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

In this edition of my vlog I open up about completing two short films within one week. Yes, there were many challenges especially since one film was VFX heavy but what was great was working with like minded people (Courtney Stewart - @StewartStarlit, Danielle Argyros - @DanielleArgyros & Morgan Lester - @unofficialmorgan). Then I talk about the distinction between maintenance tasks vs growth t...

Welcome to my vlog, where I highlight my creative journey. In this episode I relate all the seemingly chaotic things happening all at once to a film called Wag The Dog. In it, Dustin Hoffman's character adopts a phrase "This is nothing". To me it represents the perfect attitude as a content creator. I also discuss notions from Brene Brown and how I view them in the context of an artist. So listen...

Any script written is meant as a blueprint for ultimately a visual medium. So why not enhance your table read by bringing in more visuals? In this episode I showcase how to do that and what the benefits are overall. Afterwards, please 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...

IDK why, but a lot of people seem to have this misconception that if they quit or stop something they can't ever return to it. Of course they can and that's the lesson I want to impart on you here. This is the notion I discuss, providing some examples. Now, don't get it twisted. I am not advocating for always following the bigger better offer and burning bridges. Not at all. You have to truly weig...

Alexandra Carter has a wonderful book called ASK FOR MORE ( https://alexcarterasks.com/book/ ) which I recommend to you. Within it though is a key question to ask whenever someone tells you no during a negotiation. This can apply in deal making but especially when asking for a raise. It is this question that I explore and highlight within this episode so you too can benefit from it in your life an...

A milestone week for me last week: I finished a first draft of my script In Search of Sunrise, filming started for a conceptual short film that Courtney Stewart came up with, and exciting news on a past project (which sadly I can't share). I talk about each of these and give some take-aways to help you in your creative journey. And I discuss an idea I have for a table read where I put up reference...

Ever try to schedule a meeting with someone and it ends up taking over 30 emails to figure out a time? How about when there's multiple people involved? Talk about a time waste! But don't fret. There's an easy solution which I share in this episode. And the best part, the solution easily integrates with your tools like Gmail or Outlook. It's called Doodle. That's right, Doodle ( https://doodle.com/...

I recently had a conversation with a friend who said told me he couldn't do what I do because he didn't have an audience like mine. Apart from the obvious fact that I don't really have a large audience by other's standards, I told him I don't focus on my followers and neither should he. Instead, I believe we all need to focus on our professional reputations, especially on social media. This is the...

There's a wonderful book by Mel Robbins called The 5 Second Rule ( https://melrobbins.com/five-elements-5-second-rule/ ). It's a rule to get you to stop thinking and instead start doing. The 5 second rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commit...

With this edition of my vlog, I talk about my first film shoot during the pandemic, updates on my script called In Search of Sunrise and how I believe sunrise is a beautiful creative metaphor, plus the need to travel for people especially as a "local tourist" as I term it. And I talk about how you should strive for a professional reputation over fans or followers. All this and more. FYI, if you'd...

It's great to work with our friends because in theory it's a mutual exchange. However, I've found whenever you get free help you MUST set up expectations and standards so people are held accountable and they know what they're getting into. Just because something is "free" doesn't mean there can't be a set of guidelines everyone adheres because without them both parties get hurt. This is what I exp...

Jay Baer has a quote, "stop trying to be successful, start being useful". This notion, when really explored and applied, is truly powerful and can actually lead you to success. Part of it embodies the notion of embrace the process but it also goes deeper. This is what I explore in this challenge that I have for you. So please listen and afterwards share your thoughts/questions down below or hit me...

Over the years I've heard a lot of people (whether to me or to someone else) say "you need to stop being a victim". This advice can be well intended but what is the fine line between compassion for yourself and allowing yourself to be a victim? It's a question that I've thought about over the years and when answering it, I've mainly provided techniques. But a recent Goop episode with Gwyneth Paltr...

