Sommer Rusinski

It was horrifying and beautiful and in that split second, I learned something about myself. And isn’t that why we go to the movies?

You can be the best makeup artist in the world, but if you don't get along with people and can't read the trailer, the room, the atmosphere, the actor … If you don't have that, then you will never make it in the film business.

"You’ll find that so many people are willing to help you if you work hard and tell people what you want. We all had to start somewhere. You just need the confidence to speak up and make it happen."

If anybody ever reads about our business, I hope people take away that quality of life is the most important. You make enough to live and you get with good people. That's the important shit.

"I would pinch myself sometimes on set, going, 'I'm so fucking lucky to be in this room.' Like, I get goosebumps. I am so lucky."

My first step was learning how the professionals broke the rules. If they can do it, I can do it, right?

Shut up and do as you’re told because there’s a line of folks back there hungry to stab you and take your place.

When I asked why novels and not screenplays, I was met with, “We’re only looking for existing IPs that have a built-in fan base. We don’t want to take the risk on an original idea.”

Today is Ted Dickerson’s 84th birthday. Or his 4,534,119,982,103rd birthday if you count his other lives, which he, of course, does. Either way, he’s determined to make it his last.

Settle down and focus on the task at hand, which is, as it always should be: Writing the best story you can. Everything to come is not your problem. Not yet, anyway, and not unless you’re lucky.

Here’s your homework: get to thinking. And seeing. And separating you from yourself so the two can finally meet.

The only thing your heroes all have in common is that they work really fucking hard. And it’s only through doing this work, quietly and in the background, that you can ever hope to have a respected career.