The Ambitious Filmmaker

This week we talk with wedding filmmaker Graeme Schoenberger of Grey House Visual about the transition from steady career to a pursuit of creative passion as a video business owner. Graeme talks through his transition of time management when becoming a father and we dive deep into the power of networking and relationships.

Your film teacher tries to get you to quit filmmaking...twice. Would you give up or would you double down on your passion and move forward anyway? This is only part of the story of Adam Clayton, the filmmaker behind the show Becoming Borderless, a man whose openness to saying "Yes" whenever an idea or opportunity presented itself led him from a 9-5 job to traveling the world with his camera and his own television show...and a bunch of hijinks in-between. Adam's story shows us (and anyone listening) the true power in pursuing the work your passionate about and how it can open doors to exciting adventures you would never expect. We chat relationships, exploring opportunity, and creating work that's just for you. 

The center piece of your film is being bulldozed in front of your eyes on day one of shooting. Your hard drive fails and footage is lost. Half your crew bails leaving you skeleton crewed for an entire film...Would you still finish? We chat with Spencer Whiteout, director of Space Waves as he tells us these stories and more. A journey of perseverance that took five years from page to premiere, and the hurdles of the indie filmmaker that would stop at nothing to see his idea come to fruition. This episode is dedicated to any and all Ambitious Filmmakers that have put it all on the line to make their movie, and the ones that are looking for inspiration to do it themselves. Listen to this podcast then hop over to Beast Mode: The Making of Space Waves documentary to see just what's possible with no budget but a lot of heart and passion for the craft. After this episode you won't have any excuses left to start making waves of your own.

When it comes to your clients, do you maintain boundaries or does the client have free reign on your time and energy? We take this topic deep with video content creator Lizbet Palmer. Lizbet shares some tips, tricks, and techniques about the powers of Boundary Setting she's learned from Nedra Glover Tawwab's book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace. We also talk mindset shift as Lizbet talks through her journey of starting her family while maintaining and growing a sustainable video business.

We chat with international film producer Daren Smith and learn about his journey as he evolved from a struggling video business owner to a 6-figure producer working around the world. Daren gets tactical as he breaks down his Craftsman Mindset shift and how you can start pivoting your life and business to be more in alignment with your passions and financial goals. We dive into the power of niche and Daren offers all Ambitious Filmmakers a peek into indie budgets so anyone in the narrative space can start honing their own producing skills. Take advantage of all these resources!

We catch up with friend, filmmaker, and newly published author Julian Vaca as we talk through the power and importance of music when it comes to creating projects. Julian talks us through the Soundstripe platform and how they've developed a company that "Keeps the Creator creating" through music and the many other services they offer. 

Is Hustle Culture the best way to build a business? Is it sustainable? We talk with David Le about the perils and promises of Social Media and dive into if and how it can help you develop a sustainable video business. David walks us through how he transitioned from filmmaking as a side hustle to his full time career and teaches us about a new type of burnout that many people don't realize they're experiencing.

"Stop selling what you do and start selling a result." A foundational piece of advice from Richy Ramirez as he talks us through his journey from a freelancer to the owner of a profitable video agency. Richy also talks about the mindset shifts necessary behind raising rates and how essential that is to maintaining a sustainable video business. We discuss the power and importance in creative thinking and why you should be nourishing and nurturing it as you work with clients and businesses. Richy talks big picture and the many forms that can take for developing filmmaker. Mark even throws out a special offer for our listeners that you definitely don't want to miss.

Our Season 3 Finale! Our last interview of the year is with Cinematographer Sydney Lawson. With Sydney we talk about building your creative team and how that keeps your business and passions healthy. In that vein we explore Niching down into a part of the industry you actually enjoy, and how your team should be doing the same. Sydney discusses the power of Mentorship and how pivotal it is to your success as a business. From all of us here at The Ambitious Filmmaker Network, we wish you a Happy Holidays and promise that the new year means new content and another season here at the AF Podcast!

