We recently connected with Zach Savage and have shared our conversation below.
Zach, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
After being in the industry for a little over two years, I have learned three very important traits that have led me to be successful early in my career. The three things that have helped me become successful is being a quick learner and paying attention to detail, being able to ask questions and not being afraid to meet new people.
One story that comes to mind is my new relationship with George Jac. We had just wrapped Netflix’s hit show “Ultimatum: Queer Love” that was filmed here in San Diego. From there, I heard that the Life Times show “Married At First Sight” was coming to San Diego for a 15th season. Naturally, like most, we all start off as PA’s on our first couple shows that we are able to get on. So, as I was able to land my second show for Life Time, I expressed my interest to be bumped up to Assistant Camera. Fortunately, within two weeks of being a PA, my production manager called me and said that we are going to bump you up to Assistant Camera as someone called out sick. From that moment on, I remained in that position until we wrapped four months later. As this position not only allowed me to learn new skills, it also catapulted my career into filming commercials such as “Accountability” for The Circle App and 5th Axis, sporting events across the United States and a number of films such as “Last Chance”, “Twisted”, “James Needs You” and “Risk Rule” that I was a First AC, Second AC and Steady Camera Operator.
None of this would have been possible if I had been afraid to reach out and meet new people like George Jac.
Zach, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
A little bit about myself and how I got into the film industry, I was born in San Diego, California and have lived here for most of my life. Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to work in tv and film. I find it fascinating how a group of talented people can come together and make something amazing whether it be a commercial, tv series or a full feature film. After graduating from high school in 2016, I continued to play basketball at Fresno City College for two years before transferring to University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating with a Film and Media degree, I returned back to San Diego where I was hired as a PA on the Netflix show “The Ultimatum: Queer Love.”
Some of the services and creative works that I provide is my knowledge and experience working with different types of cameras and media outlets. From working with the Red Komodo 6K camera and the Sony FX3 to the Sony F55 and the Sony HXC-FB80SN camera, I have been able to work with a wide range of cameras that have given me a lot of exposure to my portfolio. I also work at Snapdragon Stadium as a Broadcast Tech Engineer. Working alongside Fox Sports, CBS and TNT.
I am most proud of how far I have taken my career in just a short amount of time. My hard work ethic, eagerness to learn and showing up on time have all helped me get to where I am today.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is the opportunity to work with other creative and like minded people. As everyone on set is there to achieve the same goal which is to create the best possible project we can, it is exciting to be around other talented people who share the same ideas and dedication. One example of the common passion that we all share in this space was the last film I worked on called “Risk Rule.” Not only did we all come together and film an amazing concept movie, but it was all done voluntarily.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
One story that immediately comes to mind that illustrates my dedication and resilience was in the beginning of my career. I graduated college in June of 2020, I had so many questions as to how do I find a job in the film industry, where do I start and how do I even get my foot in the door? With so many questions running through my head, I was forgetting one key element that would not only change my industry but the entire world. COVID-19. As if finding jobs in the filming industry wasn’t hard enough, the pandemic made it feel almost impossible to find any shows and movies that were filming, especially here in San Diego. Even so, being at UCSB, some of the classes where we were able to get in groups together and make a short film had to stop because we couldn’t work together anymore. So, as a result of the pandemic, it felt like I was never going to be able to use my degree and work in the industry that I wanted to ever since I was a little kid. However, due to my resilience and perseverance, I was able to land my very first show as PA 2 weeks after I sent in my resume. After that, the rest is history.
Image Credits
Personal Photo: T.J IG: tjayshotit Pics 3-6- IG: @anelm.photography