We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andy Singer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Andy, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
I love to collaborate, and that’s a good thing. Because as a commercial director communication is the name of the game. I think developing a good style of communicating is imperative to any successful career. For me, I didn’t always communicate in the best fashion. As a director you have an opinion on everything, which means you’ll be communicating with a plethora of talented, creative, professional and very opinionated people. As a less experienced director, I felt it was important for me dictate and have all the answers, which leaves very little room for collaboration or have effective communication. But little by little I started to realize, being the guy with all the answers was fairly daunting, and a load I didn’t need to bear on my own. That was the time I started listening and talking and really enjoying the people /crew I have the privilege to work with. There is another component that helps immensely with effective communication, and that is, just being comfortable with who you are. When you are able to put down all of your walls and open yourself up.. you realize here are no bad ideas, and a good idea can come form anyone. Having that confidence,as a director, gives my crew the confidence to freely express their opinions. Which for me is the best way to communicate.
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 had worked as an intern,, production assistant, assistant director on films before I started producing music videos. I was haired to produce a video in Hawaii, I was to prep the project out of the LA based production company and meet up with the local director in Hawaii. After a day and a half of not being able to reach or locate the local director. I convinced the production company to let me direct the video.. That started my directing career. I worked at two other productions companies as an on staff director before I stared my own company called Freshco Productions. I started Freshco because I felt that there was a better way to produce content in an ever expanding digital landscape. Freshco is a boutique production company that specializes in catering to each clients specific individual needs. As a director the most fun for me is when we are filming. The camaraderie of bringing a group of people together for one common goal in an extremely creative environment is my drug that keeps me going.
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?
The three qualities I think are an absolute imperative to possess, they are, integrity humbleness, and work ethic. Integrity, because without a strong moral compass and the ability to be honest and sincere with the people you work most closely with. There will be no trust and without trust, fear will creep in. Once that happens, a well run production base in creativity and trust turns fear based. That well run production turns into an ineffectual disjointed mess of a show. Humbleness because without the ability to open you heart an mind and appreciate the gifts of doing something you love with people you love is something never to be taken for granted. Lastly work ethic, because without a strong work ethic none of these gifts would be possible. Personal pride is everything, if one can’t be happy with themselves, their work or even others Then how could you expect that type of person to give everything they have every moment of their work day,. I can not. But show me someone content and I’ll show you someone with a great work ethic.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I was an intern working at a major production studio.. I was working under an assisting the Head of Production. Let’s call him Mark. Mark was I thought at the time, cool, brash, smart, sarcastic and really knew his stuff. I like the way he dealt with other executives, agents, directors at the time I thought he could do no wrong and wanted to emulate him as much as possible. I think I had been working as an intern for about a year when a film project came up and Mark asked me if I wanted to work on set as a 2nd AD (assist director). Of course I jumped at the chance. It was a great 1st show. Mark and I would talk all the time, he would want to know from my perspective, how things were running. I thought he was just being curious. I was wrong. We were shooting nights in Long Beach at the shipping docks, The grip and lighting crew were building a custom lighting rig for the show. Mark had been asking me about the construction of the rig, the more questions he asked the more confused I got. Then it all came to a head, I was in the office doing paperwork and I started to hear a heated discussion between Mark on speaker the UPM (unit production manager) and the gaffer (key lighting tech). they were arguing over the cost of the lighting rig. Mark was using information I had told him, to manipulate the conversation for his benefit. Well the outcome was the grip & lighting crew quite and took the lighting with them, the production shut down for two days until Mark could get another crew and buy a new lighting rig for double the cost, I felt completely betrayed and no longer looked up to Mark
Contact Info:
- Website: Freshcoproductions.com
- Instagram: freshco19
- Facebook: Freshco Productions
- Linkedin: Andy Singer / manage page – Freshco Productions
- Twitter: @FreshcoProds
- Youtube: Freshco Productions
- Yelp: Andy S.
Image Credits
Waking Sleeping Beauty – Feature documentary Walt Disney Studios / credit live action director / Freshco live action production company
