soundstage so when you're doing your job, everything is silent except for the actors.

3. School/grades are not important for getting a job. A lot of aspies may have been obsessed with their special interest and only excelled in the subject areas they were interested while getting mediocre or poor grades in other subjects. The film industry doesn't care if/where you went to school.

4. Everything about your job (for most of the union crew jobs) is explicit. The unions are extremely clear about exactly what each crew member is responsible for. You are never asked to do something outside your job description because the unions would get the production in trouble for breaking union rules.

5. Everything is planned ahead of time and runs like clockwork. If you're a department head, you receive a schedule at least a week or more in advance outlining what each day will look like for each episode on TV. Every crew member receives an exact and incredibly detailed schedule the night before each day of shooting stating exactly what will happen the next day and when you will be required to be on set. It also tells you when every scene is filmed and what crew members/actors will be on set and when they will be there. It also tells you exactly what equipment is required for each scene. It even tells you exactly when you will break for lunch and when you have to be back (down to the minute). The schedule has a map and tells you exactly where to park and also tells you exactly when you can eat breakfast. you can choose anything to eat because there are caterers there that will make you what you want in addition to a craft service department that will have food at any time of the day. A 1st AD is on set to ensure everything runs on schedule. If things go behind schedule, costs start to increase by a great deal so producers are incentivized to stay on schedule (this is not usually the case in office jobs).

6. jobs are temporary so it's normal to switch jobs

7. Most people on set are incredibly passionate about the work so you may fit in better in the culture than an office where people are just showing up for a paycheck and socializing instead of doing any work.


thoughts?

Hmmm, interesting idea.

I've taken a lot of those career quizzes over the years, and a few times I've gotten cameraman as a potential job match. Maybe there's something to it.

I like things that are clearly planned.

I'm currently a SysAdmin who walked into a job just as an upgrade/expansion was starting. No clear objectives were given to me, and I had no idea what my responsibilities and expectations were. I was here for 11 1/2 months before I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of our contract, which I thought would prove enlightening (because every time *I* write a contract for an it project, it's very specific about tangible goals and things that are included/excluded). It's been enlightening alright. ~smh~ I guess that's why they need someone like me in-house, but, it would've been nice to be that organized already.

I occasionally work on film/TV crews as a production assistant. Nothing major that I can make a living off of (yet), but big enough that I can at least get paid from time to time. I can't objectively say whether or not it'd be good for Aspies in general since film and filmmaking is one of my obsessions and I'd be just as enthusiastic and dedicated getting coffee for the crew as I would be directing.

All of your points are valid, but they apply mainly to major productions. All of my work (and really, the only kind of work I'm interested in) has been on independent and/or low-budget productions, which counts out #4 since they aren't union productions and most definitely #5, since rarely does anything go according to plan (not uncommon with major productions, either). Also, as far as PA work is concerned, it strikes out #1 since the PA pretty much does whatever odd jobs the specialized crew members don't do (I've done everything from picking up lunch to operating props to wrangling live rats to using my car as a Steadicam to being an extra to writing additional dialogue, etc., etc.).

However, I absolutely love it and it's pretty much the only job I've had where I can remain completely focused and efficient for the entirety of a workday (sometimes up to 12 hours). It's an environment I feel comfortable in and I rarely ever feel stressed out. Like I said though, I'm sure personal bias plays some role in that.

I have met quite a few people involved in film making and most of them have other jobs to provide income (which they then spend on making films).

There is an increasing move towards "microbudget" productions (which do not pay well/at all) so it is getting harder to make an income.

Working hours can be long especially once travel time, rigging etc is taken into account

I work in films, TV and music videos, like a lot of people I started off has a PA, but quicky went into making my own works, directing shorts and making most of my living with music video.

The perfect job for people with Asperger's, not so sure depending on the department, because it does evolves a lot of social situations.

1. If you specialized in a certain department of film production, then why not, the problem and the way things work is for example the 2nd AC one day moved up to being the 1st AC, and then one day moves up to be the DOP, and when that happens, that means being much more social. So it can be hard for some.
I would think the best jobs in the industry for Aspies are jobs in post production, like editing, sound mixing, visual effects artist or any job that involves something after the film is shot, where you are alone behind a computer. Another job that comes in my mind is anything that has to do with production design, where you build the sets prior to shooting. Basically jobs where you don't get the stress of the actual shoot.

