We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scott Siracusano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scott below.
Scott, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. How did you overcome imposter syndrome?
A friend of mine once said “competition is healthy, but comparison is toxic.” Those words have stuck with me throughout the years as an anchor. The modern world makes it nearly impossible to not continuously compare oneself to others. When work is slow, it’s easy to fall into the slippery slope of imposter syndrome.
The truth of the matter is that if you’re constantly trying to emulate the journey of others, it’s inevitable that you won’t feel the subconscious sting of being an imposter. Forge your own path and understand that every single person within your respective industry is climbing a metaphorical ladder. No matter where you are in your career you’ll always be looking up at the next rung – so make sure to take the time to look down and see how far up that you’ve made it.
There will always be room for improvement as a cinematographer. Enrich your life on and off set as much as you can. Channel those negative emotions into a positive resolution. You will have overcome your imposter syndrome when you have learned to embrace it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
To be honest, I never knew that I wanted to be in the film industry let alone be a cinematographer. I played ice hockey for 15 years, and growing up that’s what I wanted to do professionally. I’ve had a lot of close calls and brushes with death prior to the age of 18.
When I was nearly a year old I was bitten on the face by a large dog and had to have 3 facial reconstruction surgeries and roughly 150+ stitches. When I was 10 years old I fell out of a minivan that was going 50mph and was nearly run over by the wheels. When I was 12 I had a surfing accident where the fin of the board stabbed through my leg missing my femoral artery by 1cm. When I was 18 I had an injury that forced me to pivot with my career aspirations.
After a lot of soul searching, I discovered the world of filmmaking and decided to give it a shot at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Here I met all of my closest friends and collaborators that I still work with to this very day. The aforementioned reminders of mortality and my brand new introduction into an unknown world kept me humble and eager to learn as much as I could. If there’s one thing that the film industry has taught me, it’s the importance of comradery and how fleeting time is. Cherish every moment that you can. Working with your friends is a blessing, don’t ever take that for granted.
My first narrative feature ‘Control Freak’ directed by long time collaborator Shal Ngo, and starring Kelly Marie Tran will be released next year. I’m beyond excited to show the world what we made, so be on the lookout for that!
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?
Be kind. Be open to new ideas or experiences. Always remain humble no matter where you find yourself in your career.
Enriching yourself will only further enrich your own professional endeavors.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Remind yourself that everything will pass in time. The problems that you are facing in the present will become distant memories of the past. The obstacles that are too steep to climb now, will be traversed with ease in the years to come. Growth does not happen overnight, and neuroplasticity takes time to develop.
Stay vigilant and simultaneously be patient with yourself. Enjoy the ride and don’t take life too seriously.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ScottSiracusano.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott_siracusano/?hl=en
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