We were lucky to catch up with Dustin Bergmann recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dustin, thank you so much for joining us and opening up about the very personal topic of divorce. So many in the community are going through or have gone through divorce and we think hearing about how others dealt with the aftermath and managed to build a vibrant, successful life and career despite the trauma of divorce can be helpful to many who might be feeling a degree of hopelessness. So, maybe you can talk to us about how you overcame divorce?
When I first got married, I was actively pursuing my dream as a filmmaker. I had started a production company, my wife came on board as a producer, and we were in development on a feature film. During the pre-production phase my wife lost her father, and we found out we were having a baby. Realizing that I was needed full time at home, and that working in the film industry is not always steady money, I decided to put the filmmaking career on hold and focus on my family.
Divorce was never even on the radar. After years of marriage and working in the broadcast news industry, I was shocked when my wife announced that she wanted a divorce. My life had become all about my family, and I had long forgotten about my dream of being a filmmaker. After the divorce was finalized, I was felt defeated and lost. I came to the conclusion that a filmmaking career had long passed me by, and I settled into the fact that it would never happen. I was very wrong.
In 2016, seven years after my divorce, a feature film began shooting in my city. It was starring an actress that I had long been a fan of, and who had inspired me on a daily basis during my divorce. I thought to myself how amazing it would be to meet her while she was in town. It was likely impossible, but I still thought “what if”? I was sitting on my couch watching a football game, and the impossible happened. The actress contacted me and asked if I would like to grab a cup of coffee.
We met and had a wonderful conversation. It was during that conversation that she asked me what I did for a living. I told her of my career, but also of my dream way back of being a filmmaker. She asked me why I wasn’t doing it, and I explained that starting now, in my 40’s seemed impossible. She replied simply with, “Did you think you would meet and have coffee with me today?” I of course said no that I thought it would be impossible for something like to happen. She said, “Well it happened, and nothing is impossible”. In that moment my whole life changed. Her simple act of kindness inspired me to once again pursue my dream of being a filmmaker, and I never looked back. Shortly after, Crazy Ant Media was formed, and I made my directorial debut on our first film, “Deadlines”.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
First and foremost, I am a filmmaker. A storyteller. After successfully making our directorial debut with our film, “Deadlines”, my business partner Logan Austin and I began writing our first teleplay for an hourlong dramatic series and are close to pitching the series to several interested parties. We are also currently in development on our next film, a feature length comedy, as well as working hard on writing an animated series.
We also host two podcasts. “Inside The Crazy Ant Farm” (ITCAF) is our weekly entertainment-based podcast where we talk all about the industry and interview celebrity guests. We just launched our 6th Season. The other podcast is called “Everything’s Okay” and focuses on mental health. We discuss our own struggles with mental health and interview guests who share their struggles as well.
Crazy Ant Media is also making strong commitments to causes and charities that we support and believe in. It goes beyond making donations though. We also participate in events and fundraisers in our community and help spread awareness with our platform.
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?
Looking back over all the years that I have been in this industry I’d say the three most important things you need are as follows:
1) Creativity and artistic vision, meaning the ability to come up with unique and engaging ideas for stories and to bring those stories to life through the filmmaking process.
2) Technical proficiency. Take the time to work on a crew and gain an understanding of the technical aspects of filmmaking including camera operation, lighting, sound recording, and especially editing.
3) Networking/Communication Skills. The ability to communicate both verbally and written is absolutely critical for success. Building and maintaining a network within the industry is also key in successfully navigating your projects.
The advice that I would have for anybody trying to break into this industry is to never give up. Nothing is impossible, and if you stick with it, work hard, and have a passion for it, you will succeed. Remember you’re never too young or too old to start!
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Over the past 12 months I have put a lot of effort into improving my listening skills and recognizing that my perspective is not always the correct one. By actively seeking out different viewpoints and being open to feedback, I have been able to grow and develop both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.crazyantmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyantceo/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-m-bergmann-a53b0a185/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrazyAntCEO
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEM41V4Z6xCb5uc7Gyk4svg
