"What are you willing to invest in something that may not have an immediate return?"
- Joshua Bermudez, Actor
When Josh asked our audience this question, it really hit home for me as I considered the most important long term investments for filmmakers. Considering the fact that filmmaking is a people business, it became clear that investing in people was the way to go.
1. Continuous Learning
We are avid consumers of the wisdom and insight of others. To this end, we read, we listen, we watch, and we collaborate with those who have experience in a variety of fields of study and across a variety of industries. We invest time and money in each of these endeavors because we know that the investment is bound to pay off in one way or another.
Often times, we don't know what they payoff will be, nor do we know the payoff period. What we do know is that by "sharpening the saw" and continuously improving, we position ourselves to better recognize opportunities and pitfalls while increasing our potential to provide real value to others.
We've often heard aspiring filmmakers say that they cannot afford an IMDBPro license ($149.99 per year) or a subscription to Masterclass ($180 per year). These are just a few of the resources that can provide more than 10x the return on investment in the form of education and industry awareness. This is where Josh's question comes into play. If you are unwilling to invest $150 a year, what are you willing to invest in yourself and your career?
2. Relationship Building
Over the years, we have spent our fair share on coffee and craft libations for ourselves and for our filmmaking friends. We've coupled that cost with countless hours in coffee shops and restaurants across the United States where we have had the opportunity to sit down and enjoy some quality time with old friends and new. To us, this isn't just the cost of doing business, it is an investment in strong, lasting relationships with our peers.
We are always willing to invest in building relationships because the long-term gains will always outweigh the short-term investment. Though you can't really put a price on friendship, we're certain that it's more than a cup of Joe.
Our thanks go out to Josh for offering his wisdom to us and to the filmmaking community and we invite you to reflect on that question once more:
"What are you willing to invest in something that may not have an immediate return?"
We look forward to all of the great things that Josh will do in the years to come and we hope to have him back on the podcast to share more of what he's learned.
As always,
Be Better. Be Creative. Be Engaged.