Have you lost yourself in Hustle culture, grinding away but still feeling completely empty inside. Then listen in as we talk with Founder of Laux Creative, Jeromy Laux, as we take a deep dive into the mental health aspect of constantly grinding and within that the internal motivations behind it. We talk Mental Health and its importance as Entrepreneurs as we get honest with the things we've overcome and are still working through. All of this leads to getting tactical as Jeromy talks about how he positioned his video business to be scalable and how you can shift your mindset to be happier and more successful as a video business owner.

If someone you looked up to told you that you just don't have what it takes to succeed...would you listen? That happened with Director Chandonae Baskin and it's been a fuel for her to be relentless in getting what she wants. Now she's on retainer with a stock footage site, has companies reaching out to her to create content for them, and all the while creating short films and diving into her first feature. We talk about being relentless and the importance of establishing your brand. We talk set experiences and overcoming the fears of the process. We talk about the power of making the firm choice of being what you want and doing what you want to do. Chan brings a great energy to this episode and some solid wisdom.

Have you "Come Out" in your business? What exactly does this mean? Find out as we talk with founder of Reel Hoot Productions, Anita Kwan. With Anita we talk about the power of cultivating connections and not being afraid to ask for help when you need it. Why we need to be authentically ourselves to create the best work possible, and how that helps us find our ideal clients. Anita walks us through her journey of how she found her way to being confident in who she is and how this is continually opening bigger and better doors.

A broken leg, a boss turning their back on you, and pulling in no money...What do you do? If you're today's guest, commercial director John Zambrana, you leave and start your own company. John shoots straight with us about his humble origins as we learn about adding extra value to your clients to secure repeat business. We get candid about when you should "Fire" bad clients and the power you have as a video business owner. John talks to us about extreme ownership and the importance of getting a Mentor to grow a successful video business.

Our latest guest, Tommy Guta, has a booming Product Video business and a massive TikTok following. But what did it take for him to get here? Dropping out of college, twice, and two failed production companies. But Tommy dives into where those production companies went wrong and how he pivoted those failures into the success he is reaping today. We talk about the expectations of both ourselves and the people who know us, we talk about the necessary credentials to becoming a filmmaker and we get real candid about the necessity of Film School.

This episode is chalked full of great wisdom and insights from our friend Heather, founder of the Fellow Filmmaker YouTube channel. Heather talks about her journey from hobbyist creative in 9-5s to the events that pushed her to finally pursue her dream of being a full-time filmmaker. Heather talks with us about the constraints of time in life and the importance of getting after what you want. She teaches us about her "The Answer is Already No" philosophy and how that empowers us as creatives in the industry. Heather talks about some of the best ways to reach out to the creators who inspire you and how you can forge a working relationship with them while being authentic to where you are in your own journey. She even shows us her Failure Journal and talks about how we can convert failures into success. We had so much fun recording this episode and will definitely be bringing Heather back for a second round.

In this episode we talk sales with Content Marketer and host of The Top Brand Builders podcast, Danny Greene. WIth Danny we dive into cultivating leadership and self confidence as you enter the freelance space. We talk goals and the sacrifices required to achieve them. Danny even gives us his top sales tips to help you close more projects and get more clients.

Having a hard time finding a Mentor? Don't think you need one? Think again and listen in as we take a deep dive into the top 3 Keystones to finding the perfect Mentor. Within that we explore our own personal experiences in the search for mentorship, the various levels where you can find it, and how you can start giving back as a mentor yourself right now where you're at! We even fill you in on our new streaming platform and how Mentorship is a key element within it, and we're giving away a free lifetime membership to one lucky listener so tune in and found out how it can be yours today!

Find out what it means to you! Self Respect is a foundational element to growing and maintaining a successful video business. How can you expect clients to respect you if you don't respect yourself? We take a deep dive into the elements of self-respect with our friend and fellow filmmaker Josh Emerick. Going through real world examples we talk through steps you can take when dealing with respect issues and mindset approaches to handling situations in a way that optimize finding a good resolution to conflict....and what to do when you can't. GIVEAWAY: Josh is giving away one of his Theal Producer Packs to help organize and optimize your video business systems! Find out how to get it by listening in to our latest episode!

