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

There comes a point in any creative journey where the project you're working on really starts to come together. It's not longer just disjointed pieces here and there but part of a larger whole. I'm experiencing that now with two of my projects and it's exciting. The first is a movie, the other my novel. I discuss how ADR made my movie truly watchable now. I also go into the myths of ADR. As far as...

Every movie needs ADR sessions in order to get the dialogue to sound clean. In the past, this was very expensive and laborious. Now, as a filmmaker, you can do ADR simply, cheaply and quickly. This tutorial explains how utilizing Adobe's Creative Cloud suite, Sennheiser e835 mics, an M-audio air 192 | 6 audio interface device and a pair of headphones. Oh, and of course a computer. But that's it. R...

We put a big emphasis on knowledge as a culture. Knowledge is good except is inactive. Wisdom is doing what you know and far too often we become stagnant given our pursuit of information. Gary Vee says we love consuming information but not doing the thing it teaches us. Jim Kwik says knowledge is potential power. Others agree as well. So if that's the case, how do we become better at putting all t...

Most people aren't as productive at work because they fail to create a proper schedule. In order to utilize your time best, you have to categorize the tasks you do between manager tasks vs maker tasks. While we may predominantly be one over the other, we still cross over into the other now and then. The more aware you are and can have a calendar that reflects your individual needs, the better off...

Sturgeon's revelation (as expounded by Theodore Sturgeon), referred to as Sturgeon's law, is an adage cited as "ninety percent of everything is crap." This is useful to know both as a consumer and as a content creator because once you do, you can be mindful. The quality of the things you watch/read/etc can be greater as can the things you produce. Check out this lesson to learn the full details. A...

I find that whenever we work hard and we find ourselves with a day off, we want to escape. However this brings about more stress in the end. In this lesson, I go over a concept James Cameron talks about in terms of his days off. Take a listen! Feel free to ask me any questions or offer some of your thoughts. And for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://p...

Sometimes everything happens at once and that's been the case for me lately. Granted, it's all amazing things but it definitely is a lot. I go over some of those things as well as things I've been reflecting on: such as how companies are handling firings. I also update you on my film and how I used a technique I teach in order to enhance it. I got over limiting beliefs and how sometimes you have t...

Many programs, like Avid, Adobe, etc either are or are becoming subscription based. I look at this as neutral. But what happens when software programs are subscription based is they role out lots of updates. Many of the updates they're testing and aren't fully stable yet. I experienced that with Adobe recently. So my advice to you, especially when you're in the midst of a major project is to NOT u...

Lots of businesses use a SWOT analysis whenever they're debating the merits of an idea, partnership, deal, project, potential hire, etc. But you can utilize this method for your personal stuff too! It's real simple. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. So get a board, and assess any venture via this process and you'll make a much more informed decision! Feel free to as...

In high school they ask us what we want to do, but they never stop to have us consider our why (our purpose/our calling). This is why people can get miserable in jobs—it’s not in balance with their why. Simon Sinek talks about this notion a lot and today I’m going to distill it for you in my own words and offer up how I’m applying this notion in my life. It’s my hope that after checking this lesso...

What a week it has been! Been doing a lot of stuff for the GRAMMYs, my regular job and trying to finish up the movie. In this vlog I reflect upon all that and how sometimes one day can feel like a year or more when you're in the entertainment industry. I also give my thoughts on the passing of Kobe Bryant and the lessons it's taught me. Plus I go over what leadership means to me, the difficulties...

If you want to be a host but don't know how to get started, then this episode is for you! I'm joined by Jaimi Alexander who I've know since her AfterBuzz TV and Black Hollywood Live days. She gives easy and practical tips that anyone can use no matter their budget or experience. It'll give you a taste of hosting and let you see if you enjoy it or not. But if you do, continue to explore the exercis...

