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

In the film Blue Bayou (don't worry, not a spoiler), Justin Chon's character asks his daughter Jessie, "Is that a true thought or a blue thought?" This question, while simple and unsuspecting, really resonated with me. It reminds me of the work Byron Katie invites us to do. As such, in this episode, I unpack the full extent of this question and what it means to me. More importantly, how it can ben...

In The Matrix Revolutions, the Oracle says, "The real test for any choice is having to make the same choice again, knowing full well what it might cost – I guess I feel pretty good about that choice, ’cause here I am, at it again." I like this quote as it applies to my choice of moving forward and making my 2nd feature film. In this vlog, I discuss the final preparations for the movie. Things like...

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had to wait about a decade to see his vision of the show to see the light of day ( https://www.insider.com/squid-game-creator-paused-writing-script-sell-laptop-for-cash-2021-10 ). In online discussions, I've seen people highlight this as an example of perseverance. And it is. However, there is something that's overlooked in these discussions and it's the fact tha...

I've often thought about what freedom really means. I've examined it through different lenses. Today, I ask you a simple question, if freedom is the ability to do anything you want, what do you choose to do? After listening, kindly 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 res...

The world seems more and more polarized every day. Here's a strategy I thought of to help defuse arguments and have a civil debate with some. After listening, kindly 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:...

"We're in the endgame now," as the Marvel quote goes. Yup, my team and I are a month away from flying to Colombia to film my 2nd movie. It's exciting for sure, though there's still lots to prepare. In this edition of my vlog, I discuss editing the green screen footage we shot a week ago, the VFX process, the administrative side of things, plus how I'm getting prepared mentally and physically. I re...

Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project. Recently, he was a guest on Pulling the Thread with Elise Loehnen ( https://www.eliseloehnen.com/ ). Together, they discussed many ideas and shared wonderful in...

Libraries are really magical places. Yes, you can check out books for free. But there's also so much more at your disposal. For example, there's so much that the LA Library offers me, which I highlight. But even if you don't live in LA, go and ask what your local library offers to you. I'm willing to bet it's a lot that you'll be surprised by. After listening, kindly feel free to ask questions or...

We officially began production on my 2nd feature film! Well, sorta, kinda... We filmed all the green screen stuff here in LA because it's easier to do here rather than in Colombia where the majority of filming will take place. Also, we filmed this a month and change in advance, just to wet our feet a little AND because these shots will require the most time to complete in terms of the final sequen...

Recently, I posted an episode where I discussed that you have to consider how other people's habits and routines apply to your life before adopting them ( https://youtu.be/VBEMN8Rr-v4 ) That was really a jumping off point for me into what I'm terming as "practical self help." And since it's a new revelation, I wanted to do a true deep dive on the subject and bring in varying perspectives to help m...

This episode aims to answer a simple question: why haven't you taken the first step towards your pursuit? Once you begin to understand this, you can combat it. That's what I explore in this episode. After listening, kindly 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 fr...

This is my review of Blue Bayou, a drama film written and directed by Justin Chon. It's about Antonio LeBlanc who is a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou. He's married to the love of his life, Kathy, and raising his beloved stepdaughter, Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must soon confront the ghosts of his past after learning that he could be de...

In the past week, a number of locations we'd booked for my upcoming movie fell through. Then other things happened as well. That happens all the time in production. Rather than fight against it, you have to learn to embrace it and get creative. That's what the team and I were forced to do. And it's actually working out for the better. This is what I mostly focus on in this vlog, though I do also t...

There are many who hold onto this limiting belief that having more money will make a movie better—whether it be a director, producer, actor, cinematographer, etc. Sometimes it might. But other times it can in fact ruin a film's spirit. Famous movies like El Mariachi, Following, Chungking Express, Primer and Coherence would not have benefited from more cash. So stop thinking like this if you're str...

Award winning Production Designer Donald Burt (Mank, Social Network, Gone Girl) was a recent guest on the Team Deakins podcast ( https://teamdeakins.libsyn.com/donald-burt-produciton-designer ). During the interview he mention something I'd never considered before in terms of how to approach production design. This really gave me a newfound perspective of how to approach my films and I wanted to s...

There's a sense that we're more divided than ever, as if either you're with us or you're with them. I'm of the opinion this is causing us more harm than good. When you choose based on whatever side you're on, you relent your thinking and allow hypocrisy to dominate. This applies to whatever categorization you want to think of. So how do we combat such a thing? We must reflect and make choices base...

This past week I didn't have any immediate tasks that needed to be completed for my upcoming film, which gave me time to both play and reflect. And thankfully I did have that time because mid week. I learned the news that one of my mentors, Pete Chvany, passed away. At the top of the episode I discuss the impact he had on my life and how I'm going about continuing his legacy. Then I discuss how I...

In acting, there's either an internal or external pause that happens. Generally speaking, you don't want external pauses. It's the equivalent to dead air in radio. Internal pauses however are natural and can build tension or allow the audience to process a moment no different than a character (or host). In this episode, I discuss the differences between the two and how to know which is which. Part...

The cliche of "it's a marathon, not a sprint" is a cliche because it is true. To have longevity and more importantly to really have your work resonate and stand the test of time, it'll take time and patience. That's hard and there are things in life that offer us short term pleasure. On the surface they are not insidious things, but they become so when they start to really distract you and take yo...

As a content creator, from time to time you're going to need to pull some stock images, video or graphics. Question is, where do you go to get them? Simple—Storyblocks ( http://storyblocks.com ). It's a website that's affordable and has so many assets you might be looking for. After listening, kindly feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the comment section or b...

Big announcement: my first movie is finally AVAILABLE to watch publicly! "Love Market" is now on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Love-Market-Amy-Cassandra-Martinez/dp/B09DFS3FTZ/ref=sr_1_14 ). It would mean the world to me and everyone involved if you watched it. Besides, aren't you curious after all this time of me talking about it? After this announcement, I discuss the individual meetings that...

Final Draft is a wonderful screenwriting tool AND it's equally powerful when it comes to pre production. That's where revision mode comes in. In this episode, I share why you'd use this feature and walk you through the specifics. After listening, kindly 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...

No, this is not an ad for Descript ( https://www.descript.com/ )—I pay to use it because I think it's a powerful tool in my box of tricks when it comes to podcast and video editing. In this episode I showcase a bit of my workflow so you can see the various ways it may be beneficial to you. After listening, kindly feel free to ask questions or offer opinions of your own, whether down in the comment...

As I reflect upon the episodes I've released, most of them are techniques to help you get to a place where you lead with love. When this notion popped into my mind, things clicked where leading with love is the north star—what we should be aspiring toward. But it begs the question, what does leading with love mean and look like? That's exactly what I go over in this lesson. After listening, kindly...

This is my review of Together, a 2021 British comedy-drama television film written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Stephen Daldry. It stars James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan as a couple re-evaluating their relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Samuel Logan making an appearance as their son, Artie. It was shot in ten days in Kensal Rise, London. Listen to my thoughts and afterward, please sh...