We were lucky to catch up with Shane Sackett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shane, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
Being a freelance creative professional can have its ups & downs, but overall I do feel that I’ve chosen the right career path. I don’t think I could do a “regular” job that didn’t frequently allow for something new.
It’s a constant balancing act of job vs art, money vs passion, relationships vs opportunity…but I think I’m slowly getting better at that dance. There have been intermittent phases of burnout over the years, but the love for the art always resurfaces after I take time away to re-center. Lately I’ve been more motivated than ever to chase my ambitions in film. It’s a good feeling.
Shane, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Shane Sackett, I’m a director of photography based in Los Angeles. I’m originally from Florida and moved here in late 2019 to seek more creative opportunities.
This career path has brought me some amazing experiences over the years. I’ve traveled across a total of 13 countries for shoots and widened my cultural perspective. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Michael Madsen, Westside Boogie, Allen Iverson, Andrew Whitworth, Wiz Khalifa, and many more. Clients have included Nike, SMITH, Cloak, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and Real Essentials. I also recently designed & installed the lighting for the hit podcast Call Her Daddy.
Big picture, I’m just someone who loves visual arts and is always looking for a new challenge to dive into. I enjoy chasing all these different endeavors and always finding new ways to be a student of the craft.
I’ve worked in commercial and music video production for about 10 years, and now in late 2023 I’m excited to be beginning the narrative film chapter of my career. My early love for motion picture came from making skate videos with my friends in middle school. They were all sponsored & better than me, so I was nominated as the group filmer. Eventually I learned how to cut together a little story and from that point on I was hooked. I decided to major in TV production in college, and upon graduating was hired at a commercial production agency. With more access to high-level equipment than ever before, my years there were a beginner masterclass in the technical side of filmmaking. Eventually I decided to leave to pursue freelance work for multiple agencies/clients and start my own company Theory Productions.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I believe the most rewarding aspect of production & art is the collaboration between so many unique creative minds. When you bring the right mix of people & vision to the table, there’s a natural chemistry that kicks in and suddenly this idea/concept you’re working on transcends all your original hopes. Working in this manner gives everyone a bit of ownership in the final product, which in my opinion is great. I want to be surrounded by brilliant artists who are equally invested in the project.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is trusting others over myself with opportunistic decisions. A few times in my early career I accepted & declined some opportunities on bad advice from someone I trusted knew better than me. Each of these instances I missed out on what could have been a great project. It took a long time to start shaking imposter syndrome, thankfully these days it’s much less present. This change has allowed me to trust my gut and make decisions that align more with my real goals.
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