We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeremy Germain. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeremy below.
Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I love this question, because I’ve quite literally been in situations where I’m the only one that looks like me, acts like me, or has a very specific role that no one else does. And as someone who suffers from anxiety, I’ve often found myself mentally feeling alone and isolated from others. And every single one of those moments has felt like a sink or swim scenario.
I work primarily in film and video, but I spent a few years working in the live events industry, where I was a graphics operator, designing and executing still and animated content for trade-shows and events. This meant a lot of traveling, and a lot of meeting new faces job to job. And one thing I quickly learned was that the events industry was full of industry veterans who have been dedicating more years than I’ve been alive to this job. And here I was, fresh-faced, barely trained, anxious beyond belief, and responsible for driving content for major brands and associations. The judgement was palpable. On top of that, in an event full of union rigging experts, lighting technicians, and audio engineers, I was often the only one responsible for my job, meaning I had no one else to share responsibility with. To say I felt alone is an understatement. I was terrified; terrified of failing, terrified of being judged, and terrified of embarrassing myself in front of all these people who knew what they were doing.
So what does someone do in this situation? I did the only thing I could do; I asked questions. I tried to remain as curious as possible, not just for the sake of understanding the full extent of MY job, but everyone else’s too. I wanted to learn as much as I could about how things worked. I could tell my curiosity bordered on annoyance to some, but at the end of the day, every successful show I worked was achieved through good communication and connecting with others.
Ironically enough, the way I make myself stand out is to be curious about others and leave my ego at the door. I can show up to any job and start talking about why I’m good at what I do and why I should be trusted. But when I’m able to connect with someone on a personal level, the need to say those kinds of things out loud diminishes, and that trust becomes an inherent part of how we communicate.
I learned very quickly to make myself available, not just professionally, but personally as well. Some of the best and most successful shows I’ve worked on are also the ones filled with the most laughter and adventure. That may seem counterproductive on the surface, but I truly think it’s what allowed us to be successful; it’s because we all felt comfortable with each other.
Being the only ‘me’ in the room went from something intimidating and scary to something endearing. People were excited to hear what I had going on in my life. They breathed a sigh of relief whenever they saw my name on a call sheet. They knew that any show I was on was a show they where they could express themselves as people and not just workers.
And, all of a sudden, those same older faces I felt judgment and annoyance from were the same ones bursting with laughter at my jokes and inviting me out to dinner and drinks after a show. All because I wanted to learn more about them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve been fortunate enough to wear many different hats throughout my career; editor, photographer, motion graphics designer, media server operator, writer; the list goes on and on. But the one thing I always find myself coming back to is writing and directing. I love crafting stories. I love exploring new worlds and examining the lives of new characters. And on top of it all, I love working with others.
I love the shared excitement that comes with making a movie. I love seeing how excited my peers and collaborators get about something. It’s infectious. And as a director, it’s what I strive for. I love having my vision distilled through the creative lenses of other people, because I almost always end up with something better than I could have ever imagined on my own. I think it’s very important to have the courage to let go of your own vision, because then you open yourself up to a limitless world of possibilities. Filmmaking is all about bringing dozens (or even hundreds) of people together to create something that may seem singular on the surface, but is so much deeper when you peel back the layers. All the various aspects of filmmaking are dependent on one another, and that’s what makes it so beautiful to me. When I direct something, it’s not just my mind on the screen, it’s the minds of everyone involved.
Right now, I have a short script titled “The Impossible Question” that we are planning to get into production this year. The script has been featured in several festivals and has picked up a few awards, which has been incredibly exciting. I also have two feature scripts in the works, and have spent the past several months working on a very exciting new endeavor which will be launching very soon! Don’t want to spoil too much, but definitely keep an eye out on my website and social pages!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that have impacted my journey the most are:
-Empathy
-Curiosity
-Communication
I feel like these qualities go hand in hand sometimes, but they all revolve around collaboration. I love connecting with other artists. Art is so personal and expressive and can mean different things to different people. And if I’m going work on something personal and trust others to as well, I need to be personable. The film industry is tough. It can be grueling. 12 hour days are the standard, and those days are going to feel much longer if you aren’t comfortable with the people you’re working with.
Not everyone is going to be receptive to every idea, joke, or conversation, but I often find that simply just making the effort to connect with others makes a difference.
The other interesting thing to note about these qualities is that they aren’t explicitly job related. You can apply these skills to any situation, professional or personal. That’s why they’re so important to me. They create a strong foundation to build off of, no matter what the situation is.
If you want to be a writer, I can certainly list resources, books, or scripts that demonstrate quality writing. But, as a writer, what matters most is; are you telling the stories you want to tell? Are you telling the stories that ONLY YOU can tell? Stories, fictional and non-fictional, come from experience. And the best experiences are forged through curiosity. If you want to be a writer, talk to people. Travel to new places, and try new things. Learning HOW to write a script is easy. Finding something worth writing about is the real adventure.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My confidence has grown quite a lot in the past 12 months. Self-worth is something I still struggle with from time to time, but I’ve learned to extend more patience and grace to myself in those moments. For the longest time, my brain operated on a spectrum of two extremes; I was either not good at my job and not deserving of success, or I was arrogant, full of myself, and selfish. Neither of these two thoughts I believe to be true, but I struggled with them for a very long time, and it had a tremendous impact on my mental health and confidence.
However, with the help of therapy, my incredible peers and support system, and learning to be more patient with myself, I’ve found myself thinking less in extremes. I’m still paving my own road to success, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been successful. I’m good at what I do, but I’m also always willing to learn and open my mind. I still struggle with self-worth at times, but that doesn’t mean it’s a reflection of who I am. I’ve learned to take the good with the bad and try to frame things as positively as I can. If I’m feeling bad about myself, I’ll ask “what is it I feel I’m missing? Is it attainable? Is it within my control?” And if the answer is yes, then I can reframe it as a goal instead of an obstacle.
I’ve been very lucky to have been surrounded by incredible people that always push me to be the best I can be, but also remind me to take a step back and recognize how far I’ve come. I’ll always be grateful for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jeremygermain.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/jeremytakespics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremymgermain
