Meet Ken Shapkin

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ken Shapkin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ken , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Working in Media arts and the Film and Fashion industry Over 30 years it has always been a ongoing challenge to reinvent myself to ensure I kept creativity flowing in my work life. I think back to wear it all started for me in 2004 after burning out of the hospitality industry I knew I wanted to shift gears and take on a career that would allow me to express my creativity in my work place. So I started looking at programs in Colleges in my area and I decided to enrol in a Multimedia and Web development program which covered everything from graphic design to film making, web design and coding. This was the starting place for me to explore creative careers and which was the best for me. Upon completion of the coarse I tried my hand at so Web Design and project management but found for me this was difficult as I had undiagnosed dyslexia which made coding a challenge.

It was at this time that I had decided to apprentice with a fashion stylist doing print advertising. It was at this point that I felt I had found something that fit both my need for creativity and worked well with my learning disability. I dove deep into the fashion world at this time volunteering at local fashion weeks and building my network but there was one thing missing a portfolio. So using the connections that I had made at fashion week I produced my first photo shoot. Hiring a local photographer, model and hair and makeup team and using a collection from Joeffer Caoc Toronto based designer. This investment in my future really took hold and the jobs started rolling in.

After about a year of working in print advertising I got a call to work on a film as a costume truck costumer. Caring for the clothing and talent at base camp and ensuring all the wardrobe pieces were ready to ensure continuity was maintained in filming. I quickly moved from Costume Truck Supervisor to Set Supervisor and on to assisting the designer. After working on a few shows I asked the production manager if they would give me the opportunity to design a show and they did. Which lead to me designing over 40 shows and winning and being nominated for several costume design award.

But it can to a point where I was feeling burnt out of Costume Designing, the tight timelines and constant searching for the perfect item to tell the story of a character through their wardrobe. So I knew I needed once again to do something to keep my creativity alive for the next stage of my career so once again I turned to education and completed the Film and Televisions Producers program at the New York Film Academy in LA.

I was a somewhat surprised on completing the program that the producers I had been working with as a Costume Designer didn’t accept me with open arms and embrace my new direction. It seems that in working in the film and television industry you become know for your trade and somewhat type cast. But I knew I must persist and after speaking with a mentor and business advisor she had brought to light the fact that I would need to work with a team of emerging talent and start from the ground up to once again build a name for myself in this new path.

Thats what I did. I am well on my journey having produced several short films and documentaries, and have been honing my pitch and grant righting skills. I alway remind myself of my favourite motto which I always use to keep myself motivated and that is “Don’t sweat your time line.” I know the journey I’m on is the book of my life and it’s not the same as anyone else’s.

So how do I keep my Creativity alive, for me its listing to my gut and when I feel I’m burning out or that the role I’m in is no longer challenging I take time to refocus my attention onto something new that will light the spark in my creativity. The Visual Media industry is always changing and its a matter of embracing the new forms of media and using your skillset to work find a way to embrace the changes. At present I’m now in development of a web based series after almost 30 years in film and television as I see the strength in platforms like Youtube and the growth that is happening in this sector as the television sector softens and adjusts to the world of streaming and short formate story consumption.

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?

Over my years of work in the Media and Fashion industries I have been grateful to work on projects that have allowed my to travel the world and embrace my creativity. In 2016 I founded Kadence Productions, a boutique production house focused on telling real life stories that educate and have impact on the views. I have been fortunate to be able to work with some amazing storytellers and help bring their projects to life on screen.

Currently we are wrapping up editing on our last project a documentary on a local Jazz and Blues Joint, Pagliacci’s, that has been a catalyst for emerging artist to find a stage to explore their talent. In addition we also are about to premier our short film ‘The Fast Runner,’ which is a story of love and importance of perseverance in the toughest of time.

The most exciting new project we are working on is based around education music and kindness and well be launching on youtube next year but at this time that is all I can share so follow us at Kadence Production to stay current with release dates.

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?

The most important qualities to have are determination and a strong willingness to do what it takes to prove you have what it take so complete a project and do so in a manner of professionalism and having fun along the way. For me I always try to remember that what ever job or project I’m taking on I am as capable as any other. We all need to start somewhere and you need to ensure you take the time to educate yourself to ensure you have the confidence to succeed. Turn to mentors and and allies in the industry for advice and support, everyone has started out at the bottom and made their way from their and not one of them did it with out guidance from peers and mentors.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

The biggest challenge presenting itself today in my career is the changing of consumer patters in how they view and consume digital media and content. As scary as it is for workers in the Film and Television Industry like myself, I have found it to be the catalyst that has reignited my passion for content creation. By viewing the changing tends and finding a way to produce a project that will be inline new habits I have built a team of people as excited as I am to take his new form of content creation by the horns so to speak.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

head short in black shirt by Brindi Low Photography

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