Our Action Sports streaks continues in this episode as we get Gnar Gnar with Tokyo based filmmaker Karen Masumoto. With Karen we dive into the power and importance of cultural perspective in filmmaking, with Karen sharing what she's learned as a female filmmaker and the community she wants to build and stories she wants to share. We dive into the pitching process and some mindset requirements to keep moving forward toward the coveted "green light". We round off this powerful conversation with an open dialogue on imposter syndrome and ways you can start overcoming this crutch to the creative process.

Choose your adventure! We take a leap with France based Action Sports filmmaker Maxime Moulin. With Max we dive into the importance of building a solid team of people you work with often and how to create the best product possible. We explore niche and how you showcase yourself to attract more clients within (and outside of) your specialty. Max opens up about his personal struggles as a freelancer and how he navigates those obstacles to keep moving forward.

Surfs up with our latest guest, founder of Leeward Productions, Nate Lee! With Nate we dive into the power of perception in our business and how that helps your network grow, and we stay in the network vein as we explore the importance of ensuring you are keeping a fresh and growing network versus letting it get stale. Nate talks about overcoming himself as he carves his way in the industry and talks about his philosophies about how no matter how far up the ladder we go no one really knows what they're doing. We talks about embracing the no and pursuing your passions while following Nate's origins in the surfing world to his 5-year stint at GoPro and how all of that set him up to create a successful career as a freelance filmmaker.

Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades! What does that mean exactly?! Find out with today's guest, founder of Caymanite Productions, Armin Korsos. With Armin we dive into the all too common desire of gear lust, and we explore how often a filmmaker actually needs to upgrade their gear. Armin dives into the power of first impressions and how they can expand your network long after meeting somebody. We talk about community over competition within the film industry, and how we can always be helping each other get to the next level.

Have you been fired from every job you've ever worked? Would you rather be working 80 hours a week for yourself than 20 for someone else? If so, you'd be in good company with this episodes guest, founder of The Video Marketing School and YouTube Entrepreneur, Owen Video. With Owen learn about how he built a multi-6figure video business, and it starts with him going door-to-door selling his services for $20. We chat about the power of Authenticity, and what that really means versus many common misconceptions. Owen dives into personal and emotional development, and even tells us some of his top book recommendations. All of this and so much more!

Community is the key to everything, and we bring in the founder of Studio Sherpas, Ryan Koral to talk about that and oh so much more! We explore Core Values and creating alignment when seeking clients. The importance of being open to trying new things when you're starting in your journey to find your true passions. Ryan talks about being true to yourself and being extra careful about maintained authenticity as you look at and aspire to be like the competition. Ryan even provides a free online workshop about helping you establish budgets with your clients, the link to that can be found by clicking here!

Power to the Creator! We chat with Creative Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, and all around cool person Kris San. With Kris we dive into her background in E-Commerce and the valuable lessons she learned from that time to build a successful video business. We discuss the power of Niche and its place in establishing a career you love. Kris passes along some tips and techniques to help you find or strengthen your purpose in life and business. Kris even talks about her new apparel company Merch for Creators!

Are your motivations sticks or carrots? Wondering what that means? Join us as we chat with entrepreneur and founder of NineDot Studio, Rebecca Rapple. With Rebecca we dive deep into the power of trust when developing client relationships as well as your creative team. Rebecca talks about the differences between B2B and B2C sales and how that impacts strategy deployment as a creative entrepreneur. We take a look at Rebecca's philosophies on hiring and how she develops her project prices. Rebecca even gives all our listeners access to a tool she utilizes to maintain her life and career goals organized and on track! The link to that can be found here! This episode is chalked full of wisdom that any filmmaker can take something from.

How can fear HELP you in your career? Find out as we interview filmmaking creative and founder of SES Images, Steve Serrano. Steve dives into how he's converted fear into a fuel that propels him forward toward success in the creative realm. We dig deep into overcoming criticism and leverage that with the power of network. Steve discusses his philosophies on the universal nature of art in all it's forms and mediums. We even talk about the power of failure and its place in creating a life of success.

