Essays

I get a lot of people who ask me how to get started in the industry, i.e. how to sell a script or something or get somebody to produce your idea or get a studio to buy your screenplay or make your podcast or whatever.

I’ll let you in on a secret:

Nobody is going to make your thing.

Unless you’re famous or get to take advantage of some sweet, sweet nepotism, people aren’t gonna make your film/show/podcast/interpretive dance show about aliens.

The Cavalry Isn’t Coming

Mark Duplass gave this incredible talk about how you need to make your own content, and how no gatekeepers are going to come and save you. We as creators need to find our own way in the world.

“There is no excuse for you to not be shooting $3 short films on your iPhone with your friends on the weekends.”

I really like this talk in part because it’s so universal. No matter if you’re wanting to get into indie filmmaking, TV writing, immersive theater, scripted podcasts, or whatever — you need to start by building, doing, and making.

There is no excuse to not be making things, even if those things are low-budget scripted podcasts or Zoom musicals.

How I Made My Own Stuff on Basically No Money While Working Multiple Jobs and Going to Classes

I’ve been writing, shooting, editing and producing my own work for as long as I can remember.

I made my first short films when I was gifted a tiny little DV Film camcorder thing in something like sixth or seventh grade. I cut together music videos with my brother and I, and was constantly writing scripts and coming up with stories that I would rope my friends into acting in.

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In this time of both quiet and noise, there’s some things I’d like to remind you of.

I want you to remember that while you can’t pluck the stars from the sky, you can build the infrastructure to reach them.

There are beautiful contraptions that need to be built to transport you from here to the starry sky of your dreams. But you may need to invent them, first.

Pick the star, and then unroll your map. Allow yourself to make new discoveries along the way.

I want you to remember that vulnerability is not a hall pass.

Being vulnerable and open is an act of courage when paired with steps toward change.

The act of admission in itself might absolve your conscience or an obligation to a higher being, but if you want things to change — in life, in society — we all have to work for them, both individually and collectively.

You can share your confessions on Instagram, in therapy, to a significant other — but there’s a difference between living with a mess and actively cleaning out the hall closets and figuring out what needs to go.

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Essay: Things I Want You to Remember

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