Life Lessons From a Shark Attack
I had no business being a quarter mile out from the beach in La Jolla cove.
After being chewed up and spit out over and over again by this salty washing machine, I've finally made it out past where the waves are breaking.
My lungs are on fire.
As I try to catch my breath floating on a surfboard thats barely bigger than my 16 year old body, an eerie chill comes over me.
Up to this point, every ounce of my attention has been focused on avoiding getting pounded by monster waves and swept back to shore.
Now all I can focus on is the stillness around me. How when I look below me into the ice cold water of the pacific it's no longer blue, but fades into blackness.
As I bob up and down like a fishing lure I can practically hear the Jaws theme song pounding in my brain.
I look around and find two other surfers nearby waiting for the next set. I paddle over a little closer.
I don't want to crowd them, but if the monster I can sense circling in the depths below me decides its lunch time, I at least want it to have options.
Here come the waves. Thank God.
I may have spent an hour getting out here, but now all I can think about is how these waves are my one way ticket back to dry land.
I turn my eyes back to the horizon and the two guys behind me and wait for the moment to start paddling.
As the wave gets closer and grows larger I can almost taste my salty salvation.
And just before the wave gets big enough to eclipse the horizon, obscuring my vision of everything behind me, I see a dorsal fin breach the water.
Holy shit. SHARK.
My mind is an explosion of color. Adrenaline starts pumping through my veins like hot motor oil through a supercar.
I am activated.
I start paddling like my life depends on it. Because it does.
As the wave closes in my forward progress grinds to a halt as the suction of the wave keeps me suspended in place.
The wave begins to crest beneath me, and I paddle harder. I'm giving it everything I have and just as I reach the point where the wave should take over and begin rocketing me forward…it rolls right out from under me and continues on.
I'VE MISSED IT!
I'm no longer suspended in place. Now I'm sliding down the backside of a mountain, picking up speed toward that dorsal fin, and toward my maker.
Why the hell was I even out here?
I’ve always had an irrational fear of sharks. How stupid could I be to deliver myself on a surfboard shaped platter straight into Great White territory?
As the momentum takes me closer to destiny I only have one option left. I’m going to have to fight. I steel myself. With a surge of energy I clench my fists and…
Who am I kidding.. I PANIC!
Pure instinct takes over. I paddle even harder only this time it isn’t really paddling, it’s more like flailing.
And then somehow, over the roar of the ocean, over the sound of my splashing, over my racing pulse pounding in my ears, I faintly hear one of the other surfers excitedly say to the other:
“Bro! Look! There’s a dolphin over there!”
A dolphin.
As the threat diminishes the adrenaline turns to lead. The lactic acid in my muscles feels like it solidifies And I now weigh a thousand pounds. After what I’ve just been through I’m practically catatonic.
The other two guys realize what I’ve just been through and boy do they think its hilarious.
I start laughing too. I don’t think its funny but at this point I’m pretty sure my brain is just short circuiting.
After I decompress a little, I’m now floating peacefully on my board.
In that instant I realized that by being fixated on what I feared most, I was blind to any other possibility.
Feeling pretty foolish but grateful to be alive, I paddle back to the beach to return my board and change my underwear.
As I reflect on this experience I had as a teenager, the lesson I learned that day is powerful. When we let our fears take over, we can no longer see possibilities, only what we fear most.
As we pursue our dreams the fear of failure can blind us from seeing opportunities that would lead to our success.
As we pursue a business our worries can begin to eclipse our strengths if we allow them to dig their hooks into us.
I’m not saying we can’t feel fear.
That’s impossible.
We’re going to feel fear. But we can’t let that fear consume us and prevent us from seeing reality.
After all, failure isn’t just okay, it’s inevitable. The formula isnt Fail or Succeed.
The Formula is Fail then Succeed.
When writing a story, a good question to continually ask yourself is:
“Is the reader seeing a movie in their heads as they read.”
If they aren’t chances are the writing is more informative and less narrative. Neither is right or wrong, but telling a story visually puts the reader there with us, and has a greater chance of having an emotional impact.
The “movie in their heads” tidbit is something I got from The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr. It’s a great single tool to tell if you’re on the right track.
I’m pumped to hit the ground running this year. We are finishing up our time in Puerto Rico for the holidays, and I have a lot of exciting things in the works.
