From Mashable · Chance Townsend · · 1m 30s
Stop waiting for permission to make your thing
Caleb Hearon and Zooey Deschanel told TIFF creators how to cross from a feed to a feature without getting boxed in.
In brief
Caleb Hearon and Zooey Deschanel told TIFF creators how to cross from a feed to a feature without getting boxed in. Nobody is going to hand you the permission slip, so say no early and make the thing yourself. Originally reported by Mashable.
Feed to feature at TIFF
Caleb Hearon and Zooey Deschanel took the stage at the Toronto International Film Festival to talk about moving from online content to the big screen. TikTok's Jenny Kim moderated.
They made a movie together
Both star in Trash Mountain, which Hearon co-wrote with Ruby Caster. The panel doubled as a preview of how they actually pulled the jump off.
Stop waiting for permission
Deschanel's whole message was that no one is going to green-light you. She thinks anyone chasing this already has something worth putting out.
“How about you just be the person that does it first”
People will box you in
Early in her music career, Deschanel was told she couldn't be a musician because she was already known as an actor. She ignored it and did it anyway.
Learn to say no early
Hearon's advice is to get comfortable refusing things fast, and to resist companies steering you somewhere because you believe it's the only route up.
“Get comfortable saying no very early”
The money is not from movies
Hearon did four films last year, but his bills get paid by podcast ads. Creators have real leverage now, even as institutions push the financial risk onto them.
“reading ads on my gay little podcast”
The essence
Nobody is going to hand you the permission slip, so say no early and make the thing yourself.
