Writer & Actor Joshua Noble talks about his early career experience of putting all of his eggs in one basket and how that taught him to take a diversified approach to his creative work.
About Joshua Noble
Joshua Noble is a writer, actor, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his work on stage and screen, he is a founding producer of The American Playbook, a series of conversations and new works highlighting historically underrepresented voices, and has hosted the series ACTIONS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, an ongoing virtual series exploring specific ways to amplify diversity and inclusion in screenwriting. Joshua is a writer-at-large for WeScreenplay and TheatreArtLife, Director of the National Winter Artists Retreat, and podcast producer for Two-Person Book Club. He received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
About the MAKE IT Podcast
The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry.
Our Filmmaker Conversations with filmmaking professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey.
Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive.
Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content.
The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better.
The Film Investment series is a conversational series of 52 episodes geared towards the would-be film investor. Each episode, facilitated via a friendly conversation between hosts and friends Christopher Barkley and Jason McConnell, highlights a unique aspect of the film investment process. In addition to being a great resource for film investors, it serves as a reference for filmmakers regarding the many considerations that must be made when seeking film investment.
In this episode, we have a conversation with Director Traci Hays. We talk about her latest feature film ‘Tangled’ streaming on Passionflix now, how she overcame childhood health and learning issues to pursue filmmaking, the benefits of career coaching, overcoming barriers as a female in the film industry, the role women play in holding other women back, how to find a mentor, and so much more.
About Traci
Traci Hays is a DGA nominated director. Her work has earned multiple awards, including Best Director and Best Picture, along with being an award-winning Production Designer.
Hays recently directed Disconnected, a short film thriller, as part of the Women's Weekend Film Challenge. With a diverse all-female cast and crew, she lead the film to garner a win for Best Director at the Independent Short Awards and Best Thriller at the Top Short Film Festival.
Before this, Traci directed the short film 'Frederick' starring James Morrison (Fox's 24). The film premiered at Dances with Films at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The film has won 20 awards, including Best Director at the LA Film Awards and Best Picture at the New York Film Awards.
With her proven track record, Hays secured a partnership with Tosca Musk's production company, Passionflix, where she directed the film Dry Spell, written by New York Times Bestselling Author Vi Keeland.
Hays graduated cum laude from Chapman University, earning her BFA in Film Production. She was awarded a coveted apprenticeship with legendary director Randal Kleiser (Grease) to oversee her senior thesis, an 1800s-period film Lions Among Men, starring Dayo Okeniyi (NBC's Shades of Blue). The film was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a finalist for the DGA Student Film Awards. She continued to develop her directing sensibilities under the mentorship of John Badham (Saturday Night Fever), Martha Coolidge (Real Genius), and Lawrence Paull (Back to the Future).
Hays is also an accomplished production designer, having worked on various feature films, television, and commercials with companies such as Universal Studios, Hulu, BET, and many more.
Quotes and Listener Reflections
"If I wasn't ready to go on that journey and take that risk on myself, then no one else would have."
Think about the roles that you want and the obstacles in your way. Are you ready to face those obstacles head on? If not, what is holding you back.
"[As a Director] it's important to understand and value the work that all of your department heads are doing."
If you aspire to be a Director, take a moment to reflect on your knowledge of the various departments that support a film production. Have you spent time with those departments? Do you understand their work?
Continued Learning
Tim Ferriss, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, shares the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure book - a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits from 130+ of the world's top performers. From iconic entrepreneurs to elite athletes, from artists to billionaire investors, their short profiles can help you answer life's most challenging questions, achieve extraordinary results, and transform your life.
Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped describes the impact that a series of significant people have had on the author - from the wayward youths he tried to emulate growing up in Essex, through the first ex-junkie sage, to the people he turns to today to help him be a better father. It explores how we all - consciously and unconsciously - choose guides, mentors, and heroes throughout our lives and examines the new perspectives they can bring.
Calling on his unique perspective as playwright, screenwriter, and director of his own critically acclaimed movies like House of Games, State and Main, and Things Change, David Mamet illuminates how a film comes to be. He looks at every aspect of directing—from script to cutting room—to show the many tasks directors undertake in reaching their prime objective: presenting a story that will be understood by the audience and has the power to be both surprising and inevitable at the same time. Based on a series of classes Mamet taught at Columbia University's film school, On Directing Film will be indispensible not only to students but to anyone interested in an overview of the craft of filmmaking.