I’m leveling up my mentorship program to equip you with the tools you need to take things to the next level. I hold nothing back. No secrets, just direct tailored access to everything I know about cinematography and filmmaking, social media, the tools and techniques I use, as well as helping you with the mindset you need in this competitive space.
I’m working on finishing my “Short-form Film Maker” course, which is an A-Z on my exact technical process to making high quality impactful videos to grow your audience around your passions.
Drop me a line with any questions you have about what I have going on or just to say hello. I’d love to hear from you.
I hope your year is off to a great start
Caleb
Why Most People Quit (and how not to)
Inspiration is in the air
It's that time of year again.
The time between Christmas and New Years.
When we start looking forward to the goals we want to set and the things we want to accomplish in the coming year.
During this time of year it's not hard to be inspired.
We've (hopefully) had some time to rest and recharge, eat a bunch of tasty treats, and spend time with the people we care about. And right now, everyone around us has the same mindset.
Let's get better this year.
I kind of like to think that this time of year is like when you're super motivated to start your new diet, because you've just finished stuffing yourself with your favorite meal.
For me, It's never easier to think it's finally time to commit to getting ripped than after I'm full up to my eyeballs with sushi and chocolate chip cookies. (which sounds oddly disgusting next to each other)
Just like how right now it's not hard to fantasize about my future sitting in literal paradise as I write this in Puerto Rico.
And the same way it's easier to start the diet just after our favorite meal, right now it's as easy as it will ever be to set lofty goals and daydream about the future.
It's in the air.
The Reality of The Work
Here's the thing:
It's easy to imagine achieving a goal from this perspective, because we get to dream about the future without being realistic about what the work itself is going to feel like.
I say "feel like" and not "be like" here because thats what matters.
We all know in theory what the work toward our goal is going to "be" like
We just have to make sure to get to the gym everyday
Or we just have to meal prep every weekend
Or just have to count our calories.
Or just post x amount of times a week.
And these things are easy to imagine and prepare for mentally because they're just facts.
They're the Logistics of what trying to reach our goals will look like, but that isn't what matters.
What does matter and the thing that I'm trying to spend some time preparing for is how that work is going to Feel.
The feeling of waking up at 5 am to get an early start to make time for everything. (It feels like shit)
The feeling of trying to pursue Youtube this year knowing that for the foreseeable future those videos will require a ton of effort but have little to no audience. (It will feel like shit)
The feeling I have now of setting the goal to make a million dollars this year from my social media business (with things like my 1:1 consults that's price will double in january) and the overwhelm that comes from what it will take to achieve it. (It feels impossible and that feels like shit)
The feeling of wanting to quit. (you guessed it)
I have to prepare for those feelings because I know they're coming.
Because no matter the goal they always do.
Change is hard.
And in order to truly change, we have to find our why.
Finding Your Why
We have to ask ourselves what the deeper personal reasons for the goals we are setting for ourselves are.
That way when things do start to feel like shit, we can find it in us to do them anyway.
I want to pursue Youtube because I want to be able make a living creating freely without limitation, to connect with other people through my work, and ultimately create change for other people.
I want to make a million dollars because I know what it feels like to get hit with a life changing medical diagnosis and have to spend every penny I have.
I know what it feels like to live on other people's terms and work yourself to the bone because that's what it takes to pay the bills.
It feels like being trapped.
And as I write this I realize that that thing all of my goals have in common is that:
I want to be free.
Free to express myself how I want to.
Free from worry about the future and being blindsided financially.
Free from someone else assigning me my lifestyle.
And if you're reading this I have to think that you probably want something like that too.
So find your why.
Because this year when reality sets in, and your fun new routine becomes a chore, your why is the thing that's going to keep you pushing forward.
I say this all the time, but the thing that I remind myself of when I feel like phoning it in (which is often by the way) is:
No one's coming to save you.
It's up to you. And thats powerful.
And this year you better believe you're going to hit road blocks.
Moments when whatever goals you have feel impossible.
When your mind tries to convince you that "you didn't really care that much about that goal anyway" or that "you can just try again next week, or next month, or next year."
It's these times that your why will be what makes the difference.
And just remember:
Pushing forward when it's easy is, well, easy. But pushing forward when you want to quit is when it counts.
Mastering the 180 degree rule can help elevate your storytelling, especially on social media.
When most people begin, they tend to shoot from different angles randomly, without focusing on any sort of screen direction.
While it is social media and there really aren't any rules, observing the 180 line will give your videos a more professional narrative feel. This concept is a bit vague and difficult to explain in writing so check out this video I made here that dives deeper.
