We recently connected with Dustin Gill and have shared our conversation below.
Dustin, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
For the past five years I’ve dedicated my life to my music career as a recording artist (alias “Drawn To The Sky”). However, more recently I ventured into the world of filmmaking by co-founding a film production company called “Amber Forest Pictures.” with a musician friend of mine, Braden Barrie. We are currently engaged in the production of our very first feature film, a thrilling horror anthology titled “Farlight.”
“In the mysterious, small town of Farlight, residents and visitors face the nightmarish creatures & disturbing entities that seem to call the town home.
Inspired by horror films like Hereditary, Relic, & The Babadook (with a hint of Stranger Things).”
We are funding this entire movie ourselves and are about halfway through the filming process.
You can find a sneak peak of the film here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/farlight-horror-feature-film#/
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota. Because I was so far from other people and didn’t have any siblings at home, I spent the vast majority of my childhood alone trying to find ways to entertain myself.
At 11 years old, I picked up my first guitar. I didn’t have many friends, so my entire youth was spent immersing myself in extra curricular activities like sports, lifting weights, and making music.
I eventually became an All-State athlete in Track & Field and ended up breaking a 40+ year old school record in the discus throw. I initially thought this meant my future was in athletics, so after graduating high school in 2013 I decided to go to college to pursue a fitness-related degree.
As a kid I had always had my sights set on being a successful musician and touring the world, but going to college and doing what everyone else was doing around me seemed like the only possible way forward.
After forcefully trudging my way through 3 lackluster years of college, I decided it was time to change my degree to ‘Music Business’ and finally get on with living my true purpose.
In 2018, following my college graduation, I threw myself into the storm and moved out to Los Angeles. Within 2 years I was able to support myself financially with my own music while writing/producing music for other artists.
Fast forward to 2023, I eventually connected with one of my all-time favorite musicians, Braden Barrie from SayWeCanFly. With a shared love of film & producing our own music videos, we decided to form a production company called “Amber Forest Pictures.” Shortly afterwards, we began filming & producing our first feature film “Farlight,” a horror anthology.
“Amber Forest Pictures” on its face is company focused on producing in-house feature films, but we also offer our services to other creatives such as filming and post-production work for music videos, documentaries, advertisements, corporate events and narrative projects alike. Braden and I have an excellent track record of producing very visually cinematic work, alongside having the flexibility & awareness to cater our skills to any type of project from both an audio & video perspective.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I first moved to Los Angeles, I found myself in a super small apartment with paper-thin walls. Consequently, whenever I attempted to record my music, I would invariably receive noise complaints from my next door neighbors. To avoid potential eviction from my apartment complex, I faced the challenge of seeking an alternative space for recording my music that wouldn’t disturb my neighbors, all while managing my non-existent budget at the time.
After doing a bit of research, I discovered that utilizing my mini-van as a recording space was my best option. The van’s airtight interior effectively dampened sound, though it did come with the tiny drawback of transforming into a literal makeshift oven under the scorching LA heat.
The majority of my sessions involved recording in short 5-minute intervals, followed by the immediate necessity to aggressively swing open the van doors to gasp for air and seek relief from the blistering heat inside. Almost all of the songs I recorded from 2018 to 2020 took place in that van.
Eventually I was able to connect with another musician friend who was willing to let me record in his home studio in exchange for mixing and production work.
Fast forward to 2023 and I’m residing in an amazing house with my own personal recording studio with a dedicated vocal booth, featuring the greatest invention ever created – air conditioning.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
As an avid reader, there are many books that have made a massive impact on my life and have helped me refine my mindset and life skills. The most powerful book I can think of is definitely “The Power Of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.
This book showed me how to positively unidentify with my thoughts and live fully in the present moment. It also taught me that by vibrating in the here & now, peace is able to radiate through your heart even in times of adversity and turmoil.
Living in the present while being totally disconnected from mediocre thoughts throughout the day can be extremely challenging, but the more you practice the better you get at it. If you’re able to hold your frame in the present, it also puts you in the proper mood to be able to attract amazing opportunities into your life – many of which might have otherwise gone unnoticed or remained beyond reach when plagued by a negative and cluttered mind.
Overall I recommend this book to all my family and friends. Tt has definitely helped with my success in both career and relationships more than anything else.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drawntothesky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drawntothesky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drawntothesky/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-gill-645576178
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drawntothesky
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_32z9P3PTKasjuEtGU22TQ
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drawntothesky Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/drawntothesky
Image Credits
All photos credits go to Alison O’Brien