A Phil Svitek Podcast - A Series From Your 360 Creative Coach

Marisa Serafini (@serafinitv) and I are book lovers and we've decided to do a monthly in-depth book discussion. Our fourth book is The Diamond In The Window (part of The Hall Family Chronicles) by Jane Langont and next month we'll be chatting about Rebecca Serle's In Five Years.   What's The Diamond In The Window about?    "Eddy and Eleanor Hall have always known that their family w...

Thanks to my mentor Robert Patton-Spruill, I've viewed filmmaking as a team sport. This has really benefited me and it can help you too. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com .    RESOURCES/LIN...

After over a year of planning, filming, editing and so on, my newest film "A Bogota Trip" is complete. And it's premiering at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival June 20th in Los Angeles where YOU can attend! That's right. YOU are invited to the premiere screening.    Tickets can be purchased at http://TinyURL.com/ABogotaTrip (just search "A Bogota Trip" on the page to find it.)   For...

For complicated projects, whether feature films or videos with tons of effects, it can be advantageous to export as image sequences first so that way if a render messes up, you've still made progress. I share some scenarios where this makes sense for you. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more...

Whether you're raising money through a crowdfund or putting together a public event such as a film screening, you want to get the word out to as many people as possible. How do you do that? Well, in basketball, there's a term "full court press." I apply this same notion to these things. Using my film's June 20th premiere (which you can get tickets for at http://TinyURL.com/ABogotaTrip —just search...

In this vlog, I discuss how I feel we're all dealing with the whiplash of daily life. Afterwards, I share some of the stuff I've been up to creatively. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com .  &nbsp...

I’m excited to announce that A Bogotá Trip has been officially selected to be part of the Marina Del Rey Film Festival. You can purchase tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/ABogotaTrip .   If you’re unaware, A Bogotá Trip is about Two sets of American tourists who bump into each other in Bogota, Colombia, which sparks potential relationships that could spell disaster for their lives back home....

A term I learned recently is optimistic nihilism. The two words combined might sound contradictory, but it makes sense when you really understand the philosophy. That's what I shed light on. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website...

Marisa Serafini (@serafinitv) and I are book lovers and we've decided to do a monthly in-depth book discussion. Our third book is All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson and next month we'll be chatting about Jane Langton's The Diamond in the Window.   What's All Tomorrow's Parties about?    "Colin Laney, sensitive to patterns of information like no one else on earth, currently res...

For indie filmmakers, film festivals are both fun and great exposure. But there's a lot of planning that needs to go into creating your film's festival circuit. Where do you begin? That's what I tackle in this episode. So check out it out and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from your 360 creative coach...

Often times, we know the advice we should take. Yet we don't. Why? That's the question to ask yourself. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com .   RESOURCES/LINKS: -Coach or Consultant Services: http...

I love whenever I have an opportunity to sit with artists and talk about their craft. I always end up learning something and feeling inspired afterwards. And it's a joy to share it with you as well. In this interview, I chat with author Zara Lisbon (@ImNotZaraLisbon). We discuss her books, her poetry, her process, her inspirations, etc. It's really a fun one. So check out this episode and please s...

When we send video files to someone over email, the goal should be to make it as easy as possible for the other person to access it. Yet, so many people, at least from my experience, don't do this. Here's best practices for you to utilize going forward. So check out this episode and please share your thoughts down in the comment section or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more fr...

Many of us have become news junkies whether we know it or not. Information is being thrust at us from all directions. And there's FOMO associated with not reading the news because then you come off uninformed, or worse, uncaring. But, I'm here to help you understand that you don't always need real time info to create meaningful action. In fact, there's many times it hinders you. So check out this...

Picture lock (or piclock for short) is when a movie is done being edited and the timing is locked in so it can go to color correction, sound design, scoring, visual effects, etc. But adding those elements helps inform the project and may spark new ideas that may require editing changes. This scares many inexperienced people and they don't make those changes. Here's a look at how you can do it with...

This past week I completed a lot of quick tasks that I'd been strategically holding off. For example, the poster for A Bogota Trip is done! You can check out https://philsvitek.com/a-bogota-trip/ to see it and get more info on the film. After discussing all of these tasks, I shift gears and highlight what's next for me. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of yo...

Each month, Marisa Serafini (@serafinitv) and I read a book and discuss it online. In April, we had an in-depth conversation on Erika Robuck's (@erobuckauthor) book The Invisible Woman ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW5mLksAc58 ). And when the opportunity to be able to interview her came up, we jumped on it. Two things: 1) no, you don't need to have read the book to enjoy this interview, althou...

We'd like to avoid pain and hassles. However, in life, it's dealing with problems that allows us to grow, get better, learn and ultimately build our "toolbox" which makes us more successful. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the comment section or by hitting me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly, for more free resources from y...

When people think about "success" they often force wholesale changes. Why? You don't need to. Think about the 100 meter race. What's the margin of victory? Fractions of a second. This shows top athletes are focusing on the smallest of details in order to win. Apply the same to your pursuits and you'll see greater results. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of...

As people, we're naturally inclined to tell stories to people around us using the "and then" method. Something happens, and then something else happens. But, storytelling (in movies, books, etc) is labored if that's the case. It presents no stakes or complications. And I love ideas that are simple yet have a profound effect. It's why I love Matt Stone and Trey Parker's writing advice. As the creat...

Almost a month since my last vlog! Lots to catch up on, most of it in terms of my second feature film (A Bogota Trip). I discuss getting to picture lock, ADR sessions, and next steps. Then I talk about what's next beyond the film. While it seems like much of the conversation won't apply to anyone but filmmakers, I promise there are plenty of take-aways for any artist. Thanks for tuning in. Also, f...

When discussing relationships with friends, I'll often use the quote that "if you're not free to leave, you're not free to stay." It takes them a moment to really process that. But it's good advice for all forms of relationships, not just romantic ones, and so I explain what it means and how it can help you approach life. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of...

Sadly, there's been instances in my career where I've had to deal with corrupted audio. I've tried many solutions but one that always manages to work for me is Aero Quartet's Treasured service ( https://aeroquartet.com/treasured/index.en.html ). And no, this is not an ad. I just use the service. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in t...

Tony Robbins often says that if you change your identity, you change your behavior. Seth Godin talks about identity in a similar way when he coaches creatives. That why in this episode, I explore how if you expand your identity, you can expand and grow. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the comment section or by hitting me up on s...

Successful writers always say writer's block is a myth. Why? Is it because they have so much talent that they never have to deal with it and therefore don't think it exists? No. In this episode, I share insights learned from such writers and how you can utilize their methods to avoid writer's block. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down...