We are currently in Puerto Rico seeing Laura's family for the New Year, we had a great time seeing my parents in Arkansas and got to spend some quality time with them, but unfortunately I spent a lot of our time there sick with a cold of some sort. I'm feeling a bit better now but still not 100 percent.
Overall trying to be more intentional about being present and taking the time to recharge.
I hope everyone is getting some quality time with their loved ones, and looking ahead to an awesome new year.
And as always
I hope this helps.
Caleb
When Hearing “You Can’t” is Just What You Need
Sometimes, all it takes to ignite your fire is someone saying, “You can’t.” Their doubt can then becomek the fuel that drives you to prove them wrong.
When I was 16, I played in a local band in Little Rock. We had big dreams—get signed, tour the country, and make music our careers. In our world, there was one venue that symbolized being a true part of the local scene: Vino’s.
Vino’s was a dive bar and pizza shop, but it was legendary. When big national bands would come through town, they would still stop at Vino's, drawn by its history and intimate atmosphere.
For local bands, playing Vino’s was a rite of passage.
To be able to play here regularly, you had to perform at a Thursday night showcase called “fresh blood”and impress the promoter. If you did, you’d get invited back. Wellllll our promoter wasn't impressed.
Looking back, I can admit our band probably wasn’t that great. But I was determined to get us to the next level.
A few weeks after our showcase, I messaged her about getting on a show coming up. She didn’t sugarcoat it:
“You’re not playing here. Your band sucks.”
I was furious. I told her, “It doesn’t matter what you think. One day, we’re going to get signed, and my band is going to make it.”
Her response?
“Hahaha, your band is a joke. You’re never going to make it. lol.”
That was all I needed to hear.
For the next few years, her words fueled me. I practiced guitar relentlessly, wrote better songs, and pushed through every moment of doubt or burnout.
And five years later, my band signed a record deal. We made an album and spent the next few years touring the country. That journey eventually led me to the film industry, where I’ve built a career I never could have imagined back then. You can read more about that here.
But here’s the thing:
I don’t know if I would have made it without her telling me I couldn’t. The moment she doubted me, she sealed my fate to prove her wrong.
Doubt Is a Fork in the Road
When someone challenges your dreams, you have two choices:
Believe them and give up.
Let it piss you off and get to work.
Every time I’ve faced this kind of doubt, it’s been a turning point that pushed me to the next level. Every time it's been the thing I needed at that time to turn the corner.
Someone expressing doubts about my ability is actually what motivated this email. That tells me that no matter where we are in life, there will always be someone to naysay us and give us the opportunity to prove that we are who we say we are.
So, the next time someone tells you, “You can’t,” ask yourself: Are they sealing your fate too?
Have you ever bought a LUT pack from one of your favorite creators and just couldn't get them to look right? A lot of the time these LUTs are created to be intense because its easier to dial the effect back when color grading than it is to make the effect stronger.
That's where LUT intensity comes in. I made a video this past week on how to adjust the intensity of your LUT in both Premiere Pro and Davinci. This is a super easy way to dial back your LUTs to your taste, combine multiple LUTs and styles together, and have more overall control over your final look.
LUTs are tricky because they are designed to give you a specific look, while at the same time have to be usable in a variety of scenarios to be useful.
My Cinematic LUTs are what I use to colorgrade a lot of my work. Always remember LUTs are just the finishing "Look" aspect of your grade. You still need to adjust your exposure, white balance, and contrast (since these will be different everytime) according to your scene before applying the Look LUT. Use intensity to dial the effect to taste.
The past two weeks have been a doozy.
I got promoted to Purple Belt in Jiujitsu! (more on that soon)
I flew to Atlanta to start the drive to Arkansas for the Holidays.
I spent 14 hours in the ER after my leg randomly swelled up, only to walk out after being discharged and find my car had been broken into. Fun times.
Bought a new window for my car (naturally)
Drove to meet my girlfriend in Arkansas to go to my parent's for the first leg of our holiday travels.
It's busy.
I hope you're getting some rest and enjoying some downtime and as always..
I hope this helps.
Caleb
How a Youtube Sketch Comedy Channel changed my life
In 2010, after touring the country for a few years, I quit my band. And honestly, I had no backup plan. The thought of not being a musician hadn't occured to me until that's where I found myself.
I've talked before about how during one of our touring adventures we ended up stranded in new york which had the silver lining of sparking my desire to become an actor.
