Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

“You don’t need more time…you just need to decide.” -Seth Godin “You can do anything, but not everything.” -James Allen “Think of many things. Do one.” -Portuguese Proverb “What’s the ONE thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” -Tim Keller “It is our choices that showContinue reading “Just Decide”

“No input, no output.” -Joe Strummer of The Clash Just like athletes, the artist must take care of their body, mind and spirit. A disciplined routine that includes proper sleep, nutrition, exercise and meditation is worth investing in. Also, the artist must constantly be inspired. Take in and appreciate great art in all its forms.Continue reading “You Gotta Constantly Fill Yourself Up”

Clowns to the left of meJokers to the rightHere I am stuck in the middle with you -song “Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel For the audition, the performance, the business meeting, the pitch, the presentation, etc… It didn’t go as well as you think. Nor did it go as badly asContinue reading “In The Middle”

“A great script is your currency in Hollywood.” -producer Brian Grazer Peter Lynch, arguably the greatest stock picker of all time, was fond of saying, “The person who turns over the most stones, wins the game.” The amount of companies Lynch analyzed while running The Magellan Fund was legendary. He even turned shopping at theContinue reading “Turn Over The Most Stones”

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” -a six-word story, popularly attributed to Ernest Hemingway “Extreme cutting like this is a gateway to voice. Let’s say there are two phases in writing (although these tend to morph in and out of each other): composition and revision. We tend to associate voice with the first (“I justContinue reading “The One Sentence Pitch”

“You must practice seeing yourself with a little distance, cultivating the ability to get out of your own head. Detachment is a sort of natural ego antidote. It’s easy to be emotionally invested and infatuated with your own work. Any and every narcissist can do that. What is rare is not raw talent, skill, orContinue reading “The Ego Cuts Both Ways”

“When my brother and I were growing up, my father would encourage us to fail. We’d sit around the dinner table and he’d ask, “What did you guys fail at this week?” If we had nothing to tell him, he’d be disappointed. The logic seems counterintuitive, but it worked beautifully. He knew that many peopleContinue reading “Failmore”

“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations “There are no failures–just experiences and your reactions to hem.” -Tom Krause “Human beings are capable of worry and rumination: we can take a minor thing, blow it up in our heads, run through it overContinue reading “Resiliency”

“Neugebauer’s notes to actors often take the form of questions. David Cromer, who played a bluff, sometimes bumbling character in The Waverly Gallery, recalled “a phrase she used all the time: ‘Does that resonate with you?’ ” He observed, “It gives you permission to respond.” Her ability to incorporate unstinting input may be why peopleContinue reading “It Must Be Their “Aha!””

Two questions to ask if you really want to cut to the chase… The first has to do with sales. Ask your potential customer person the following: “Is there anything I can say or do that would get you to say yes to my offer?” The second has to do with advice. If you seekContinue reading “Cutting To The Chase”