Producing.

For what seems like the sixth-consecutive lecture in a row today, our producing instructors talked about our future. Obviously, things are coming up fast (for some a lot faster than they ever thought), and despite the daunting reality that we are about to enter into the cutthroat world of Entertainment I am getting more and more excited about the possibilities that await. It's funny though, because I"m one of the few who realistically knows what's ahead, and I understand what the coming months and/or years are going to look like.

For example:

(a) a steady diet of cereal, ramen, toast and whatever food I can scrounge by when I'm not being fed on set
(b) the 14-hour days (I just got done with a 12-hour day myself, but what's great is that I'm truly loving them)
(c) the endless networking (something I'm definitely looking forward to)
(d) the harsh reality that I am going to be ripped apart more times than I think I realize
(e) the knowledge that I am going to spend a lot of time unemployed (I will have to fight, kick and steal for my jobs. all of them)

Despite this, I couldn't be more excited. I know without a doubt there is no one who will work harder, sacrifice more or be more passionate about their job than me. I love film, and when I say that it could be misconstrued as arguably the greatest understatement of the decade. This is who I am, this is what I am and this is all I want.

I came to Florida taking an enormous gamble. Shoot, everyone here has. I've taken out loans upon loans and I know that it will take me years to pay them off. But, when I look back at what those loans represent, it is so much greater than the struggle it will take to pay them off. They represent the biggest risk, the most ambitious endeavor and the greatest gamble that I have ever taken - and for what? for something that I know without a doubt I love.

The biggest thing that holds film students like myself back from being successful is fear. A friend of mine looked me in the eyes a few months ago and couldn't believe it when I wasn't scared to death about going into a situation where I knew I would be judged, looked at and put under the microscope for the following day and a half. The truth is, the fear was there and it definitely was real. I just chose to ignore it because I know who I am, and I am comfortable with me. I am not going to wow anyone with my ability to speak, but what I know is that I am someone who is open and willing to take a chance by being myself; and fear will not hold me back from meeting new people or from having a good time.

The same applies in this business. When I met T.J. O'Malley for our 35mm project, he told me about his first day working on Project Mercury. He wasn't even at his new post more than 30-minutes before the head of Flight Operations (the man who ran NASA) found him and ripped him apart for screwing up. T.J. learned immediately that his business and his profession there was absolutely no margin for error, and that encounter stayed with him his entire life.

Although the risks are different in cinema, the same rules apply - and from T.J.'s lesson I can learn for myself. It's not the mistakes that we should be afraid of making, but making the same mistake twice. And if you let the thought of making a mistake hold you back, then this is wrong profession for you. It's inevitable, we are human after all, and mistakes are bound to happen. Just don't let the fear of making them hold you back from fulfilling your potential. Film is an industry chalk full of mistakes (just look at the current list of movies being made today), yet we learn from them and we accept the fact that we did screw up. It's okay to mess up - just don't make that mistake again.

But more so, the fear of making the change to the real world is often times more daunting for people than they realize. I'm honestly scared sh!tless about what's going to come next. But I find comfort in knowing that, and I know that my drive, my passion, my ambition and my willingness to take risks are what will set me apart. I haven't come this far to fail and while success is something that would be nice, I'm not expecting any miracles. Those are earned, and I haven't done a thing yet.

It's time to start working, and it's time to make a difference.