1) As an intelligent, creative, driven person in our industry you’ll be poised for success. Your work may take you all over the world for extended periods of time. Your hours will likely be long and often unpredictable as you write, pitch on projects, shoot and then spend days immersed in post-production. You will be barraged by work texts and email with the pressure to address each one immediately, whether it’s received from a member of your team or a client.
If you’re lucky, you meet wonderful people on your life path, some of whom will be dear to you, whether family, friends, a significant other, or eventually, children. These relationships are ultimately the most important, potentially fulfilling aspects of your life. Be conscious of carving out time for them from your over-burdened work existence.
Leave your phone if you can. Let your team know you will be offline for two hours, or at least don’t check your device while you’re at dinner or spending time at home with your partner. Find a way to mentally remove yourself from work so that you can be present for those you care about most. Discipline yourself to do this regularly, and as often as possible, as these relationships will sustain you as you navigate the potentially all-consuming aspects of your career.
2) Seeing the world from as many perspectives as possible will inform your POV, so travel as much and as far as you can before your career consumes you. Read while you are on these journeys—I recommend literature written by local authors. Go to museums and galleries. Take an acting class or two. Push yourself to write, even if you are not a “natural” scribe. Train yourself to listen to others and consider their POV as it relates to your own.
3) Keep an ongoing, easily searchable database of anything that might be useful to your future projects. Crew members who stand out, eclectic stores you happen upon, a charter airline you spot at a remote airport while traveling. Also be on the lookout for location ideas—anything from a pristine, period-piece diner to a rotting warehouse.
4) Our most recent exciting recent PROJECT has been to welcome a few very special directors to our roster. Nico Caicoya, Eric Van Wyke, Fabula—a directing consortium—and Charles & Angela Jensen have joined No Smoke and have been shooting, pitching and look forward to the challenge of a great year ahead!