Episode 24 – Books I’ve Loved – Cal Newport, Jim Dethmer & Ryan Holliday

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The excerpt from Amazon says this about Deep Work:”
‘Deep work’ is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Coined by author and professor Cal Newport on his popular blog Study Hacks, deep work will make you better at what you do, let you achieve more in less time and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from the mastery of a skill. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive economy.
And yet most people, whether knowledge workers in noisy open-plan offices or creatives struggling to sharpen their vision, have lost the ability to go deep – spending their days instead in a frantic blur of email and social media, not even realising there’s a better way.
A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, DEEP WORK takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories — from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air — and surprising suggestions, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored.

Put simply: developing and cultivating a deep work practice is one of the best decisions you can make in an increasingly distracted world and this book will point the way.

 
The excerpt from Amazon says this about The 15 Commitments:
 
You’ll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book.
These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. They are radical or provocative for many. They have been game changers for us and for our clients. We trust that they will be for you too.
Our experience is that unconscious leadership is not sustainable. It won’t work for you, your team or your organization in the long term. Unconscious leadership can deliver short term results, but the costs of living and leading unconsciously are great.
Fear drives most leaders to make choices that are at odds with healthy relationships, vitality and balance. This fear leaves a toxic residue that won’t be as easily tolerated in an increasingly complex business environment.
Conscious leadership offers the antidote to fear. These pages contain a comprehensive road map to guide you to shift from fear-based to trust-based leadership. Once you learn and start practicing conscious leadership you’ll get results in the form of more energy, clarity, focus and healthier relationships. You’ll do more and more of what you are passionate about, and less of what you do out of obligation. You’ll have more fun, be happier, experience less drama and be more on purpose.
Your team will get results as well. They’ll be more collaborative, creative, energized and engaged. They’ll solve issues faster, and once resolved the issues won’t resurface. Drama and gossip will all but disappear, and the energy and resources that fueled them will be redirected towards innovation and creativity.
 
The excerpt from Amazon says this about The Obstacle is the way.
The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck.
If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

Reviewing the Covid-19 White Paper Guidelines with Lisa Mall and Brandon Riley

In this episode we discuss the COVID-19 White Paper guidelines with Lisa Mall.

Lisa is a DGA 2nd AD-based in Dallas, TX but frequently works across the US in various cities such as New York City, Portland, OR and many others. Her recent projects include Halle Berry’s “Bruised,” Netflix’s unreleased “Grand Army,” USA Network’s “Queen of the South,” and a handful of indie feature films.  Past projects include IFC’s “Portlandia,” Marvel’s “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones,” and a smattering of movies the likes of “Olympus Has Fallen,” “The Maze Runner,” and “Get On Up,” to name a few.
Please enjoy!

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Episode 17 – Alex Ferrari – Producing micro budget movies and the rise of the Filmtrepreneur

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In this episode we talk with Alex Ferrari (@ifilmhustle on instagram) about producing micro budget movies and the rise of the Filmtrepreneur.

Alex is an author, blogger, speaker, consultant, the host of the #1 filmmaking podcast on iTunes the Indie Film Hustle Podcast, and an award-winning writer/director with 25 years of experience in the film industry. As a director, his films have screened in over 500 international film festivals.

Alex recently released his second book Rise of the Filmtrepreneur® How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Money Making Business.

Links Mentioned

Rise of the Filmtrepreneur: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business – http://www.filmbizbook.com

Indie Film Hustle: http://www.indiefilmhustle.com

Indie Film Hustle TV: http://www.indiefilmhustle.tv

Filmtrepreneur: http://www.filmtrepreneur.com

Bulletproof Screenwriting: www.bulletproofscreenwriting.tv

On the Corner of Ego and Desire (Sundance Film): http://www.egoanddesirefilm.com

Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story): http://www.shootingforthemob.com

Episode 7 – Seth Edelstein – A UPM’s process for building an all-star team

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In this episode we talk with Unit Production Manager Seth Edelstein about the process he uses when building an all-star team.

Seth started out in the film industry as a Production Assistant and then got into the DGA Trainee program in the 90s and went on to work as an 2nd 2nd AD, 2nd AD, 1st AD and now Unit Production Manager. Some of Seth’s credits include Nightcrawler, Liar Liar, Dodgeball, Speed, Beethoven 2nd, Better Caul Saul, American Crime Story, The Mentalist, Without a Trace to name a few.

Books Mentioned in the episode: Crucial Conversations

Apps Mentioned in the episode: Wunderlist & Dark Sky

Episode 3 – Jason Roberts – An Assistant Directors insight into working with Tom Cruise, utilizing VFX and managing thousands of extras

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In this episode we talk with Jason Roberts about his experience working with Tom Cruise, implementing VFX sequences and demystifying the process of managing large amounts of background actors.

Jason Roberts is a member of the DGA and works as a UPM, 1st AD, 2nd AD and is known for some very well known Tv Shows and Movies….. The Orville, Downsizing, American Made, Transformers: The Last Knight, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jurassic World, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Collateral etc… Jason started out in the film industry working as a Production Assistant before landing a job as a DGA Trainee.

Episode 2 – Nick Thomas – The philosophy and strategy behind finding and managing locations on a film set.

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In this episode we dive into the specifics and philosophy behind finding and managing locations for film and tv shows. Our guest, Nick Thomas (@imnickthomas on instagram), currently works as a Location Manager in the New Orleans market as both a scout and manager. Nick has worked on TV shows such as Cloak & Dagger, Fear the Walking Dead, Preacher and a plethora of movies of all budget sizes.  

Check out Nick’s website at http://www.nickthomas.co/