Ever go to make a graphic of any kind, whether a poster, logo, business card, etc, and view other images for inspiration that has a font you absolutely love? How do you get that same font since most of the time it's not a standard Helvetica one? Easy! Take a screenshot then run it through http://fontsquirrel.com . It'll give you a match. Then all you have to do is search for that font on Google. B...

In this vlog I discuss a recent table read, an upcoming test shoot and how art isn't selfish. Plus I provide updates on my script and talk about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. All this and more. FYI, if you'd like to be coached, go to my website at https://philsvitek.com/lets-connect/ and fill out the contact form. For full details, watch: https://youtu.be/4eD38Iy1R3U . Please...

This episode is geared specifically to those who host their own RSS podcast feed. So if you use a service like Libsyn, Anchor, SimpleCast, Megaphone, etc it doesn't apply to you. However, if you generate an RSS from your website directly, pay attention! An issue that may arise (if it hasn't already) is your feed may get overloaded because of apps and users pinging it. This could crash your website...

Dorinda Barker (@Dorindadab1) is a friend of mine from my AfterBuzz days. She's a great producer but she's also started a venture called NXTConnection (@NXTConnection) which aims to help enhance you connection with quality matches for online dating. In this episode, her and I catch up about some creative projects she's got and then deep dive into various ways for you to succeed at online dating by...

Most of what I would have shared today I shared in this episode: https://philsvitek.com/we-must-take-up-r-b-g-s-baton-not-despair-right-now/ . As such, here I share some more positive news, namely how I finished a rough draft of my script. I talk about next steps on it and revelations. I share what I'm reading and how I'm trying to relax as well so I can be of use in things to come. All this and m...

As part of my regular job, I edit goop's podcast. A recent episode I worked on was with guest Christian Busch, who believes that luck may not always be circumstantial—and that by training ourselves to see something in the unexpected, we can make those accidents more meaningful. You can listen to the full episode here: https://goop.com/the-goop-podcast/can-we-create-our-own-good-luck/ . One of the...

No matter our primary creative discipline, we all have a need for graphics of all kinds (thumbnails, social media posts, flyers and promos, etc). Hiring a graphic designer is costly as is Adobe's Photoshop. If you need graphics that aren't too complicated, then I have three suggestions for you! 1) https://pixlr.com/ . 2) https://www.canva.com/ . 3) https://quotescover.com/ . Each have their pros a...

In this episode of my vlog I talk about progress on a friend's project that came seemingly out of nowhere. Then I talk about the depths of creativity, a thought I had as I continue to write my next feature film. Plus I discuss a strategy I will employ once the script is written in order to make it better/tighter. After this, I go into the larger aspects of life and the biggest theme is that like M...

Do you have an IG account and want to have people be able to go to various links based on your posts? A lot of us do. Problem is IG only allows you ONE link in your bio. But there's a workaround. Check out http://campsite.bio ! It's free and it'll allow you to link your posts to multiple websites. Try it out and let me know what you think down below or hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. Lastly...

One of the best ways to get better at honing your messaging is to write it a number of ways. And that's exactly the creative challenge I have for you in this episode. Take an idea, any idea you have, and write it in a number of ways. Start with a 5k word one, trim it to 2k words, then 1k words, then 500, then 100. So how you do and more importantly notice how much fluff you had in your 5k version....

If you have an idea for a product you want to make and sell, then look into Maker's Row ( http://makersrow.com ). It's an online platform where ideas become products by connecting American manufacturers with small, medium-sized and product-based businesses. In this episode I highlight my experience with them to give you some context. If/when you do try them out, please share your experience down b...

Candice Cruz (@CandiceRCruz) is a friend I've known from my time at AfterBuzz TV. This Kentucky-native, Latina-mix has had the “hustle” mentality all of her life accumulating accolades ranging from being accepted into a law-focused summer course at Yale University her sophomore year of high school, to interning at ESPN Headquarters, to winning the title of Miss Teen United States 2010 and graduati...