The problem? I had zero idea where to start.
I was living in Arkansas—no film industry, no connections, no clue what I was doing. But I needed an outlet, a way to make progress and get in front of the camera while I was figuring it all out.
So, I started a YouTube sketch comedy channel called Step Brotherly Love (some of these are still up if you're curious.)
Looking back, It's funny how random that decision was. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that it was setting me up for everything I do now.
I wasn’t just learning to act—I was teaching myself how to shoot, edit, color grade, troubleshoot all kinds of problems (there were a lot), and even dabble in lighting and VFX.
I was just following what I thought was cool. No grand plan—just curiosity.
Years later, when I started pursuing stunts, all those random skills came back around.
Here’s the thing: being a stuntman isn’t just about jumping off buildings or fighting on screen (though that’s definitely part of it). A big chunk of the job is, as a team, pitching concepts and creating pre-visualizations (concepts) for the director and producers.
And guess what? All that experience playing around on YouTube gave me an unfair advantage.
Suddenly, I wasn’t just the guy who could take a fall or do the fight—I was the guy who could shoot, edit, and present ideas like a filmmaker. That’s what got me hired.
I'll be honest. At first, I hated admitting this. My ego wanted to be hired for my physical skills and all the things I'd been training. You know, “I’m here because I’m a top notch performer” not “I’m here because I can edit a cool previz.”
But the reality? Those skills—the ones I picked up just messing around with a YouTube channel—ended up making me way more valuable.
Here’s What I’ve Learned:
The things you’re interested in, the skills you pick up just because they’re fun or exciting, are what make you unique.
It’s not always about the straight line to success—it’s about following what lights you up. Even if it feels random. Even if it doesn’t seem like it fits into the “big picture” right now.
Because those little curiosities? Those tend to be the side missions that end up intertwining into the main quest.
I'm a firm believer in the idea that as long as your are following what you're currently passionate about, you can't make a wrong turn.
So, if you’ve been holding off on something that lights you up because it doesn’t feel “relevant” or “important,” just go for it. You never know how it’ll connect later.
I've talked a little bit before about how a lot of the time we need to get bored to get creative, so lately I've been commuting without the stereo on.
It doesn't take long for my mind to start wandering and connecting idea the later become the next video.
I’ve got to be honest for a second. I’ve really been trying to focus on the business aspect of all this, because the reality is, if I want to do this full-time, I need to be able to sustain myself.
The problem is, a lot of that stuff makes me super uncomfortable. I genuinely love creating things that help others find their own outlet so the idea of monetizing that starts to feel a little icky to me.
I know thats something I just need to get over, and that in the end it's going to result in me creating products and services that are even more worth it, but that doesn't mean I'm not struggling with the best way to go about it.
Also, it's just.. overwhelming. Staying on top of creating content while simultaneously learning about online business feels like trying to plug holes in a leaky boat during a hurricane. That's a little why I've been a little MIA lately. But I'll get there.
Anyway..
I hope this helps, and we'll talk soon.
Caleb
Confession: I burned out. But this is how I’m dealing with it.
Lately, I’ve felt frozen. In September, my personal brand finally started to take off. One video brought me 20k new followers, which is amazing. But, strangely, it’s had the opposite effect on my productivity. Instead of inspiring me to do more, it kinda… paralyzed me.
On top of that, I’d just wrapped up a 30-day challenge where I posted every day. I was pushing, and by the end of it, I burned out—hard. And here’s the kicker: I’m still burned out.
It’s been tough. After posting into the void for over a year, I finally started to see real progress—and now I’m hit with this gnarly combo of burnout and analysis paralysis. It feels ironic and frustrating all at once.
When I take a step back, I notice that I still feel excited about certain parts of the process. I still love storytelling. I still enjoy creating. What’s burning me out isn’t the work itself—it’s the pace, the pressure, and the constant focus on growth. And the end of the day all of those expectations and pressure are coming from one place. me.
I’ve been so caught up in the numbers, that I forgot why I was doing this in the first place. Because I love creating and connecting with other people.
So here’s what I’m doing to recover:
Scaling Back: I’m allowing myself to slowdown. I dont have to post every single day. I’d rather be focused on quality than quantity.
I’m Letting go of perfection realizing that not every post needs to be a ground breaking post.
Focusing on other aspects of what I’m building: like my Mentorship program. Helping other tell their stories and break away from the conventional life is something I'm passionate about, and I can't do that if I'm only focused on pumping out content on socials.
Taking breaks: Sometimes I just need to not do this, and thats okay. Some times I need to focus on my relationship, or on jiujitsu, or play call of duty with my buddies until 3 am.
So if you’re feeling burned out just know youre not alone it happens to all of us. It isnt a sign to quit but it may be a sign something needs to shift. For me thats storytelling, and honestly, just making stuff. Cutting cool visuals to dope music just for the sake of it.
By the way in case you missed it, I released a free Storytelling Checklist recently. This is a template I run my ideas through to help sharpen them up.
Shoot Tighter for Cinematic Looks
Going tighter instanty creates a more cinematic feel. Shooting at 50mm and above (sometimes even 35mm) compresses your background and helps to isolate your subject.
This goes for establishing shots as well. Instead of just zooming out wide to capture your scene, try staying on a tighter lens and backing your camera up. I only shoot super wide when I'm in a cramped space and have no other option.
The holidays have me scrambling. I just flew from Atlanta to LA to start a new gig. In a couple weeks, it’s back to Atlanta, then driving to Arkansas for Christmas. After that, we’re off to Puerto Rico to visit my girlfriend’s family (and sneak in some kiteboarding) before finally flying to Vancouver to wrap up my gig. I’m exhausted just typing this.
Oh, and this guy wandered into our neighborhood. After weeks of searching for his owner with no luck, I guess we’ve got a new family member. He's a little stinker.
Until next time, I hope this helps.
Caleb
We’re Surrounded By Bullsh*t
In This Note: Some thoughts, CT: The Art of Stopping, and Life Lately..
(Holy shit, after writing this I read online that the ideal newsletter length is 200 words. I'm still figuring this thing out so I'll aim to be more concise in the future 😂)
I dont know about you, but lately It seems like everywhere I turn I'm surrounded by bullshit. It's as if everywhere you turn there's someone else promising you the world if you just do what they say.
My instagram inbox is full (read: 2 or 3 requests a week, I'm being dramatic for the sake of the newsletter) of editors promising me a "10x growth rate" if I only pay them to edit my content, only to look at their account that has cookie cutter edits with burn transitions and cheap graphics that emulate the last 10 viral videos I've seen.
Everyone wants a piece of the creative economy because of what it promises: 4 hour work days, 7 figure incomes, working remotely, creating the life of your dreams. How enticing.
If only it were that easy. The reality is, cheap replication will only get you so far, and spamming inboxes is the new door to door salesman and as seen on tv advertisement.
The thing noone wants to hear is that it takes a ton of 16 hour days (or even more 8 hour days, X 2 to be exact) to gain a real creative skillset. And if the backbone of your creative desires is to make a boatload of money over night, well, you may be disappointed.
I dont say this to discourage you. Just the opposite. So what is the solution?
The key to turning your passion into something you can do for a living is ironically by pursuing something you love so much that you'd do it for free, not chasing the next shiny strategy that comes across your feed.
This doesn't just go for social media either.
My career as a stuntman for film and tv had years of famine before I started to make a living. But I love the craft, and its something I was happy to continue pursuing as long as I was able because of the love of the pursuit itself. "The Journey" and all that.
To be perfectly honest with you, I'm still trying to figure all of this out myself. I have a great career outside social media that I love and that I've had success in so why am I doing this?
I've been compelled to create things like what I post online and this newsletter because I want everyone to have a piece of making a living doing what lights them up. I want you to have a piece of it.
Whether its helping people learn how to hone a their creative skills as a filmmaker, or motivating them to chase the thing that lights them up, I'm here for it.
I'm planning to do a live Free Q&A on zoom, anything goes, Cinematography, social media, life, or whatever else. I just want to get to know you guys and see what you're working on and how I can help. If you're interested shoot me a message
The Art of Stopping
One of the hardest things for me to do is to get started. A blank page with a cursor blinking is my Kryptonite. But once I get in the flow, I can usually stay on a roll. A practice I picked up from a book I was reading called "Rest" is The Art of Stopping.
Instead of finishing a video I'm making or a script im writing and calling it a day, I use the creative momentum to start something else, that I can then stop in the middle of. Even if it's just a few lines of a new idea or a few shots for the next video, this allows me to know exactly what I'm going to start on the following day without having to start from scratch. It's been a total game changer for my productivity.
