Pay vs. Passion

I was thinking recently about the life style I am trying to embark on. There's 2 extremes to this career when it comes to lifestyles and no other job or business is like that. On one hand I could end up rich and successful. Where everyone knows my name and everyone recognizes my face, but with that comes a lack of privacy. Even little things like pumping gas in my car becomes a worldly event. Then you have the opposite where you have to have many day jobs to help pay the bills because acting just isn't cutting it. You take projects just because you love to do it regardless of if you get paid or not. This brings me to my point... Pay vs. Passion. Since the last time I posted I've gotten a call back on my audition from last week (WOO HOO) and a new audition for an independent feature length film. The call back explained the whole process, since it's a web series, and the commitment that will come with being cast. However there was nothing in the email about pay. I've done a lot of passion projects...actually I've only been paid once to do an acting gig and it was $50 (other than the 2 extra jobs I got which I'll post about someday). So my dilemma is do I email back and ask about pay? They are asking me if I can commit to this sort of project and are awaiting my reply. Do I say, "I would love to, but I will have to take time off from 'day job,' what is the pay going to be like?" or do I just say "Yes." or do I just say "No."

On top of that my audition this week is out in Austin on a weekend. I've given up 2 premiere money making shifts at the day job for a chance at being in a feature length film that is only paying "deferred payment." Which means, from what I understand anyways, that I will get paid eventually if the movie sells to a distributing company and/or is picked up in the festival circuit. I've already made the decision to go to the audition and give it my all because it does sound like a great opportunity. But once again at this stage in my career its Pay vs. Passion. Recently I've stopped submitting to lower things that I've been doing the past 2 years because I feel it's time to take the next step in my career and attack the big boys. I know my potentional and believe in karma. So maybe doing all these projects for just passion with no pay will eventually pay off. I don't know, but what I do know is Passion is out weighing the pay for me and always will. That's why Johnny Depp is my favorite actor. Throughout his career he always seemed to do these weird characters in these weird movies that were not going to be big money making films but he didn't care. It was about the passion.

I'm going to make my decision later tonight but I already know what I'm going to do...just trying to make an educated decision.

Cheers,
Jonathan Baca