Imagine a Fall parent mixer for your child’s first school. Wine, laughter, conversation and the dread of being asked, “So, what do you do?” I know what I do, I’ve done it for over two decades, but it’s so complex, one word or title could never encapsulate it. But a long, drawn out explanation may bore or even turn people off. So the default answer left my mouth, “Uh, video, video production.” Nine times out of ten, the follow up question was always, “So you do weddings?” Other encounters prompted another typical response, “Oh, I have a friend who does video. You should meet! Check out his site.” When I do, its usually straightforward event recordings of dance recitals, football games and town hall meetings.
I have the utmost respect for all forms of production and those who can make a living from it. But that’s not what I do. That’s not me! I don’t do weddings, parties or events and corporate doesn’t really define what I do either. But maybe going through what you don’t do and who you’re not is how you finally find who you are.
So when it came time to reboot my career after a slowdown to be with my son for his first years, I had a serious decision to make. In order to be successful working independently, I finally had to focus my attention to who I wanted to serve and clearly define who I am and what I do. Thus, began my quest for identity.
Early in my life, I was very comfortable with the broad identity of “artist.” By the sixth grade, I had no problem telling people I would be a cartoonist. Then I recently discovered something very interesting when I came across my eighth grade autograph book while cleaning the garage. More than one person wished me luck in my filmmaking career. I do remember the interest at 12 after seeing a behind the scenes show about the making of “The Empire Strikes Back,” but can’t recall telling my classmates I wanted to be a filmmaker.
Senior year of high school, that was all I talked about. I was going to USC Film school and will see everyone at my Hollywood premiere! That didn’t happen. I stayed in New York and was an “independent filmmaker” at heart while being swept up in the VHS revolution! (We’re talking 1988-91) In college, I was a “Video Guy” while also splitting my identity with “actor.” But it split even more because I also drew storyboards, made props and costumes, shot, edited… could basically do a little of everything. This prompted surprisingly nasty responses from “professionals” offering feedback before graduation. They scoffed my demo reel telling me, “You CAN’T do everything!” Nobody wants that! One thing only. Focus on ONE thing and that’s who you are!”
Little did they or I know I was ahead of the curve by about a decade or so. Today, you can’t get hired unless you have a working knowledge of shooting, editing, graphics, motion graphics, sound editing, color grading etc. . It’s a necessity to have a sense of ALL the parts of a production to be able to move through the process of creating an assembling a piece.
So here was the opportunity to compliment and lift up a young creative about to graduate with all the positives of knowing the whole process and what an amazing asset that was. Instead, I was shamed by narrow thinking and didn’t know how to identify myself as I approached graduation. “Jack of all trades, master of none,” kept echoing in my mind. Isn’t it amazing how one person’s opinion or way of thinking can totally influence and alter someone’s perception of themselves if that person isn’t firmly grounded in who they are?
So where did my identity go from there?
Find out next week!
I’ll leave you with this documented reason why I will never shoot weddings or parties. This is from my first paid gig in 1987 to the perfect rendition of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from the “Uncle Floyd Album”. The expression on my face and my gesture says it all!
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