Jaimi Alexander is a host who I met during my time at AfterBuzz TV/Black Hollywood Live. From first impressions, I always knew she was a hard worker and talented. Over the years we’ve gotten to know each other and our mutual respect grew. And yet as much as we shared similarities in mindset and such, we’ve never really sat down and had a long form conversation such as this one. So, I’m honored to...

This past week, my friend Jaimi Alexander (@JaimiAlexander) and I were both tried and tested... separately. We discuss what happened and how we managed to overcome those life hurdles and still keep upbeat. FYI—recording this episode was part of being tried and tested as roofers were doing the loudest construction throughout, which I wasn't aware of until 7am the morning of when they showed up... o...

Recently, a lot of people I know have suffered the loss of a family member. It’s never easy. I’ve gone through it several times and the pain is equally as hard now as it was the first time. But there’s a poem by Henry Scott-Holland that I revisit that helps me, which I now share with my friends. Perhaps it can give you the same solace as it brings me. And please feel free to share with anyone you...

Thanks to my friend Matt D'Andria, I had a chance to see Adam Carolla's new  documentary called Shelby American, which is about the life of Carroll Shelby. FYI this doc is available on Netflix, so you can check it out there. If you've seen Ford v Ferrari then you have some context. But the doc goes well beyond just that time frame. It chronicles his childhood, racing life, car building life,...

Here's a tip to any filmmaker out there on how to film scenes much faster—which will save you time and money while still getting you the performances you want/need. It's a trick I've been using for a long time and it works. PS: Robert Rodriguez does this too. Feel free to ask my any questions or offer some of your thoughts. And for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my web...

In order to be a great director, you need to be able to work with actors. The problem I see with most directors starting off is that they do give actors line readings. Don't do that. I present you a creative exercise that will get you past the idea of having actors "say their lines correctly" and instead really deliver a performance. Plus it's a fun exercise and would make an interesting short fil...

Everyone needs help every now and then. It’s what makes us human. But I’ve found not enough people develop the skill of asking for help. This is especially tough during the times they actually need help. In this lesson, I highlight how to go about asking for help without being selfish. Thanks for tuning in and may this insight help you moving forward.   WEB LINK: https://philsvitek.com/how-to...

With the new year, everyone is excited to see the results of their resolutions… but it’ll take more than just a few days to realize those fresh habits into tangible, measurable developments. However, most of us are too eager and too impatient. We must stop this and this lesson highlights how to go about that. Feel free to ask my any questions or offer some of your thoughts. And for more free resou...

It's the start of the new decade but the problems creatives face remain the same: finances. In this edition of my vlog I highlight some of my own struggles but also how I'm grateful to have put myself into a position to be able to weather the storm. I also discuss my New Year's word and goals, while reflecting back on a misstep in 2019. If there’s anything you’d like me to discuss or answer for yo...

People put such an emphasis on the hustle, the grind. They look at success stories and use those to pump themselves up. That's fine except when they glamorize those people's histories and falsely believe that they can put in "the same grind"... but only for 3 months and achieve the same. It doesn't work like that. The hustle and struggle is truly real. How bad do you want it? Or do you just say yo...

Often I get asked why I help my friends so much, especially because it takes me away from my creative projects. In this post, I discuss why I do this and it really comes down to a simple concept of eulogy vs resume values. Check it out and it might just make you rethink actions in your life moving forward. For more lessons, creative tips, etc, feel free to check out my website http://philsvitek.co...

The Matrix franchise was groundbreaking on a number of levels, but for it, one of the aspects I loved about it was that it told its story across different mediums: movies, games, short films, comics, blogs, etc. Now, this might not seem so revolutionary, but what makes it truly incredible is that EACH of these propelled the story forward and YET was a contained experience. Think about: the MCU isn...

The negation of the negation is a literary term but one that I see reflected in the real world far too often. With this lesson, I not only explain why this phrase means but how you might be a primary culprit of it. And if you are… YOU NEED TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. I’ll explain why. Thanks for tuning in.   WEB LINK: https://philsvitek.com/dont-be-a-real-life-negation-of-the-negation    S...