Lesson 5 – Stop Waiting for Someone Else to Build Your Career
One of the questions I hear most often is, “How do I get an agent?” Right behind that are questions like, “How do I find a manager?” “How do I get a producer attached?” or “How do I get someone to finance my movie?”
Notice the pattern?
Every one of those questions assumes that someone else is going to move your career forward.
I think that’s the wrong mindset.
Your career is your responsibility. No one is ever going to care about it as much as you do, and no one is going to work harder for it than you should.
I’ve met talented screenwriters who have spent years waiting for an agent to discover them. I’ve met filmmakers waiting for a producer to read their script. I’ve met directors waiting for financing before they shoot anything. Years go by, and they’re still waiting.
Meanwhile, someone else with half the experience has made two short films, a micro-budget feature, built a following online, met hundreds of people at festivals, and is already working on their next project.
Who do you think has the better chance of building a long-term career?
One of the biggest changes in filmmaking over the last decade is that you no longer need permission to create. Cameras are better than they’ve ever been. Editing software is affordable. Visual effects that once required massive studios can now be created by small teams. You can distribute your work online, build an audience through social media, and connect directly with people who love the kinds of stories you want to tell.
So use those tools.
If you have a feature screenplay but can’t raise the money to make it today, write a short film that lives in the same world. Make a proof of concept. Create a graphic novel. Build a pitch deck. Shoot concept footage. Start an email newsletter. Build an audience before the movie even exists.
Every one of those things creates momentum.
One thing I tell filmmakers all the time is to stop defining yourself by one job title.
Don’t just be a screenwriter.
Don’t just be a director.
Don’t just be a producer.
Learn enough about every part of the process that you can keep your project moving forward no matter where it gets stuck.
Early in my career, I learned how to produce because I needed to produce. I learned directing because I wanted to direct. I learned location scouting, scheduling, budgeting, editing, marketing, and distribution because every one of those skills helped me become a better filmmaker. I wasn’t learning them because I wanted another title. I was learning them because every new skill removed another obstacle between me and getting a film made.
That’s the mindset I think every independent filmmaker should have today. You don’t have to become the world’s greatest editor or line producer, but understanding what those people do makes you a stronger filmmaker and a better collaborator. I also think too many people underestimate the value of simply finishing things.
There’s a huge difference between saying you’ve written five screenplays and saying you’ve made three films. Finished projects change the way people see you. Investors notice. Producers notice. Actors notice. Festivals notice. Every completed project becomes proof that you’re someone who follows through. That credibility compounds over time.
Your first project leads to your second. Your second introduces you to people who become part of your third. Eventually, you look back and realize your network wasn’t built overnight. It was built project by project, relationship by relationship, over many years. That’s how almost every successful career I’ve seen has developed.
The filmmakers who continue working aren’t necessarily the most talented. They’re often the most persistent. They keep learning. They keep adapting. They keep creating. Most importantly, they don’t wait for someone else to give them permission.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this lesson, it’s this:
Stop waiting.
Stop waiting for the perfect screenplay.
Stop waiting for the perfect investor.
Stop waiting for the perfect producer.
Stop waiting for the perfect time.
Start making progress with the resources you have today. Your career won’t be built by one lucky break. It’ll be built by hundreds of small decisions that move you one step closer to your goals every single day. Those steps may seem small while you’re taking them, but over time they become a body of work, a reputation, and ultimately a career.
That’s how filmmakers get films made.