A Career is the Accumulation of Strategic Moves

I've been a little absent, but I haven't been away.  I've been busy.  For starters, I went to Sundance Film Festival for the first time and it was amazing. 24 hours a day. It's like adult summer camp for movie lovers in the middle of winter. 

At some point, I'll tell you about it all: about the panels and the parties and the gifting suites.  I'll tell you about how stupidly difficult it was to get into screenings, about the extra bag I needed  in order to carry all my swag, and most importantly, about the stack of business cards walked away with on the way home.  

I'll tell you about all of it, but there's something bigger going on right now. 

I think I've mentioned to you before, I hustle people and projects connected to my home state ruthlessly.  I think you have to utilize whatever network you are given, and the hometown crowd is one of my biggest supporters. In Los Angeles, I'm still clawing my way out of obscurity, but back home, I'm a respectably big fish in a small pond.

In the last couple years, I've worked on a few projects connected to various members in this network.  Most of them are pretty small, but it has meant that I've worked with basically everyone who is anyone in the industry in my home state.  None have really done a ton for me yet, but right now, there is serious potential for all that groundwork to pay off.

A very prestigious indie just got the green light to shoot back home. It's an art house kind of film, and I doubt the average person will even know when it's released.  The director is not a household name, nor are their projects ultra famous.  But on the festival circuit?  They are big time. Their past films are festival darlings with A-list names attached.  In fact, this one already has two Oscar-nominated stars on board. It also just so happens that the film has a supporting character who is perfect for Anony. 

For the past two years, I have been positioning myself as a star in my home state, and though I don't live there, I can as a work local hire. (Meaning, I can save the production beaucoup dollars.)  Most of those in the industry who so live there permanently have worked with me before and would vouch for me -- professionally, personally and socially.  Even the film commissioner is committed to pitching me to the producers.  

I've been building these relationships for years waiting for an opportunity like this to come along. It's huuuuuge. It's a big deal to be seen and would be a big deal to land this role.  Obviously  nothing is certain, I haven't even been able to audition yet.  But that's my goal.  It's what consumes me this week. 

It's a big move and if success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity... 
this. is. it.

It's not the end-all, be-all... but it's one helluva strategy if it can pay off. Cross your fingers for me!!