Me and my girlfriend recently went on a trip to Sequoia National Park. Fall here is absolutely bonkers and if you've never been it's straight up like being in Alice in Wonderland. Here are some epic photos from our trip. If you like the look of these images I have some adventure presets for lightroom you can check out here
Overwhelmed by information? Simplify your learning.
Growing up in Arkansas in the ‘90s and 2000s, I never imagined I’d find my way into the entertainment world.
But when I finally picked up a camera at 22, it changed everything—and now, I’m ready to do more to help others make their own breakthroughs.
When I was learning, finding a quality tutorial online probably took longer than just experimenting long enough to figure out the answer for myself.
I've spent thousands of hours and the better part of the last 15 years (oof) piecing together a tutorial and experience based "film degree."
Instead of going to film school, a buddy and I hit the ground running.
We used our money (i.e., loans and credit cards) to buy our first RED camera, which led to producing and directing music videos featured on Vevo and MTV.
Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience even more of a masterclass by working as a fight coordinator and stuntman on multi-million dollar films with award-winning filmmakers.
If you follow me on social media, then you know I’ve started giving a ton of this knowledge away for free.
Cinematography, filmmaking, photography, and content creation have all become the vehicles I use for self-expression.
And through this creation process, I’ve discovered something I’m equally passionate about:
Sharing it.
I’m excited to let you know that, for a limited time, I’m available for 1-on-1 mentorship.
Whether you need clarity on things you’ve already learned or you want to fast-track your knowledge without piecing it together from a thousand different sources (and trial and error) like I did, I’m here for you.
Maybe you want to learn more about cinematography and content creation, or maybe you need motivation and accountability in navigating your goals.
They say that if you have the opportunity to steal someone else’s 10,000 hours, you should.
I’m more than happy to share mine.
And don’t worry—I’ll still be publishing all kinds of free material online and through this newsletter. That won’t change.
But if you’re ready to accelerate your journey, you can find more information here:
calebspillyards.gumroad.com/l/1on1mentorship
During your first session, we'll start with a free 30-Minute onboarding to go over the info sheet I'll send you so we can get a clear view of where you're at, and what your goals for the session(s) are.
Some ideas for topics we can cover are: camera/shooting, lighting, color grading, editing, my personal workflow, gear, and more.
Because I want to give everyone my full attention, I’m only going to be able to accommodate a limited number of spots for a limited time.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out, and I'm looking forward to working with you.
Caleb
How being Broke and Stranded in NYC Kickstarted my dream career.
I’ll never forget the day our 1985 church van crawled through New York City at 35 mph, on the brink of disaster.
I’m 22 years old, in the driver’s seat, rushing my band to our first-ever record label showcase. The transmission is blown, but little do I know that this ‘bad thing’ would lead to a series of events that would change my life forever.
People are PISSED. Horns are blasting, and middle fingers are flying. *Sigh* New York.
We knew something was wrong outside the city, but we couldn’t stop. We’d just pulled an all-nighter to be here on time.
Atlantic, Universal, Vagrant, and a few others are waiting to see if we have what it takes to be the next band on their roster.
And because we can’t even drive the speed limit, we’re dangerously close to being no-shows.
We finally make it to the venue, followed by a smoke cloud that smells like a mix of burnt rubber and transmission fluid, just in time for sound check.
We play the set, shake the hands, and exchange the information. Mission accomplished. But now,
we have bigger problems.
You see, we did what we came to do, but now we’re stuck in New York City, 1,200 miles from home, with a blown transmission.
And because we’re in a dinosaur of a people mover, the transmission shop across the Hudson tells us it’s going to be at least 10 days before the special order for the transmission parts will arrive to make the repairs.
We’re stuck. Stuck, stuck.
For what ends up being three weeks waiting for parts, we’re stranded in a two-bedroom apartment with some friends. Eight people in a Manhattan apartment. Yeah.
We spend a couple of days sightseeing, but before long, we’re out of money and on a financially induced house arrest.
We're broke, frustrated, and stir crazy. It’s miserable.
All we can do is watch the 30 or so DVDs in our friend’s collection and rotate between flavors of ramen noodles.
Watching Sweet Home Alabama for the fourth time is anything but glamorous, so on a whim, and out of sheer boredom, I decide to start watching the behind-the-scenes features of every single DVD.
Little did I know, this decision would change my life.
Looking back through the years, this single event is what sparked my interest in filmmaking. It’s because of this that, as my music career started to dissolve, I began pursuing acting.
