Shane Stanley is a multi-Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker and author who started his career as a childhood actor and learned ‘the biz’ under the tutelage of his father, famed Director, Lee Stanley. He has worked with and been lauded by some of the biggest names in Hollywood. His first major film success was producing Gridiron Gang, starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, a reincarnation of the television series he produced with his father, The Desperate Passage Series. He has produced, written, and directed a myriad of music videos, national commercials, and independent films that have garnered dozens of awards.
His new book, “What You Don’t Learn in Film School” is on required reading lists at several universities and endorsed by some of the most respected names in entertainment. He serves on several advisory boards for film schools and is a contributor and speaker for top publications in the indie film world. He and his wife live in Los Angeles.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you ended up writing a book?
As an independent filmmaker who’s been working steadily in my industry since I graduated high school, I found I was spending a lot of time consulting other filmmakers over the phone who had questions about various phases of the business. One day, after I had been talking to a director for over two hours, my wife walked into my home office and said, “You need to find a way to get your advice to others so you can continue to do what it is you need to do, these calls are killing your productivity.” That advice sunk in and within a month, I was asked to write a weekly blog for an industry trade paper that helped me with that transition. About two months into doing that, I received a call from the trade paper’s president asking if I would be interested in writing a book about the business of film. At first, I was apprehensive but agreed to give it a try. It practically wrote itself, as the questions I get from college students to seasoned professionals are pretty consistent. I just fell back on those conversations and dove right in. I had over 200 pages written in less than three weeks, fired it off to the editor they suggested, and that was that.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I hope readers realize that my word isn’t gospel. It is simply a road map, my roadmap on the highway to hell that I’ve laid out for them to help fill their journey with fewer bumps and bruises that I encountered along the way and in turn, make their experience navigating through Hollywood that much easier. They will make their own mistakes, but I hope they learn from my misfortunes and can avoid the pitfalls I wrestled with which can save them years of heartache and valuable time.
What are the top three tools you are currently using to write, publish, and promote your books?
I never went into this for “success,” I just want this book to be a valuable resource for anyone who wants advice and something to offer those who reached out to me to get the answers to the most common questions they ask. In turn, I hope it will inspire others to buckle up their chin straps and go into battle. I was fortunate to get the endorsement of some of the most respected people in our industry, both in front of and behind the camera, as well as some very prominent department chairs at various universities and film schools to make it part of their required reading which has really helped it take off.
What were the top three mistakes you made publishing your book and what did you learn from them?
Self-publishing hasn’t had any downsides for me other than not having the push from a machine that has the budget and resources to do it right. But on the flip side, I am close to some authors who signed with major publishers whose books didn’t stick. Once those companies burned through their allotted marketing budgets, the books were often left for dead. My belief in writing my book was it was going to take some time to gain traction, so I wasn’t under any pressure to perform right out of the gate. I have found time, word of mouth, and groundswell have been my best ally and I’ve seen a steady increase in sales as time goes on.
When will you consider your book a success?
Every day I get an email or a note on social media from someone who utilized it or finds it helpful is a milestone for me. I go into everything I do with the mindset that if I can help one person, I’ve done my job.
I don’t know what it is about this godforsaken industry that makes people so crazy. Actually, maybe I do. Think about it; if you encounter someone who’s striving to be a mechanical engineer, a biologist, or an architect, chances are they’re pretty grounded and seem to have a realistic, yet solid game plan when it comes to achieving their career goals. Now, do you ever notice the difference when you speak to an artist with (or without) a career plan? Maybe it’s the passion that comes within creativity or perhaps their attempt to bury deep-seated doubt with rays of hope. However, if you ask me, I think we’re all nuts in our own way. It seems this business can bring out the worst or the crazy in some of the most level headed people…and I don’t think that diminishes when someone becomes successful…it only gets worse.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenges came once the book was finished. I was blacklisted from some universities I regularly spoke at or held workshops. And that was solely due to the book’s title. I honestly didn’t care. I knew I was ripping off the proverbial Band-aid and exposing truth. I believe if you’re not pissing people off, you’re not being heard. As good as some curriculum many film schools offer, most leave a huge gap (or intentionally ignore) some of the most crucial elements of having a career in the industry, and that comes from experience. Many film professors have never made a movie or been involved with the hands-on process. Over 80% of film school grads will never earn a dime in this industry. My goal is to turn those numbers around – and drastically. Most institutions prey on students’ hopes and dreams to become the next Quentin Tarantino or Damien Chazelle and while doing so, focus only on the sexy side of jobs in our industry while leaving out the bad and the ugly sides of the business.
All I want to do is better prepare these students for when they ultimately leave the nest so they can have careers in the industry they’re passionate about, become steady earners, all while growing in the process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and they need to realize they need to start at the bottom and work their way up because the chances of someone seeing their student film or reading their first script and shooting them to stardom is like winning the lottery.
