THE FOLEY MARRA STUDIOS NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2024
"I don't dream at night,
I dream at day, I dream all day;
I'm dreaming for living."
― Steven Spielberg
IMPOSTOR SYNDROME?
I'm not a psychologist. Nor do I pretend to have the inside track on the workings of the human mind. Having said that, I have been hearing from several people from all walks of life talking about something called
Imposter Syndrome. Now, I've heard that term for decades, but since it's coming to my attention lately, I've decided to do a little digging into imposter syndrome and wonder what effect it may have on creative people. It seems to be more prevalent in successful people when they go for their dreams.
The idea that someone is going to find out that you don't belong in the club, that you don't belong at the grown-up table, that you are not as connected as people think you are, that you are not as talented as the working talent professional creative geniuses that make up our industry.
I mention this because it's worth considering whether this common phenomenon is helping you hold yourself back from your dream.
I am a big believer in chasing the demons out of the dark corners of my mind, not by arguing with the demon in the shadows, but by turning on a light. So, I like to read up on those things and learn that they are not unique or particular to me. It's more universal and more about the human condition. Once I turn on that light, the demons aren't so loud anymore. I've left some links below and invite you to read up on it if the subject resonates with you. Throw some light into the darker corners of your mind because if you can recognize something, then you can work to heal it.
The most effective treatment for Imposter Syndrome is doing honest persistent work to learn and get better. There is a wonderful book out there called Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. I've put a link for the book down below. In very broad strokes, it means approaching every job not with hubris and ego but as though you are a beginner. Your experience will kick in as it should when you need it.
So, instead of going into an audition or a job thinking, I'll just do what I do. You might find magic in approaching it like you did when you were a beginner, with awe, curiosity and excitement to learn. We stress this philosophy to all our students. And it seems to work for them and for me. If it works for you, let us know.
On Social
Don't waste your social media.
We live in a world where communication is at our fingertips, literally at our fingertips. And we squander our time on food shots, the latest dance craze, or
cute animal photos. As entertaining as it is, it is still a huge time-suck. We can talk about screen addiction another time, but now, let's be more positive. How can your social media help you and your journey?
What if you used social media platforms as a forum to tell us (in casting) about you, the artist?
It's not just your posting about your latest show ( which is interesting); show off your stuff. Or let us follow your journey as you learn new skills. Do you paint? Do you play an instrument, or do you sing? We'd love to see it.
It's not as difficult as you might think. You can start by showing off your talents as you develop them. Show us the first drawing, the first piano lesson, the first anything in the journey of developing something new for you.
Do you do martial arts? Yeah?. Show it. You get to show us the skills you have listed on your resume. Social media is the perfect place to show videos of you
doing the special skills you've listed on your resume. Do you really like to ride horses? Play tennis? What do you want to do or learn? Try something out. Let us watch you grow and develop.
I don't know if a ton of likes and views earn you actual money.
I don't know if being an internet star actually gets you a good role over an experienced actor.
I do know we have to check your social media before we book you.
You know we have to check out your social media, right? Cause we do. We can't have offensive social media posts connected with a movie or a commercial.
This is gonna take some planning and even more courage and even more stick-to-it-iv-ness (my Dad's word), but as you grow in your skills, we can see it, and then you're not just a thumbnail on a page of thumbnail submissions anymore.
So now, is there time to do much more scrolling? Or is that time better spent dreaming and making plans?
"I don't dream at night,
I dream at day, I dream all day;
I'm dreaming for living."
― Steven Spielberg
It's one of my favorite, most motivating quotes. It reinforces me; it lets me give myself permission to do what I do. I'll be forever grateful to Steven Spielberg for saying that.
Now think about it: what would you dream of doing?
So what can you do? You can begin by developing your talents and sharing them as you develop them.
IF IT FEELS LIKE IT'S SLOW, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS.
Now, don't get all discouraged, okay? But here are some numbers from the LA Times that can help you realize, 'It's not just you."
According to a study cited in ProdPro, July 24, besides the pandemic and the strikes, the risk of a 'work stoppage" this year by crews has made studios, shall we say, cautious. Movie production is down 18% this year. However, television production has increased by 20% globally. So there is a ray of sunshine. And, more good news, according to an article in Variety (dated July 18) 2024, A
tentative agreement has been ratified by the members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IASTE). So, there is more hope that we can all get back on track. Now, if we can get the video game contract taken care of, we can ALL get back to work.
Nobody is excited about less production, and we have to believe that everyone on all sides would like to get back to work making movies, making games, making television, and making money. There is something nice about paying your bills, and having enough money for us all to get back to going out to the movie theaters. That helps us all make a living.
AT THE STUDIO
Very exciting news. We got our first distribution deal for our feature documentary
called "CHOICES." That is our first (but not last) distribution deal, and we are thrilled! We'll let you know where you'll be able to see it when they sell it!!
KILLING HOPE got accepted into the New York Movie Awards! And RAW DEALS is now being submitted to festivals. We are finishing up several projects for submission this fall. THEY PSYCHODYNAMICS OF MODERN THEORIES OF ACTING (which is not about acting at all), REFLECTED SHADOWS, a short suspense film, and WRITER'S ROOM. It's a race to get it all done.
I recommend the following articles:
LA TIMES
VARIETY
And to find Zen Mind Beginners Mind, here's a link :
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