2. On sound-stages sure it's quiet when the camera is rolling, but once the director calls cut, it because very noisy, and today most films are shot on real location.

3. Depends the countries, places like France are more obsess with the diplomas you have than you talent, and if you have a film degree like myself from another country (I got mine in the US) then they look down on you. But it's true that they care less about school and all, and if you have a special talent, like good at making sculptures you can find a job a shop making monster for films for example. Another good thing, they will always hire a newbie with no experience and who didn't go to school has a PA to beginning and give that person their first experience.

4. Again, depends on country. I've worked in the US, and I respect these union rules, the problem is that they slow down production, have more crew members and cost more to make films. For example you need to move a glass on a table, you have the director who asks the 1s AD who then on his talkie walkie asks the prop master, then the prop master who is eating M&M's at the craft service ask his assistant to go and move it and by the time that happens you lost 20 minutes. Here in Europe, whoever is closer to the table will just move the glass, that being a grip, electrician, camera assistant, or even the director or the actor, and the time it takes, 20 seconds. But for an Aspie, working union in the USA means rules, and that is a good thing.

5. TV more often follow schedule, but on movies everyone know schedules are rarely respected, again it depends on the size of the production, if you are working a big blockbuster film then everything has more chances of following a schedule, but these big films are actually rare, 95% of films made are small and made under 30 million, and the smaller the budget the less the schedule is followed. And crews and people who work on films don't always get to work on the big stuff, they also work on smaller production. And caterer, again it depends, most films are made on same budget is cost for catering on The Avengers, most often on sets you will be feed pizza or cheese Sandwiches, or when there is a caterer they cook the same stuff for everyone.
But in any case, wherever you are in the world and whatever the size of the production there is always a schedule, but not always followed.

6. That is my favorite part, always changing jobs. But a lot of Aspies get stressed about change, and stress when there is something new, some of us like routine, other love to always be changing. So it depends on the person.

7. True, everyone on set his passionate about films or their domain of expertise, so if you love for example horror films you will get along well with the special make-up department, those who handle the weapons are passionate about guns, so if you are into ballistics you will get along with them. But in the end, everyone loves films, and it always great and fulfilling to work in an environment where everyone shares the same passion.

and I'm adding the following :

8. People in the industry, and that being all over the world, tend to be open and tolerant and much more accepting and understanding towards people with autism and Asperger's, and not turn you down for having, or saying mean stuff to you about it, they just accept you the way you are.

Just my little contribution.

All of those things sound quite awesome and would make me want to work in that area.

I am a children's librarian and have an everchanging schedule. But I love when the local camera crew comes in to cover our event because everyone has their set job and thing to do.

OK, as someone who's just finishing some classes on HDTV production and directing... it's not for the faint of heart. And you need pretty good hand-eye coordination. Take a camera operator: you may be required to approach someone with the camera while keeping him/her in focus and framed. That requires three coordinated actions: walking at a certain speed towards the person, adjusting the zoom so that while you're approaching the person he/she occupies the same area in the picture frame, and adjusting the focus distance so tha said person stays in focus all the time during the approach. It gets even funnier if you're required to move *around* the person instead of just approaching him/her in a straight path. Following a person around keeping the same distance all the time is easier (no need to worry about focus and zoom).
Or take the camera director sitting at the switcher in the control room. You have to keep track of what every preview monitor is showing (though nowadays with multiview monitors you have all images on a single large monitor which is divided into sections); this includes usually three cameras (could be more, depending on the TV set and the type of program), a video recorder, a satellite or microwave link for anything happening outside the studio, and who knows what else (computer generated images?)... and you have to know when exactly to show each of those signals on-air (switching the program to them, that's what the switcher is for), all the while giving instructions to the cameramen, the floor manager, the VR operator, the audio operator. Of course, you normally have had a previous session with the whole team and have scripted things so that you know how long each thing should run and at what point you have to tell everyonr to be ready to switch, and if you have the time (while nobody else is using the set) you can perform a practice run with all the team... as is the case with most things, here practice is the key.
Remember, though, that live TV is harder than filmmaking - there are no "retakes". An error while being live may cost you getting fired, depending on the severity.

EDIT: have fun watching this video about what it's like...