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 second book is The Invisible Woman by Erica Robuck (@erobuckauthor) and next month we'll be chatting about William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties.   What's The Invisible Woman about?    "France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn't like the other young society women back...

When it comes to filmmaking, one of the more costly aspects, especially in the indie world, is song licensing. Not only is it costly, but if you don't get the song(s) you were hoping for, it's one of the biggest give aways that your film lacked money. My suggestion, use only score you created. I expand upon these ideas in this episode. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offe...

Sleep has become synonymous with rest, but according to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, sleep is one of the few types of rest you need. This episode aims to introduce you to those and give you action steps to getting more rest in all those areas:   -Physical: The chance to use the body in restorative ways to decrease muscle tension, reduce headaches, and promote higher quality sleep.   -M...

I believe 90 minutes is the ideal cutoff length for indie filmmakers. Why? That's what I go over in this episode. 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 your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com . RESOU...

Whenever something happens that I don't like, I make it my mission to focus and fix it. In this episode, I give a few examples so that way you can apply this to your life. 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 your 360 creative co...

In any avenue of life, we're bound to mess up. When this happens, we all have choices—to lament over it and let it define us OR use it as a moment of new opportunity. Many choose the former. But with a simple mental shift, you can start seeing the latter. And when you do, life presents unexpected things that you'll be grateful for. That's what this episode tackles and aims to help you to do. Thank...

It's been a while since my last vlog, so in this one I give you an update on the past two weeks. I talk about the various projects I've been working on which has lead me to do some traveling. Through those experiences I've gained new insights, which I share. Then I update you on the status of my film and next steps. Finally, I end by discussing a scene from Patch Adams I was reminded of and how it...

Filmmakers, I wanted to get your input after sharing my thoughts. Recently, I had to submit a DVD to a film festival as part of their application process. This is not only antiquated but also costly. Sure, it creates a buffer where on serious people submit, but still... What are your thoughts? Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the...

In my latest vlog, I provide some quick thoughts on the state of things before jumping into the creative aspects of the past week. Mainly, that involved a test screening and getting things prepped for submission to a film festival of my dreams. I dig into both and provide you with take-aways for any discipline. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, w...

Marisa Serafini (@serafinitv) and I are book lovers and we've decided to do a monthly in-depth book discussion. Our first book is The Poppy War and next month we'll be chatting about The Invisible Woman by Erica Robuck.   The Poppy War is a 2018 novel by R. F. Kuang. It's a grimdark fantasy that draws its plot and politics from mid-20th-century China, with the conflict in the novel based on t...

For a countless number of us, when we pursue our passions (creatively, through activism, love, etc), it feels like we have to work twice as hard just to make any progress at all. That can be frustrating, especially when others make it seem so easy. And it's made worse when others use phrases like "X person also only has 24 hours in a day and they're getting it done." So why does it feel this way?...

Recently, I saw The Tinder Swindler on Netflix and it got me thinking about the state of dating and online dating in general. That's what this episode is dedicated to—asking questions and topics I don't see many people cover. 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. Las...

Lenin said, "There are decades where nothing happens. And there are weeks where decades happen." That's one way to sum up this past week. And because of that, there's a lot to process. While not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I try to offer some thoughts that may be of benefit to you. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in...

One of my favorite shows is Smart Guy. And because of that, I've taken lessons learned from the show and applied them to my life. In this episode, I share some advice from Mo of all people that can actually benefit you tremendously if you apply it. 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...

There's a quote that goes, "Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch,  you’re starting from experience." (I'm not sure who it's attributed to). We negate how beneficial that experience truly is to our work and lives, simply because it wasn't the thing we were aiming for. Let's redefine our goals, so that no matter what happens, we win with anything we do. That...

With this episode, I announce the milestone of having completed the assembly edit. If you're unfamiliar I explain what that is and the next steps from here. I also update you on some revisions I've been making to Master Mental Fortitude and give you some practical advice, especially if you're a host/actor/etc. While a lot of the topics focus on filmmaking, there are take-aways for any artist out t...

My friend AJ Jolivette (@AJJolivette) recently posted his take on being an advanced level and I really liked the definition. Thus, I'm sharing it here as it applies to all aspects of life. 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 you...

In an interview with Collider ( https://collider.com/m-night-shyamalan-old-interview/ ), M. Night Shyamalan discussed how his most recent projects were financed by him. It's bold, definitely, but there's definitely lessons and take-aways within his strategy that all artists can utilize. That's what I explore in this episode. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions...

It's been a while, I know. So in this episode of my vlog I catch you up on what's been going. Most of it involves wrapping up production on my second film and getting things organized. But within that, there's plenty of nuggets and take-aways for you. 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 soc...

There's such a variety of footage that exists out there, from professional to low quality. And if you're editing video, most likely you'll have to combine those various sources within your project. But how are you supposed to work with all this mixed footage, especially is one of the videos simply won't play? Don't worry, I have a solution for you in this episode. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel...

Every artist should study their craft—the technique as well as the technical. This is because it helps build your "toolbox" of tricks. These are ways of doing something, especially when faced with a problem. They allow you to continue working from a creative space rather than from a place of fear. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in...

Are you a filmmaker trying to make the most use out of your budget? Then I recommend http://kitsplit.com to you. No, this is not an ad. It's a platform that I think is fantastic. And not only can you rent gear yourself, but you can also rent your gear to others and earn some extra cash. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the commen...

When you only seek or engage with people who share your beliefs, it can create many blindspot in your thinking. It's why diversity within companies matters—it leads to the best decision making. So adapt that philosophy and listen to people who you don't always agree with. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the comment section or by...

This past week, something clicked for me. In the past, I joked about how people have "should" meetings. They're meetings that end up being useless because all that the people end up doing is talking about things they should do but they never actually do them. I find this happening with a lot of people. Yet they complain about being stuck or whatever. Now, I've realized it's because in their minds,...

In this edition of my vlog I discuss the importance of focusing on the macro. I use anecdotes from my film editing and novel writing to illustrate why it's faster for you to create projects this way. Then I go over what being in an advanced level truly means. There's lots of nuggets in there for you to utilize, so enjoy. Thanks for tuning in. Also, feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of y...