Mentions
About the MAKE IT Podcast
The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Filmmaker Conversations with filmmaking professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better. The Film Investment series is a conversational series of 52 episodes geared towards the would-be film investor. Each episode, facilitated via a friendly conversation between hosts and friends Christopher Barkley and Jason McConnell, highlights a unique aspect of the film investment process. In addition to being a great resource for film investors, it serves as a reference for filmmakers regarding the many considerations that must be made when seeking film investment.
In this edition of Industry Insights, Nick borrows wisdom from Writer and Director, Kali Bailey to deep dive into the mindset of positivity. Enjoy!
“Never underestimate the importance of a good attitude, it’s part of a skill set that’s really important.”
- Kali Bailey
About Kali Bailey
Kali Bailey is a commercial and feature writer/director based in Nashville, TN. With a background as a First A.D. and Editor, Kali brings both pre and post production skills to the table. She has worked in the film industry since she was 14 years old, driven by a passion for authentic storytelling.`
She directed Disney’s internal Women’s Day video, directed a fantasy short film with nearly 6 million views and co-wrote a feature film called “A Week Away” currently streaming on Netflix.
Listener Reflections
Think about a person in your life whose positivity you admire. What can you learn from their approach to life?
Take a moment to think about your own attitude. Do you embrace the positive or do you wallow in the negative?
Actionable Advice
Choose the Right Mindset
There are two primary types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is set in what is. It's set in a illustration of reality drawn by past successes and past failures. It believes that there can be nothing more than what already is. A growth mindset, on the other hand, believes in the possible. It believes that there is more to do, more to learn, and more to accomplish. In believing that there is more, a growth mindset strives for more. This mindset sets the foundation for a good attitude because it embodies the spirit of hope and, where there is hope, there is happiness.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is thankful appreciation for what you have and for what you receive. It is the practice of finding and expressing fulfillment in your daily life despite whatever it is you may lack. When you practice gratitude, your focus remains on how to get the best out of what you have thereby enabling you to make the most of any situation. To practice gratitude, you can simply say out loud what you are grateful for. It doesn't have to be an exhaustive list, but it does have to be a meaningful one.
Craft a Positive Self-Image
Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) was quoted as saying, "It's not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life; it's what you whisper to yourself that has the most power!" Your self-talk is like the soundtrack to your life. It echoes how you feel about yourself and how you expect others to feel about you as well. If that self-talk is negative, you'll feel as if you're undeserving. This will keep you from asking for or receiving the help you need to be successful. If your self-talk is positive, you'll know that you are deserving of any and every positive thing that comes your way. You'll ask for help when needed and take it when offered. Crafting a positive self-image is all about giving yourself positive affirmation. This means openly acknowledging your strengths as well as your worth.
Now, when it comes to making a name for yourself in this industry, you'll have to be sure to follow up that good attitude with a great work ethic and talent to match. But, as Kali says, "Never underestimate the importance of a good attitude" because it may be all you need to get your foot in the door.
Continued Learning
World renowned researcher Dr. Barbara Fredrickson gives you the lab-tested tools necessary to create a healthier, more vibrant, and flourishing life through a process she calls "the upward spiral."
You’ll discover:
• What positivity is, and why it needs to be heartfelt to be effective
• The ten sometimes surprising forms of positivity
• Why positivity is more important than happiness
• That your own sources of positivity are unique and how to tap into them
• How to calculate your current positivity ratio, track it, and improve it
Stop Overthinking is a book that understands where you’ve been through,the exhausting situation you’ve put yourself into, and how you lose your mind in the trap of anxiety and stress. Acclaimed author Nick Trenton will walk you through the obstacles with detailed and proven techniques to help you rewire your brain, control your thoughts, and change your mental habits.What’s more, the book will provide you scientific approaches to completely change the way you think and feel about yourself by ending the vicious thought patterns.
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
About Nick
Nicholas Buggs is a filmmaker, advisor, content creator, and advocate of the filmmaking community. As co-host of the MAKE IT podcast and co-founder of Bonsai Creative, Nick works alongside his co-host and co-founder Christopher Barkley to produce multi-media educational and inspirational content. Nick is a firm believer in harnessing the collective power of the community to give each of its members a better chance at success.