Words of wisdom from Ken Carpenter’s session, Step-by-Step Process to Starting a Local Independent Production Company.

The present opportunity: “You are at an incredible place right now. I wish I were 16 or 17, facing my future in filmmaking.”

The Attitude of a Filmmaker: “Filmmaking requires a can-do, problem solving attitude. I don’t care how skilled you are. If we are going to go to war together, I want people beside me who are solution-oriented.”

Working for Clients:“Working for clients is like attending film school and being paid for it. Everything you learn on those projects will be available for you on your own projects.”

Importance of Writing: “If you are still a student, go home and tell your educators that Mr. Carpenter said for you to put down your camera, pick up your pencil, and start presenting your ideas on paper.”

Importance of Communication: “Jobs are won and lost on the filmmakers communication skills.”

Work. Don’t just talk: “Coffee shops are full of out-of-work filmmakers talking about their next big project. That is cheap talk. So, while I want you to learn how to communicate, I also want you to roll up your sleeves and get to work.”

Importance of Economics: “If you are still being educated tell your educators that you need to take a break from working on three-point lighting and be sure to study some economics.”

Commit to self-education: “My first day of the job my boss had to take out a sheet of paper and write out the different formats of film. I knew absolutely nothing. But I committed to learning everything I could. I went workshops about directing, producing, acting, screenwriting. I immersed myself in learning about filmmaking.”

Explore internships and apprenticeships: “The person who might prospectively use you, is going to be looking at your maturity, your seriousness, your compatibility in a professional setting, and the investing they see you’ve already made to learn everything you can about filmmaking.”

Don’t learn from everyone: “In your hunger to learn, please learn responsibility and choose wisely.”

You don’t need to watch all the big movies: “Choose your movies wisely. Guard your hearts, your minds, your purity. This will equip you far more to make excellent, God-honoring films, than to see all of Hollywood’s big movies.”

Don’t watch television: “Allow me to be the one professional filmmaker who implores you not to watch television, or at least, to use great discretion in your viewing.”

Putting together your film-reel: “Because of shortened attention spans four minutes is the new seven-minutes. Don’t make a twelve-minute reel. No one, other than your mother, will watch it.”

Professionalism: “Strive to be professional. Don’t go to client meetings dressed like a stereotypical filmmaker in a hooded sweatshirt, shorts and flip-flops. Don’t say to their proposal: “Dude, that is, like, a totally creative, awesome challenge!”

Endurance: “Be resilient. Here’s one thing you can count on if you start a production company. You will face discouragement. It is inevitable. You will face rejection after rejection after rejection.”

On his family’s move from Hollywood:“I wouldn’t trade being home with my family for dinner for all the money and excitement a TV show has to offer.”

God’s faithfulness: “We know we serve a God of great faithfulness. Knowing that we march forward triumphantly, we don’t quit, and we build independent local production companies that are advancing His Kingdom.”