The Friends In Film Podcast

There can be a lot of confusion transitioning into a full-time film industry professional. There is a strategic way to transition from your survival job to working in the film industry. They don't teach this in film school. This is how you learn the business aspect of creating a career in film.

In this episode, Janet talks about people who want to become directors and how spending all of your time trying to gain experience through passion projects will not get you results.

How you do anything is how you do everything- so if your emails look sloppy and have poor punctuation, spelling, and grammar, then your emails are more than likely to be overlooked by someone who's seeking to hire a professional. Janet discusses why that's the case.

Janet and Omar talk about a difficult shoot Omar did not get paid for. He production designed an indie film for free, even though he has paid work coming in. We talk about why he did this and how to overcome the mental hurdles associated with starting your career in film.

In this episode, Janet talks about the latest strikes that are developing right now and how that will affect your pathway to get into the business.

In this episode, Janet hosts an intervention with someone who feels like they don't belong on film sets. Listen now and hear what Janet has to say to help them out!

I talk with Omar who just wrapped an NBC reality show. He explains how we can make mistakes but still get hired back. Also, how powerful embracing failure is. Fail and learn as much as you can now on the lower budget shoots so that you are prepared for the big budget shoots in the future.

In this episode, we take a look at some of the many jobs that you can get on a film set. Janet covers the very obvious ones like directing and acting but there are many others that create great opportunity, give you experience, and most important, will pay you!

In this episode, Janet discusses those who opt to cold reach people in the industry in order to create opportunity. While it may sound like a good idea and very "go-getter" of someone to do, there are many downsides to this process.

To many of us, success is defined by that amount of money that we make. But in today's episode, Janet talks about how the amount of money that you make compared to the amount of your time that you exchange for that money is not a true indicator of success. Janet speaks about creating value, and the intangible ways that we act that can turn into money and lifestyle and relationships that are in...

Have you ever thought about bringing your passion project to life? Do you get excited while envisioning what the finished product will look like but unsure of the process to create it? In this episode, Janet discusses why it's important to have your project done professionally after you are already connected inside of the film industry.

In this episode, Janet breaks down the key differences between those who are motivated by necessity and those who are motivated by possibility within their careers.

In this episode, Janet is on a call speaking about the skill to have self-confidence and why it's necessary to have it even in the most negative times.

In this episode, Janet talks about those who aspire to be a director and are working video editing jobs.

We've probably all heard about the writers strike that is currently happening in the film industry. You may be thinking, "how does this affect me?". In this episode, Janet reassures you that it doesn't and in fact will help ensure a better future for whatever career path you choose in the industry.

In this episode, Janet has a conversation with academy award nominated art director and A-lister Jake. From working at a call center, to office PA, to being a union art director, Jake shares his experiences and approach to creating connections and moving up in the film industry.

In this episode, Janet dives deep into the reasons that lead people to enroll in film school and the detriment it poses when trying to work in the film industry upon graduating.

This episode features several guests that Janet was on call with that have different experiences but have a common goal- wanting to be full-time in the industry.

Shooting passion projects is the slowest way to break into the film industry. I understand why you'd think it was the right thing to do if you want to direct. But it's actually slowing down your career. How many connections on professional film sets do you get from shooting passion projects? A big zero. So what should you do? Watch the video to find out about doing professional projects th...

Do you dream of having a career working camera for big budget shoots? Are you pursuing your career but the local music videos and wedding shoots aren't your dream? You may feel like you've settled for a life that has become easy for you, but isn't what you want. What you always wanted was to make an impact, to get your ideas out into the world, and to do your own projects, instead of r...

In this episode, Janet discusses why applying to film jobs on the internet is basically useless.

In this episode, Janet discusses the misconception of being "too late" to get into the film industry, and how to change your thoughts to get out of that mindset.

In today's episode, Janet says all that she needs to show why film school graduates have trouble getting paid professional jobs on set.

“How am I going to make money with my creativity?” You may be a filmmaker, actor or a creative who has dreams of making a living with your art. It doesn't have to be a struggle. The key you might be missing is getting out of survival mode. When you're stuck in a survival mentality then you can not truly feel fulfilled. The career comes from creating out of a fulfilling place instead of a s...

In this episode, Janet discusses with Omar about a shoot that had recently contacted him inquiring to hire him for sound. They discuss what to say when figuring out more information about the shoot, and how to properly negotiate a rate for a low budget shoot such as this one.