In this episode we interview DP and founder of Be Alpha Media, Josh Miller. We dive into strategies for negotiating rates and budgets for his projects and the importance of getting hands on experience as soon as possible. Josh talks about the power of relationships and how they can help or hurt your business. We even get a taste of his "Doomsday Prepper" philosophy when talking about networking and why we as filmmakers need to become masters at pivoting when it comes to your career.

You do NOT want to miss this jam packed episode with founder of Clum Creative, Mike Clum. Mike dives into his whirlwind story of how he used his last $100 to build a multi-million dollar production company on the national scale. He breaks down his top way of acquiring clients and selling his company's video services and discusses the roles of sales in growing a sustainable video business. We chat about the true value of money when doing what you love while building a career and we hear it all uncensored, unfiltered, and straight from Mike's mouth to your ears.

In this episode we chat with filmmaking entrepreneur Justin Romeyn. With Justin we chat about how important harnessing the business side of your skillsets is when it comes to selling your creative services. Justin tells us what the most important skillsets to bring to any set, and what he looks for when bringing interns into his company. We discuss building brand equity, and if you’re not seeing results some self reflective prompts you can use to get yourself back on track. As always, we close this episode with Justin’s top piece of advice to filmmakers looking to make a career in this industry.

In this episode we catch up with talented musician and filmmaker Ricardo Ramirez of Richy Films. We dive into Ricardo's musical origins and how filmmaking went from a networking tool to a successful career and business. We dive into the importance of leading with value when establishing new relationships and why leaning into your passions creates happier clients. Ricardo talks about how he forged a connection with Casey Neistat through our tried and true approach of Brand Building. All of this and more!

We interview filmmaker Thomas Prettyman and dive straight into many of our favorite topics in The Video Community! Building brand equity takes center stage while Thomas talks about leveraging your free time with "Future Earnings Potential". We talk about how being a cool person who is easy to work with beats being the best in the business every time, and how gear can get in the way of creating the work that inspires you. Thomas gives us his perspective on the hustle and grind culture, and we discuss how sometimes the best way to be creative is to appreciate the creativity of others.

We had the pleasure of meeting up with filmmaker and all-around cool guy Josiah Moore. Not only does Josiah create some spectacular work in the music video and narrative space, he has a lot of insight and wisdom for any creative looking to move into the full-time freelance space. With Josiah we talk about some of his top tips when you're debating about making the freelance jump and how to know when you're ready. We discuss being true to yourself when it comes to social media and the type of work you create, and we even learn Josiah's philosophies on why Instagram is Tinder for filmmakers. 

We explore a new area of the film industry in this episode with Colorist Jake Pierrelee. With Jake we dive into pushing outside your comfort zone and how we all need to be learning new things daily to stay sharp with our creativity. Social media is discussed and why authenticity with your art makes for a better career than pleasing the almighty algorithm. Jake also talks with us about how he manages his time between his YouTube channel, career, and even being a DP when he can.

What do clay pots have to do with becoming a better filmmaker? Find out as we interview up-and-coming filmmaker Aidan Minton. With Aidan we discuss silencing the inner critic to keep pushing out consistent content. How we can learn from our failures to become more successful filmmakers. Aidan also drops some truth on why we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with other creatives, no matter our level of experience. We even get the inside scoop on how he became the social content creator for Social House and toured with Ariana Grande.

Consistent innovation and growth is crucial to the success of any business, but this applies to your personal life as well. We dive into this and more with the founder of Deity Microphones, Andrew Jones. With Andrew we dive into the Willy Wonka origins of the Deity Microphone empire and his personal philosophy of serving the filmmakers that slip through the cracks with the "sleeping giants" of our industry. In that vein we have an open dialogue on overcoming the Plateau of complacency and Andrew shares some of his tips and techniques on successful Networking, and how bright pink shoes can be an asset to your  success.

It's all about the Intangibles! We take a deep dive into what that means with filmmaking entrepreneur Trent Erwin. Trent takes an honest look at work life balance and how he manages both as a husband and father. We also discuss social media and what impact it really has on the growth of your video business. Trent talks about enthusiasm and how it not only drives your success but helps score more business.

