What Every Recent Graduate Needs to Know About the Realities of Working In Hollywood Pt1 | with Austin Coburn
The Zack Arnold Podcast
The Machine, the Worst Thing on the Planet You Can Do Is Sit
i would sometimes go 12 to 16 hours without anything, because i was just that focusedand unfortunately, that's that was the case for me as well. Am, i think that's also what causes people in the the edony days and at the studio at night, is it's ten p m, i haven't eaten all day. As i would just lock myself in the dark room and put myself in the chair and just have this crazy lazer vision, just this tunnel vision,.
Every year at this time there is an influx of energetic and passionate young filmmakers as they graduate from college ready to take on the world and become the next great filmmaker. Most graduates (including myself) enter their career ready to take on the world and do whatever it takes to "make it" in the industry, including:
Working ridiculously long hours,
Consistently staying up all night,
Taking on multiple jobs...
Saying ‘Yes’ to everything (because you never know if another opportunity will ever come along).
This was my mentality as well, until it inevitably led to my first massive bout of BURNOUT.
Today’s guest, college student (and now graduate) Austin Coburn, began to notice that his all nighters and fast food eating habits were not the proper fuel for long-term success. His curiosity about finding work-life balance led him to talking to other students and professionals in filmmaking about their experiences, and he was so inspired by this topic he turned it into a documentary.
Because he was an avid listener of my ‘Fitness In Post’ podcast at the time, he reached out to me to be an interview subject for the film, and I found his questions and his perspective so engaging I wanted to invite him to be a guest on this show to share the student’s point of view, one I don’t get to share too often on this show.
This episode is part one of a two-part conversation. In part 1 I interview Austin about his experiences and the challenges he will face upon graduation. And in part two, we flip the script and I become the interviewee. Both parts of the conversation offer a fresh perspective on an important topic that most of us grapple with regardless of what stage we are in our career.
One quick caveat: This interview was recorded a few years ago back in the Fitness in Post days. Austin has since graduated and you can find links to his most recent work on Instagram.
Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?
» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode
Here's What You'll Learn:
- Why Austin decided to make a documentary on work life balance.
- Austin spent his high school years on the computer editing his projects and wore his all nighters as a badge of honor.
- He ate a lot of fast food and decided to go vegetarian to force himself to eat healthier.
- What he learned from students he interviewed about their view on the demands of the industry.
- The perception of what it takes to "make it in the industry".
- Why students develop bad working habits while they're in school and how they carry over into their careers.
- Why it's dangerous to think of the human body as a machine.
- The dangers of developing bad eating habits while working.
- How Austin learned to say no.
- The different ideas of work life balance between students and Hollywood veterans.
Useful Resources Mentioned:
Ep34: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less | with Greg McKeown
Continue to Listen & Learn
Ep115: How to Be So Thorough You Can’t Be Denied | with James Wilcox, ACE
Ep127: Chasing After the Next Gig vs. Building Your Career | with Kabir Ahktar, ACE
How Total Burnout Led to the Most Productive Year of My Life
How to Overcome Post-Production Burnout
Ep132: How to Pursue Fulfilling Work and Find Your ‘Calling’ | with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
Ep136: Promoting Mindfulness, Well-Being, and Sanity In the Edit Bay | with Kevin Tent, ACE
Tired of Holding it Together All the Time? Here are Five Basic Needs to Get You Back On Track
Dear Hollywood...We Create Entertainment For a Living. We’re Not Curing Cancer.
Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal." Normal Wasn’t Working.
Ep128: How to Have a Successful Career Without Sacrificing Family | with Farrel Levy
Our Generous Sponsors:
Struggling With Real-Time Remote Collaboration? Meet Evercast
As work begins to slowly trickle in again, perhaps the most pressing challenge we as creative professionals face in our post-pandemic reality is real-time collaboration. Zoom is great for meetings, but it sure doesn't work for streaming video. Luckily this problem has now been solved for all of us. If you haven't heard of Evercast, it's time to become acquainted. Because Evercast's real-time remote collaboration technology is CHANGING. THE. GAME.
→ Click here to see a free demo of Evercast in action!
This episode was brought to you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat (my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation) and now their latest product. New Standard Whole Protein is a blend of both whey and collagen, sourced from the highest quality ingredients without any of the unnecessary filler or garbage. Not only will you get more energy and focus from this protein powder, you will notice improvements in your skin, hair, nails, joints and muscles. And because they don’t spend a lot on excessive marketing and advertising expenses, the savings gets passed on to you.
Guest Bio:
Austin Coburn is a filmmaker and animator who graduated from George Fox University near Portland, Oregon. His latest works can be found in his Instagram & Vimeo accounts.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content
The AI-powered Podcast Player
