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How Two Very Different Paths Led To Filmmaking Careers

87 min • 22 februari 2022

Talia Lugacy (writer/director of indie film This is Not a War Story which is nominated for a Spirit Award) and Chad Galster (editor of the acclaimed series Yellowstone and 1883) share their different experiences of how film school influenced their current careers and remind us there’s no right way to filmmaking…

In this episode, we talk about…

Watching a Clockwork Orange obsessively and loving a certain level of excellence
Going to film school at NYU and showing up to film sets vs. film classes
Talia’s experience of moving to LA as a PA and why she went back to NYC
How attending acting school as a teenager eventually led to the film Descent
Working through trauma and staying at a monastery to practice Rinzai Zen
How Talia accelerated her writing practice and where This Is Not a War Story came from
Why it’s best to focus on your craft vs. what’s out of your control as a filmmaker
Chad’s decision to leave science and pursue his childhood dream of making movies
The benefits of USC’s film program and spending hours getting work experience as a student
Becoming the guy known for editing and getting his first credit
Advice to work hard, follow your passion, and be willing to pivot
How Chad’s music background influences his work as an editor
Experimenting with sound and being careful not to spoon feed the audience
How larger aspects of editing decisions impact the overall story and lessons
Committing to authenticity to help with audience engagement