We recently connected with Autumn Bishop and have shared our conversation below.

Autumn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

The idea of success varies from person to person. For some, it will be becoming the CEO of a major company. For others, success could be contributing to a major project. As a Christian creator, my idea of success can sometimes be contradicting to others in my career. I see work as something that I enjoy and will enjoy doing for the rest of my life. However, I do not see work as something to find my worth in. For me, success is having a job that will allow me to showcase my strengths and improve my weaknesses, but also allow me to support and provide for myself and my family. In this way, career success takes hard work, dedication and commitment. It takes a firm belief in the work that is being done, and that it is worthy of being shared with others. On the other hand, my personal success derives from the ability to let go of work and have a home life that also brings me joy and fulfillment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Autumn Leif Bishop, and I grew up in a small town in South Texas called Shiner. I am currently a college student attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I major in Film and Television and have a double minor in Producing and Business. My main focus is producing for television, specifically sports TV or political TV. I am also interested in narrative television such as sitcoms, comedies and dramas.
I was raised in a small, one stoplight, population 2,072, ranch town, I was not exposed to as much creative opportunities as some of my peers, though I took opportunities that were available to me seriously. I was involved in the high school band for 5 years, where I was drum major for 4 years. I took part in multiple student leadership opportunities, and played multiple sports every year. In classes, I was a straight A student, taking part in all honors classes and dual credit classes that were available to me.
Throughout my high school career, I excelled in English classes, specifically when it came to reading and writing. I love to write my own stories, and I love reading books even more. When it came time to look at colleges, I was sure that journalism of some kind was in my future. Then COVID hit during my sophomore year, and everything came to a stop. Suddenly, reading and writing was something that I could do all the time, not just in my free time. While developing my story skills even more, I became more involved with movies, and the way film as a medium can be used to tell stories. This was the first time I considered film as a career. After researching about the film industry and reflecting on the direction I would want to go, I found SCAD and decided to tour the school. I instantly felt at home in Savannah and SCAD as a school.
Throughout my studies, I have realized that producing is a position in which I can fulfill with my talents. Because of my background in leadership positions, I have developed skills that are useful in a producer position. I am someone who loves to lead others, can efficiently organize and plan, and am able to solve any issues on the spot.
My faith and Christianity sets me apart in many ways from my peers. I have a different view from many on the value of work and what it takes to be successful in this career. I am careful to put dedication into my work, but not base my worth on it. My faith also influences me on projects that I want to be involved on, subjects I want to speak about, and the process that I take when it comes to work.
So far, I am most proud of the student projects that I have been lucky enough to contribute to. I have been a Line Producer on multiple higher level projects, and have been proud of the way I handled that job. One project in particular is a sitcom pilot that we are planning to pitch to studios. Not only was I included on the team and able to provide for the before and on set, but a sitcom fits into the area of work that I would love to go into.
My upbringing has had a major influence on my work, as well as my religion and beliefs. Film has always been a passion of mine, but so has my family, friends, peers and faith. In my career, I am not only working for myself, but I am working for them. Telling stories is one thing, but dedicating stories to those who have raised me and cared for me is another. I work hard to be someone that bridges the gap between the people I love and my own life.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I have had many conversations with people who do not understand the creative fields or may have some false pre-conceived notions about careers in film and television. The biggest topic that I feel is misunderstood is the risk/reward that goes into a creative field. In creative careers, there are risks that need to be taken, but I wouldn’t say the risks are larger or more unfair when compared to other careers. There are more stable outlines of what makes good art and work when it comes to a creative field than most outside of an artistic environment realize. Talent is a big indicator of potential success, but being practical about how a creative plans their future is extremely important as well.
I am a very practical person, who has clear visions of being able to provide for myself and my family in the future. I would not choose a career path that had almost no guarantee of an income. There are more jobs for people trained in film and television than most realize. As with other careers, it benefits for a creative to have knowledge of multiple skills in the workplace. For this reason, I added a business minor to my schooling, and that requires me to take classes that bridge the gap between art and business. In my schooling, I have not only honed my creative talent but also grown in the knowledge of the way a creative environment should be run from a business point of view.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a film and television student, I have been required and invited to work on many student film sets. Before I attended film school, I was very unaware of the behind the scenes workings of a set, and would have assumed that the crew would be professionals who are experts in their specific fields and would stick to their own departments. While this is true to a certain level, there is a lot more teamwork that must happen to make a film come to life. The sound department works extremely closely with the director, consulting after each take to make sure the sound was useable. The costuming department collaborates with the set design department to enhance the characters and performances. The product is so much more meaningful to me because of the teamwork that happened behind the scenes. It is always extremely rewarding to witness so many people showcasing their unique talents and working together to create a meaningful film.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://autumnlbishop.wixsite.com/autumnleif
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumn.leif/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075211454180
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-bishop-96b17226b/
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

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