In the New York Times article “Recession Raises Poverty Rate to a 15-Year High” economist Lawrence Katz of Harvard observed that this is the first time an entire decade has produced no economic growth for the American household. With one in seven American residents struggling below the poverty line, there seems to be little hope for career advancement or a career at all.
One Eastern Michigan University student, Brandon Mullins, 25, has found a creative way to be on the good side of that ratio. Mullins started a marketing and independent film company called PeRshgo Industries with his high school friends around 2006.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, seven out of 10 new employer firms last at least two years, and about half survive five years.
“It’s a big risk,” EMU mechanical engineering major Drew Rasmussen, 22, said. “You have to make a big initial investment. I’d rather just find a job. Then you’re not responsible for the whole thing. You don’t have to manage the money; you just work, get a wage and buy what you want.”
Though Mullins’ company is too new to predict the probability of its survival, after months of steady hard work PeRshgo Industries might have found a break. In early 2010, Mullins and his coworkers were given the job of managing the publicity of the indie film “Naked Angel,” set to premier at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. where tickets will be sold for $10. This is a far cry from the early PeRshgo projects of designing websites for small companies.
The movie, starring James Duval, is a twist on “It’s a Wonderful Life.” An angel is sent from heaven to help Andreas, a troubled soul. When the angel falls in love with Andreas, she finds she can no longer hear the voice of God.
Michigan is beginning to establish its identity as a haven for TV and film production. In April 2008, the Michigan Film Incentive was passed, where according to the Michigan Department of Treasury, those who choose to produce a film in Michigan are able to get 42 percent of their production expenditures refunded back to them as a tax credit.
Mullins said, “At the Detroit Masonic Temple, there are 4-5 movies being shot there within the next few months. “Whip-It” with Drew Barrymore was shot in Ypsilanti. I was in Detroit the other day, and I saw an episode of “Detroit 1-8-7” being filmed.”
The writer and director of “Naked Angel,” Christina Morales Hemenway, started out as a production assistant and she moved up by getting trusted with bigger jobs.
Mullins chose to go to EMU where he is majoring in electronic media because of the weight that comes with a degree.
“It gets you taken seriously. There are a lot of people who come out and say, ‘I can do this, this, and this and they don’t have the paperwork to back it up. They just get thrown aside.”
As the publicity manager of “Naked Angel,” Mullins is not directly applying what he has learned at school to his career. His electronic media major has geared him to an industry where so much relies not on hard technical skills, but on interpersonal relationships and communication.
“My niche is not found in my actual degree, but my degree has geared me to this industry,” Mullins said. “This is an industry that says, ‘You know about film and TV production. We would like you to market our product.’ Talking the talk is actually important. People immediately can tell if you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you know the slang, you know the business.”
Mullins was able to land the role of publicity manager through tenacity. His advice to those looking to enter the film industry is to build relationships with people through local film clubs, such as Michigan’s Project LightStand, and small companies that will not pay but will let those interested be part of production. He also warns to not let gaps exist between projects or else skills will degrade.
When getting the job for “Naked Angel” Mullins said, “Some people would just send an e-mail, and that’s it. We called and we said, ‘Are you still interested in somebody?’ We kept the ball rolling and that landed us the gig.”
PeRshgo Industries will be entering the National Film Challenge in October, where the goal is to create a film from start to finish in 48 hours.
