If I could talk to myself a decade ago and only share one filmmaking success tip, what would I say?
I know this may sound unrelated to filmmaking. But I can tell you that success is not created in a vacuum. It is created with the help and support of other people, including mentors and collaborators.
The Secret To Filmmaking Success
While it is true that some people stumble upon opportunity and get lucky, I would venture to say that over 90 percent of self-made successful filmmakers got what they wanted in life by using some variation of the following three success tips:
First: They knew what they wanted.
Second: They made a plan to get what they wanted.
Third: They picked up the phone and cold called people who could help make their plan a reality.
Think about it. Could you go to “networking events” and try to find people to help introduce you to the appropriate contacts? Yes. But just as easily you could pick up the phone, call your prospective contact's place of business and try to get him or her on the phone to meet and make your pitch.
Will you get the meeting? Maybe. Maybe not. But if you had a list of 100 prospects and you called all the people on that list, odds are good you would find someone willing to sit down with you.
Why is this important to your filmmaking? Because unless you ASK for what you want, how is anybody in life going to know how to find you?
If you would like to find out more about networking, success strategies and most importantly – how to find prospective heavy hitters so you can produce your next film, make sure to grab a copy of my filmmaker checklist.
