112: Three Unconventional Ways To Excel In The Video Business w/ Barry Andersson
How do you find work if you live in a place that might not have many opportunities? It’s going to take some creativity, determination, and flexibility for sure, but the work is out there. Today’s guest, Barry Andersson, has made a career out of taking what he calls “intelligent risks” to find amazing work in unexpected ways.
Barry is an award-winning director and cinematographer. He has made a career in television and video production which includes five feature films, many short films, three TV pilots, and numerous commercials. He uses his real-world experience to work for clients like Disney, Skype, and ESPN to instruct seminars globally about best practices for filmmakers. He’s consulted with groups like the US Marines, the NFL, NBA, and some prestigious universities. As if that weren’t enough, he’s also the author of the DSLR Filmmaker’s Handbook.
Today, we’re talking about unconventional ways to find work in this business. Barry has found work that he truly enjoys doing and we talk about discovering jobs that we find fulfilling. As a master of making great videos under less than ideal circumstances, Barry pulls the curtain back to reveal some of the ways he ends up with amazing finished products.
Barry took a unique path into filmmaking, eschewing formal film school in favor of going his own intrepid route. We talk about what this journey was like, its unique struggles and advantages and disadvantages. Barry is a pro at finding work in unexpected places and he shares how he does that too.
Have you found any outside the box solutions to getting work far from the big studios? Let me know how you did it in the comments on the episode page!
In this episode:
- Identifying work that you truly enjoy doing
- Common frustrations that aspiring filmmakers face and how you can overcome them
- The work-ethic and sheer force of determination necessary to make it big in this line of work
- Finding jobs in unexpected places by leveraging your resources and connections
- Why you should work on jobs that make you nervous and uncomfortable
- Three unconventional ways to excel in the video business
Quotes:
“Any time I get to work with someone and get to create an authentic moment that isn’t authentic, that’s something that I feel like I was put on this earth to do.” [9:21]
“How many people have one defined path that worked? This is the only business where literally there are no rules… As long as you don’t think it’s crazy, then it’s a viable option to try.” [20:31]
“If you're not working on jobs routinely that make you uncomfortable and nervous, you are not doing it right because those are the jobs that push you to be the best.” [29:08]
Links:
Follow Barry Andersson on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Vimeo
The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook by Barry Anderson and Janie L. Geyen
Additional Links:
Check out the full show notes page
Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas
Tune into our weekly Facebook Lives
Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!