Meet Zach Carter

We were lucky to catch up with Zach Carter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

I am someone who believes in sharing information/knowledge and that a rising tide lifts all boats. I’m fortunate to work in an industry where my competition is always my best referral source. It may be that I’m located in Austin, TX, but I think it speaks more to the nature of film production as a collaborative process. Generosity is a quality instilled in me from a young age, and a quality I’ve admired in others. The ability to see outside yourself is powerful and impactful. It’s what propelled me to teach with Teach For America and participate in Big Brothers and Big Sisters for the past nine years. Professionally, and personally, I believe generosity creates real connections that foster trust and attracts the types of people I want to surround myself with.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have been navigating a career in the the film industry since 2013. I freelance as an editor, DP, and also have my own business where I fully produce projects with a variety of clients. I have been focusing more on post-production and editing since 2020 and find what excites me the most are projects in the documentary realm. Whether that is a docu-style promotional spot or documentary projects, the focus on strong storytelling is what has attracted me to this field all along.
I started off working as a photo assistant, wedding videographer, production assistant on film sets, and landed a full-time swing role as a cinematographer and editor in 2017. I’ve had a wide variety of experiences and they have shaped me into a focused storyteller who loves infusing comedy and creativity into any project.
I’m focused these days on working on a feature length doc or narrative project. I’ve worked on three short film projects this year, and am most proud of the work I’ve done with foundations like the Dignity Index and Fairvote, as well as an editing project with Adidas at the Superbowl.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Be likeable and earnest. I can’t emphasize this one enough. I had something I felt I had to prove in my early 20’s. I was trying to show that I was competent and knowledgeable. I don’t think these are bad qualities, but a lot of people want to see if they can stand a long car ride with you or work in close quarters five days a week. I’ve worked at many production companies that spell out that they have a “no assholes policy.” Everyone is more inclined to work with someone, teach them what they don’t know, and accept their limitations, if they actually like them.

2. Don’t lose sight of the big picture. This is important on an individual project where you can get bogged down spending an outsized amount of time on a small piece of the pie and miss a deadline or don’t finish the project at all. This also applies to the jobs you choose to work on. While you may want to focus 100% of your efforts on doing a good job when hired, you also want to build lasting connections that could lead to other work. Take the time during your lunch break on a shoot to connect with someone, or take an extra hour or two in post to learn how to do something in After Effects so you can add something exciting that equips you with a new skill.

3. There is no path. This took way too long to sink in. I looked with envy to the kids who went to film school, or who got a break in LA at a production company, but none of these qualities or opportunities were indicative of a long and fulfilling career. I found a lot of people like myself the longer I worked in the industry. The cliche of a beret wearing director didn’t exist and the “regular people” I felt aligned with emerged as I stepped onto more film sets. I met people who fell into film and had a lot of success because it was a way for them to tell a story they cared about. These people are often the most focused, satisfied, and talented. They want to spend more time learning and have a strong drive for something larger than the aesthetic or the tools of filmmaking.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I don’t know! I think about this all the time and still have no idea. I made my start doing small business videos which forced me to be well-rounded. I was interfacing with clients, shooting, editing, running sound, setting up lights, editing, managing project timelines, etc. I’ve tried to focus my efforts a decade later on creating more of a niche. Right now I’m leaning into the editor role in the hopes that going all in on this strength will lead to higher quality jobs and create more referral opportunities. It’s possible others I work with will believe that I’m more talented than the other “well-rounded” guy because I’m specializing. But I’m not sure if this has worked and I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to focus more on the aspects of filmmaking that I enjoy.
The one note I’ll add is that during the pandemic I leaned on my well-rounded skill set to find work. I wasn’t stuck like the specialists in LA who only did color. I was able to find a niche, and market myself, network, edit, shoot, livestream, lean on my educational experience, and found enough work to get through the hard times. And in the good times I’ve been in interviews where people are pleasantly surprised to hear about my interests outside the job I’m applying for.
However, I’ve never commanded the day rates of specialists, nor have I had the opportunity to work on major motion pictures.
Ultimately, it comes down to what you want. I’m realizing this decision should be driven by the aspects of this industry you enjoy doing, and not what you think you should be doing.

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