On the flip side, I have met and aligned myself with some incredible department chairs at major universities who capture the spirit of what I’ve written, have embraced the book, me as a mentor, and have opened up a whole new world. So, from the disappointment of being ousted from some institutions, a lot more good has come from it than I could have ever imagined.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your book?
That it’s something I should have done years ago. But under heaven, there is a time for everything I suppose…
I think the one thing you have to do before pulling the trigger in self-publishing (or traditional publishing) is to gain endorsements from people who are respected. My best marketing tools are having the endorsement of Academy Award® winners, studio, and network heads, and even recognizably named actors. Endorsements give you a tremendous foothold when promoting your work and getting others to give it a look when you’re looking to place it or gain more attention in its promotion. Good write-ups are key as well. Some of the reviews on the book were key to its success in gaining traction. They are invaluable.
Again, it’s about endorsements and positive reviews. One thing I stress in my book is the power of relationships. Bonds with people in your world that in turn, can write that one sentence or phrase that’ll make people flock to your work. The key endorsements I received were from Producer Neal H. Moritz, former President of Sony Pictures and CBS Entertainment, Jeff Sagansky, and actress, Jane Seymour. I was blown away by their words. Academy Award®-winning songwriter/actor Paul Williams offered to write the book’s foreword and my friend of 30 years, Adam Kane, one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood, wrote the introduction. These elements were key as well as the dozens of other endorsements and reviews I had received before going to print.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
When I won my first Emmy® Award, at the age of sixteen, I had no idea what opportunities were available to me. I was nominated three more times and after winning a second Emmy® at nineteen I was still clueless as to how to use that momentum toward a career. At that age, I was still trying to figure out who Shane was, and a “career” was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t burn bridges, but I just didn’t use them, I wallowed around for another decade before actually committing to make film my life-long career. I guess better late than never, but sometimes I shudder to think “what could have been?” If I had just stayed on course and realized the opportunities I had and didn’t take advantage of. Honestly, I was still in high school and more interested in girls, racing dirt bikes and playing my drums.
What’s a productivity tip do you swear by?
I believe you have to be the first one there and the last to leave. I believe you have to be the hardest worker in the room and most importantly, never let your head hit the pillow unless you’ve done something in the day that will get you closer to achieving your goals. It’s mind-blowing how many people say they’ll get on it tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. I refuse to let the sun set without doing something to push my work forward.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to finish writing your book?
I hate writing and after being a working screenwriter for almost 20 years, I realized one day that I love having written much more than the task of writing itself. Once I was about 70 pages in and starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, I realized and knew that the work I was doing was to help others. That has always been my goal – to leave the world a better place and I believed that by finishing this book, I would be doing just that.
If someone is looking for a great resource I highly recommend Alex Ferrari’s INDIE FILM HUSTLE. His books, his podcasts, and his online courses are invaluable for entrepreneurs, authors, filmmakers, or anyone looking to do research and/or break-in. Even if you’re not in our industry, his format is brilliant.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I make it a point to learn something new every day. What I write here now will be far in the rearview mirror by the time this goes to print so, if you’re asking what that may be, today it’s to color-code every video file on the timeline for the film I am currently editing. As a hands-on filmmaker, I have edited over 400 projects, and in the end, when it comes time to deliver my elements to the color correction house and the VFX gurus, I always get confused looking at over 6,000 edits in a project’s timeline wondering what cut goes to whom. I am re-training myself to color-code these elements now, so I can quickly get everyone the right files and not waste days or even weeks of sorting.
If you only had $1000 dollars to promote a new book, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
On the right publicist. Someone who understands you as a writer, knows your voice, and who understands where your work needs to be seen.
A writer writes. One thing I love about this fact is that a writer doesn’t need anyone else to give them the go-ahead to work. In my industry, an actor cannot act, a producer cannot produce, and a director cannot direct without the written word. The writer is the one who kicks off the ball which allows the game to begin. I love reminding writers that it ALL starts with YOU, so get off your butt and get writing. The words will not form on the page by themselves.
What is your favorite quote? “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.”
– Steven Tyler
Who should we interview next and why?
I think Jeff Pink, founder, and CEO of Orly Beauty International is a great interview. He is one of my dearest friends, just wrote his own book, “It All Started with Pink,” and is one of the most influential people in cosmetics; he invented the French Manicure. Mr. Pink is an Israeli immigrant who landed in Detroit, painted houses for a living, and turned that experience into one of the largest privately-owned cosmetic companies in the world.
How can readers get in touch with you?
I am an open book and easily accessible. I have two websites, www.shanestanley.net for my basic work and where anyone can contact me, and for details on the book, www.whatyoudontlearninfilmschool.com. Emails and queries are usually replied to in a short amount of time and, as long as you’re not asking me to read a script, (which I will not do). I’m also easy to find on social media: Twitter (@shanestanley) Instagram (@OfficialShaneStanley) and on Facebook by just typing in my name.
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