Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Austin Copps. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Austin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Now this is an interesting one. My honest answer? Of course I wish I had started earlier. Do you know how different things would be? My resume as an actor would be considerably longer and undoubtedly more impressive. I would have already worked with big-name creatives, hopping back and forth between LA and NYC. I would have already “made it” financially. I’d have it all figured out.

Of course I wonder if anything would be different had I joined a theatre program at age 10. Or maybe if I had asked my parents to help find me an agent at age 14. But that’s not how things went down. I didn’t truly pursue acting until age 19. I didn’t have an agent until age 21. And you know what? I’m happy that’s how things went down. Even more so, I’m proud.

Everyone has their own timeline. There is no tried-and-true route to becoming a successful creative. It’s different for everyone. Your path is your path. It’s altogether original, inspiring, and just right.

It’s difficult to pursue a career as a creative. The self-doubt and self-criticism tends to smack you around like a wave pool, over and over again (it usually tends to dunk me and hold me under like an older sibling would). You have to really, really love what you do. And I commend those who stick with it. You should be proud. I’m proud of you, and I don’t even know who you are. So, ya know. You’ve got that going for you!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Let’s see. Beyond acting, I serve as Creative Producer at Showdog Studio, a film acquisition and development company based in Franklin, TN. Our mission is rooted in curating genuine stories and shaping them into impactful feature films, episodic television, documentaries, animation, you name it. We’re very committed to capturing the heart of iconic tales we all know and love. To put it simply, we want to tell stories that both entertain and deeply resonate with audiences.

As Creative Producer, I play a role in our curation process, as we consider screenplays and films from both external and internal origin. I help analyze the story’s compatibility with our company’s vision and its potential for successful distribution, both in theaters and on streaming platforms. But because of our company’s comparably small size, I get to do a little bit of everything: writing, directing, editing, even motion capture and special effects.

I’m really proud of what we do at Showdog, especially with such a small team. There’s an intimacy and certain level of trust and care that I believe is often missing in larger companies. We’re a relatively young company, so there’s a huge runway ahead of us. We have multiple projects in development, a few others in various stages of production. To say I’m excited for what’s in store for Showdog Studio would certainly be an understatement.

Have you ever had to pivot?

So I went to Belmont University (go Bruins) and graduated with a degree in Motion Pictures. I knew without a doubt I wanted a career in the film industry, but the question was how would I get in? Sure, I could’ve worked as a PA on any and every set I could find. Or I could’ve moved to a bigger production city (i.e. LA, NYC, or Atlanta). Absolutely nothing wrong with that. But instead, I decided I wanted to focus on acting and stay in Nashville.

Soon after graduating, I secured a wonderful acting agent in the southeast region. I wanted to focus all I could on my acting career, but I obviously had to make enough money to get by in the meantime. I needed a job that would allow me the flexibility to take time off for an acting role at the drop of a hat. So, I decided to get my real estate license and work as a realtor.

So I did exactly that. I joined a great team, sold a few homes, and experienced some decent success overall. But I wasn’t…happy. There was no joy in my work. I tried to swallow it for a while, but it continued to eat away at me. As fate would have it, I was introduced to John Attard (the CEO and founder of Showdog Studio) just about a year after working as a realtor. He offered me a role with his new company and the rest was history.

That being said, I don’t regret my time as a realtor in the slightest. It was a major pivot, but one that taught me so many lessons. As cheesy as it sounds, I learned I could indeed achieve anything I put my mind to. The real estate business was an enormous step out of my comfort zone, but I adapted and made the most of it. But more than anything else, my time as a realtor taught me that I wouldn’t be happy in my career unless I was pursuing what I loved. I realized for the first time it wasn’t about the money or the success; it was about waking up every day and loving what you do.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the community I’ve built around me. There’s something to be said about who you surround yourself with. Your community influences you in every regard, including your artistry. That was one of the greatest things about going to a liberal arts school such as Belmont. Almost all of my closest friends are artists, even if they don’t currently have a career in the creative industry.

Beyond my college friends, I’ve also been blessed to meet so many wonderful creatives in the Nashville film industry. In a city of this size, you tend to run into a lot of the same people on set. There’s nothing better than walking onto a new set and seeing a friendly face.

Showdog Studio is perhaps the greatest example of this community. Every day, I have the opportunity to grow and shape myself as an artist alongside a group of creatives whom I love. I mean, I spend more time with them than my own family. I cherish the opportunity to be a student in my craft, and I learn something new from my team every day. Surround yourself with a community of people that both challenge and cherish you as a creative. I promise you, it’ll do wonders.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @austin_copps

Image Credits
Mykalin Gordon