We catch up with Brad Fugere, founder of Flux. With Brad we dive into the importance of viewing your career in filmmaking as a business and not treating it as a hobby. We discuss financial literacy and getting entrepreneurial with your money no matter what the economy looks like. Looking into the pursuit of passion Brad talks with us about its importance in avoiding burnout and ensuring longevity in your business.

An action packed episode filled to the brim with great conversation and wisdom shared by filmmaker Bryant Walker, founder of Reel Results Marketing. We dive deep into the importance of working with transformational businesses that add value to their communities. Bryant talks about how he built his 6-Figure video business by using principles he learned from his time working a corporate job. Bryant even digs into his earliest filmmaking days, creating viral scooter trick videos for YouTube.

We sit down with Filmmaker Molly Mickley Mayne and dive into the importance of Community and how it makes all the difference in how you create and what you create. We discuss the balance between being an idealist and a realist when it comes to starting a new project, and and why both are important to success. Molly also talks about how the best thing we can do as filmmakers and creatives is get out of our own way and find our own way forward.

We sit down with Filmmaker Alex Boydston and dive into the importance of trying out different Niches to find the one that fits your interest as a filmmaker. How keeping your Passion alive as a creative means finding contentment in your work while avoiding complacency and stagnation. Alex also goes into why being honest with what you want out of life makes all the difference in how you grow your video business.

We chat with the owner of Baltimore based production company Storia Studio and Co-Founder of the Baltimore Filmmakers Networking Instagram Page Frankie Cerquetti. With Frankie we dive into the power of mentorship and how it strengthens the video community as a whole. Why you need to be a good boss to yourself when growing and scaling your video business. We also talk about why you need to be making the work you want clients to be hiring you to make!

This episode is PACKED with wisdom from filmmaker and fellow Video Business Coach Den Lennie. With Den we explore some of the best approaches to scaling a video business, from email marketing to some mindset ideas to ensure you're using your gifts in the most potent way possible. We dive into Niching down to scale up revenue, email marketing to stay relevant with past clients, and so much more. This is an episode you DO NOT want to miss!

Freelance Filmmaker and content creator Alex Young goes over his philosophies on ad creation and what it takes to convert an engaged audience. We dive into how to "Steal like an Artist" when it comes to developing your aesthetic as a creative. Alex discusses his film origins during his 365 vlog challenge and how that expedited the learning process while allowing him to start taking clients as a freelance filmmaker.

We're all just one montage away from being amazing at anything, right? If only life worked that way. We chat with Director of Photography Jake Colletta about the importance of mentorship when it comes to developing your place in the film industry. How commercial work can be just as cinematic as a Hollywood movie. With Jake we also dive into how failure is one of the most powerful tools for growth. 

We chat with Photographer and aspiring filmmaker Levi Thompson on his transition from the typical 9-5 to a career as a freelancer. Along the way we dive into how important it is to experiment with different types of video early on so you can establish your niche. Why building your portfolio around your passion creates better work. We wrap up the episode with how crucial it is to have a solid support structure while establishing yourself in the industry.

We bring Tiff Tyler into the studio to share her powerful journey from employee to freelance filmmaker and how she built some amazing experiences from working with the WNBA to leading the video team at Lewis Howes'  The School of Greatness. Tiff dives into the art of non-conformity when building your dreams and measuring your capabilities. We explore the tweaks and pivots you'll experience along the way as you work toward your ultimate goals. We also discuss how the female perspective is not only unique, but necessary as the film industry moves forward in diversity and equality. This episode is chalked full of amazing mindset conversations and is one you definitely don't want to miss!

Benoit Finck, better known as Fincky on his YouTube Channel, is one of the pioneers of the growing FPV Drone Industry. With Fincky we dive into the origins of FPV Drone piloting and its cinematic rise in the future of filmmaking. We discuss the power in harnessing personal projects when attracting clients. We also explore the impact of innovation on a consumer level and how it reshapes the film industry as a whole.