2023 was a shit show for our industry.

Two strikes.

Studios gripped by fear.

A lot of friends and co-workers were out of work the entire year.

I count myself lucky I found work for 6 months.

This year tested us on so many levels.

As we approach the end of 2023 I want to share some hits, flops, lessons learned, and future plans for myself and this newsletter.

Hits

1. Released Wild Boys: After five and a half years we were finally able to release my directorial feature film debut. As long, painful and challenging as the journey has been I was extremely proud to be able to put the film out into the world. Having thousands of people watch and engage with the film has been amazing.
2. Overcame the fear of sharing my journey online: For years I’ve avoided having any kind of presence as a filmmaker online. It scared the shit out of me. This year one of my big goals was to overcome this fear. And since you’re here you already know I’ve been writing The Call to Adventure for a few months now. I’m excited to see where this journey continues in 2024.
3. Deepened professional skills: I worked for the first time as a VFX editor on a TV show for Apple TV+, and got to delve into the mysterious world of VFX. Finding these super specific niches in a field you’ve been in for a long time is fun and challenging. I developed a new edge to my professional skillset that I hope will come in handy on my next directorial project.
4. Invested in learning: I joined two incredible communities where I’ve learned a lot (and also where I landed my VFX editor job) It’s been a huge benefit for me to be part of communities with likeminded people.
5. Family growth: On a personal note, this has been an incredible year of growth. Seeing my kid go from barely crawling to a walking, talking, independent explorer in a year has been amazing. We also added a puppy into the mix, which if you are thinking of mixing toddlers and puppies, my advice is: don’t. It’s been a challenge, but we’re starting to see the contours of what will come down the line for our little family.

Flops

1. Doors remain closed: When we released Wild Boys I imagined the doors of Hollywood would finally glide open and directing jobs would land in my lap. That didn’t happen. Not having “success” with my first feature left me feeling disillusioned about indie filmmaking, especially the marketing and distribution side of things. This was more of a loss to my ego than anything else, and I’m working on turning it into a lesson instead of a loss.
2. Second feature woes: This one is totally on me. I did not get the ball moving on my next feature project this year, even though I had the time to do it. I procrastinated, changed ideas and kept falling into the trap of worrying about everything all the time. Instead I should have focused on achieving one thing before the next.
3. Failed to set up additional income streams: one of my goals for 2023 was to diversify how I make an income. I was not able to do that this year. I’m putting this one high on my list of priorities for 2024.
4. Lack of consistency: overall I’ve lacked consistency this year, both in terms of my creative output, but also in fitness and health. I’m making consistency my theme for 2024.

Lessons learned

• No one wants to see your movie: The old adage of “make it and they will come” has never been true for me. More so than ever this year. Realizing I have the power to change this has been a big mindset shift for me. Building an audience, a community who are interested in the films you make has become a top priority for me. On my next film I want to know I can reach out to a group of people who are excited to watch what I’ve made before I even start production.
• The fourth phase of filmmaking: Distribution and marketing is a huge factor in how well your movie does. Most filmmakers have zero skills in this department. It’s a paradox that we spend so much time and energy on crafting every minute detail of our films, but when it comes time to release the film most of us go: ”Byeeeeee.” As a control freak this is absurd to me. I’m doing my best to unravel the mystery of distribution and marketing, and building better skills for my next release.
• Showing up is half the job: This is the lesson I keep learning and re-learning over and over and over again. Every time I manage to string together a good stretch of showing up in any key area I see improvement. Not right away, but momentum tends to build slowly and then all of a sudden it crescendos. In the coming year I’m choosing a combination of simple goals and consistency to make more progress than I did in 2023.
• The art of making friends: Like we talked about in ​TCTA #11​, I’ve learned a lot about how to make friends, not connections in 2023. Reframing networking as a way to develop genuine relationships with people I care about has made me want to network, rather than dread it. It’s a mindset shift that’s helped me a lot this year.

Looking ahead

• The Call to Adventure goes out of beta: You’re special. You’re one of the first 30 people to subscribe to this newsletter. That’s pretty awesome. In the next 12 months I’m focusing on growing the newsletter to help more up and coming filmmakers. My goals is that by next year we’re 10K filmmakers helping each other.
• The Second One: They say the second feature is often harder than the first. This year I’m getting back to directing. My goal is to direct my second feature or first episode of television.
• Making friends: As we grow here at The Call to Adventure I want to connect with more directors, learn from them, and share their knowledge and experiences with you. I’m hoping to shed some light on the difficult jump going from no-budget indie director to working director in film and tv.
• Diversify income streams: Working 12-hour shifts in Hollywood is brutal for your passion projects. My goal is to move away from selling my time and focus on building assets. I want to make money independently from the time I put in. I also want to create income streams that allows me to work from anywhere in the world.
• Dad bod goals: Having a toddler made me realize how out of shape I am. This year I’m getting fit enough to both keep up with my kid, and operate the camera on my next feature if I need to.

Conclusion

Thank you for being with on this pioneering journey for The Call to Adventure in 2023. I’m excited to see what we can do together in 2024 and beyond.

I wish you all the best for the new year, and I hope to see your next film soon.