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Despite a serious labour shortage for experience employees in the UK and government determination to get the 0ver 50s in particular those who retired during the pandemic to return to work, employers still discrimante against the age group. There is misconception that younger employees can be trained up and contribute more in the long term when the reality is many younger employees especially in their 20s tend not to stay for long and move jobs partly because employers keep choosing younger workforce.
As someone who has reach that milestone of over 50 that is concerning for me. I now work with a younger workforce and often find myself filling in for their absent and when they leave their jobs I pick up the pieces they left behind.
As a sexagenarian I wonder what Roger’s opinion is? Have you ever encountered problems or been excluded from a gig because they wanted someone younger?
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Maybe it depends also on the position and duties?
I have no experience about cinema world but i think it’s a situation common to many other fields: young people are preferred by employers because they usually are fine with lower pay rates given the lack of experience, even if the present young generation seems to have a different approach to this way of thinking than the previous ones (that’s why they shift jobs very frequently and refuse low paying jobs).
This said, i think you’ll want someone that actually knows the job for a decision making and responsability position and that’s not related to age (but it’s easy to think that an older person that has been doing that job for years has more experience and knowledge). As i said i have no experience in cinema but honestly i can’t imagine a production that could have the chance to work with a famous artist in a relevant position (as a DP for example) and refuse because that artist is not the younger around.
As far as my little world is concerned, i prefer to work with smart people. I know a lot of stupid young people and clever old ones, as well as i know incredibly smart young people and absolutely stupid old ones. There’s too focus on age, with should focus on stupidity. 🙂
In my opinion being a cinematographer requires a high level of fitness. Age probably is a consideration when a producer and/or a director is hiring but, as I only learn of the offers that come to me, I have no idea if I miss out on a job because of my age.
In my opinion being a cinematographer requires a high level of fitness. Age probably is a consideration when a producer and/or a director is hiring but, as I only learn of the offers that come to me, I have no idea if I miss out on a job because of my age.
Is it because you do your own camerawork?
In my opinion being a cinematographer requires a high level of fitness.
I am about the same age as you and it’s not just the cinematographer that has to be fit – and age DOES play a role – but in reverse. I really notice that many younger crew members cannot handle long days. When it gets to 11 or 12 at night and we’ve all been on our pins all day, they seem to wilt.
I’m sure someone will tell me why this is, but I have noticed it happening many times!
It depends the person more than the age in my opinion. Some people gets used to set rhythm some are not. Also not every set Is the same. Small crew and multitasking? Or 8 people on camera dept and a chair on video village?
Also the circumstances. Spending all night long on a shoot after a long day when you earn 4k per day is more bearable than when you get paid 400 isn’t?
Also not all cinematography work is the same. Commercial gig on a studio is not the same as 12 hours in the middle of the bush on a tiny African country shooting doc.
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