My curiosity about the filmmaking process, birthed from this event, led me to buy a camera. From there, I learned everything I could about shooting and editing so I could create my own content.
When I started pursuing a career as a stuntman, it was that ability to shoot and edit, and my understanding of the filmmaking process as a whole, that gave me an unfair advantage over my competition and ultimately landed me on stunt teams working on the biggest Hollywood films.
The point is this:
If you look at my band and me being stranded in New York City with a busted transmission as an isolated event, it sucks.
But this “bad thing” started the landslide of events that has created almost everything I’m passionate about in my life.
I think it’s tempting to see our strokes of bad luck at face value—to see the bad things that happen to us as just bad things.
But the reality is, the things that happen to us are just things that happen to us.
It’s up to us to take the lessons we learn or the experience we gain from our misfortunes and sew the silver lining into our lives.
It’s an active, conscious process.
When I look back through my life—from my struggles in the band to my inability to get auditions or book an acting role for two years to my battle with cancer—each and every one of them is lined with lessons I learned and experience I gained that I now leverage for every good thing in my life today.
So when things aren’t going my way, I refuse to believe that a bad thing is just a bad thing. Time and experience have taught me it isn’t.
I hope this helps.
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Now here are some things in the works:
As usual I'll be pumping out loads of free content you can use on your filmmaking journey and if you missed it, grab the free LUT Filmic Fade I launched a few days ago here:
I'm also working on these more extensive projects
• Filmmaking course: Learn the techniques that helped me break into the film industry.
• Color grading tutorial: Getting cinematic color in your videos.
• Gallery prints: Check out my photography work on instagram at @calebspillsphotos
I'd love to hear from you, what you'd like to learn, things you're having trouble with, or things you'd like to see more of. Drop me a line - I read every message.
Thanks for being here!
Caleb
If you want real freedom you need this skill.
If you want real freedom, you need this skill.
If you've spent much time with me online, then you know that my career is as a stuntman for Film and Television. And while it's a career I love, I’ve been pursuing being a creator online for the last year.
Why? Because last year, the entire film industry shut down. Performers went on strike over concerns about artificial intelligence, and we were terrified that by the time it was over, we might not have a job to return to.
What was I going to do if I didn’t? I’d spent the last decade of my life pursuing this path.
I had been dirt broke and filed for bankruptcy. I clawed my way back from financial ruin and hustled my ass off. And after all these years, I had finally been successful, only to arrive at a place where a digital replacement threatened my way of life.
It was during this time that I began to ask myself, If this was the end, What was something that AI couldn’t touch? Where would I be safe? Sure there are physical jobs a computer can’t do but what was something that I resonated with? What’s the most human thing?
After a few days of contemplating this, it hit me.
As we move closer and closer to the Artificial intelligence age, people are going to crave human connection more than ever. And it’s already happening.
People are craving REAL STORIES. And that’s why I think that the key skill to freedom now and in the future (and in the past for that matter) is storytelling.
The creator economy is the future.
It's not hard to see what’s happening. To see that more and more people are finding the keys to free themselves from the prison that is the conventional 9-5. People are rushing to social media and The Creative Space like Walmart during black Friday.
But this will be for nothing if you can’t tell a good story.
Storytelling is the foundation of creating an emotional connection with people. And as you grow as a storyteller, so will your connection with your audience.
Stories are what make us huma, and there are many different vehicles for delivering them: Speaking, writing, photography, and of course the one I've chosen, filmmaking.
My advice: Start learning how to tell stories, pick a vehicle to do so, and do it now.
I've already begun creating some basic content around learning filmmaking on my social media channels. And I'm working on developing a start to finish filmmaking course. Why Filmmaking?
Because, in my opinion, it’s the best storytelling vehicle. Why?
I'll tell you in a future entry.
Have a great week!
Caleb
Starting a fire attracts other people that want to be warm.
I was stuck.
I was living in the south, with my heart set on becoming an actor.
in a place where the closest you can get to being in front of a camera is being in a cheesy green screen car commercial or being a news anchor.
Sick.
My 9-5 was a retail job where, for the cost of living in arkansas, I made great money.
Great money, locked into a routine I hated.
It went like this:
Clock in
Spend the first 10 minutes of my shift sitting in the break room with my head in my hands.
Will myself to go out onto the sales floor.
Sell products I didn't care about for a company that didn't care about me.
Rinse and repeat, day after day after day.
The same singular thought bouncing around into my brain from the time I clocked in to the time I clocked out. I'm wasting my life.
Then it occurred to me:
If my only hope for opportunities was to wait until I had enough money saved (and courage summoned) to move to a thriving entertainment hub like Los Angeles, then I had to figure out a way to create my own.
If there were no projects available near me, I had to start one.
So I bought a camera, and with the help of youtube and a little bit (a lot) of obsession,
I absorbed every piece of filmmaking content and tutorial I could get my hands on.
Shortly after, my first creative project Step-Brotherly Love was born. (I've linked it here if you want to go down the rabbit hole)
For the next decade I honed my skills shooting and editing and over time became an expert in that process.
A skillset that I learned out of necessity in order to create my own opportunities has been pivotal to getting me to where I am now.
And because of it, I'm entering my 5th consecutive year making multi 6 figures as a fight coordinator and stuntman for some of the biggest film franchises.
On the surface being a stuntman relies on your body and your athleticism.
But my unfair advantage was that I came into the industry armed with the knowledge of how to create films from start to finish.
I spoke the language.
Being able to perform but also being able to shoot, edit, and sell an action concept to a director in a time where that was hard to come by, fast tracked my career.
It's like when you take shortcuts on Mario Kart and smoke your friends.
Wanna take the shortcuts in real life Mario Kart? Letsaaaa go!
Here are 3 lessons I've learned by creating opportunities for myself when there were none.
Lesson 1: Your skill stack determines your value.
Realize that you can learn anything you want for free.
We live in a time where you can spend a couple hours a day on youtube and over time learn almost anything.
Dont believe me? Go to youtube and type in "How to ______"
If you dont turn up a gazillion results I'll buy you a cookie.
Filmmaking? I’ve done it. (highly recommended you learn this skill to be totally self reliant. More on that in the future.)
Photography? Absolutely.
Home decor? It's there.
How to fix cars? Yup.
Cooking? Mhmm.
Wanna learn a backflip? An army of 12 year olds with their own successful youtube channels will show you how.
Literally anything. You just have to sit down and do it.
Like my with my stunt career, there are no wasted skills.
I learned filmmaking for the purpose of shooting my own projects.
But the skills I learned helped me survive the early years by shooting freelance music videos.
They allowed me to take on graphic design and photography projects to stay afloat.
And eventually allowed me to jump years ahead in my stunt career (my ultimate goal).
Your skill stack determines your value.
Lesson 2: Starting a fire attracts other people that want to be warm.
Creating opportunities attracts external opportunity because it doesn't take long for people to start seeing you as "the person that does that thing."
I may do stunts as my main career, but lately my friends approach me talking about the motivational stuff I've been posting on social media. I've become "the guy that makes those videos."
The reality is, people aren't that different. There are people in close proximity who are just like you, and who interested in the same things.
They also feel stuck. These are the people you want to involve yourself with. A handful of people participating in the same created opportunity become a team.
Teams get shit done. Teams become your tribe.
The steps look like this
create an opportunity around something you love
Involve people in that opportunity
become a team
become friends
beat their asses in Mario Kart.
My entire circle of close friends, who are also my network, can be traced back to the beginning through a common interest. Birds of a feather and all that.
Create opportunity for yourself, put it out into the world, and be loud about it. People will find you.
Lesson 3: Trial and error is the only way to stack failure reps. Success requires reps of failure.
If I had waited to move to Los Angeles to get in front of a camera I'd be back at my corporate job by now.
Filming myself allowed me to see what I sucked at.
Trying to improve got me comfortable enough in front of the camera to pursue being in short films.
Being in short films (and sucking) gave me experience taking direction. It allowed me to get used to being in a high pressure environment and helped me learn how things flow on set.
The point is, the road to success is paved with failures.
You can't get reps failing without trying (and in turn cant gain the tools and knowledge you learn from failing)
You can't try without an opportunity
You won't have opportunities unless you create them (at least in the beginning)
I sometimes wonder how much unrealized potential is out there because of people that waited on things to come to them.
Don't be this way.
The bottom line
No one you admire in the upper echelon of success got to where they are by waiting for things to come to them.
We all know that.
For some reason, we (myself included) tell ourselves these stories about how other people have it easier than us because it's easier to accept that than it is to accept the pain of our failures along the way.
Accept them. There will be many.
But the only true failure is giving up. Everything else is growth.
I hope this helps.
Caleb