Inside the Magic: How James Cameron and Disney Are Revolutionizing Animation—Secrets Revealed by Pietro Schito
Pietro Schito
I think the key is always networking. I don’t like the word because it’s really about nurturing real connections and finding ways to be useful. For an example, I wanted to get on a production called a feature film called Little Boy because I had a friend working there and I thought it was very interesting. And I was in Mexico was going to be shot in the studio that was created by James Cameron for Titanic here. So, it was an attractive experience to me to meet the local community around that studio with the James Cameron school and get to share the experience with friends. And I remember that at that point, I was starting out, I wanted to do anything. I told one of the producers, need a driver, I’ll be there, I’ll be on time, and he said, when the studio was funded by James Cameron, it was then sold to someone else, but we basically have everyone, there’s nothing that we need. I remember trying different approaches and trying to get in, basically it was a no. And then a producer friend of mine told me something that to me didn’t make really, it didn’t make sense, especially back in the days. He said, why don’t you propose creating a blog and a production diary of the film? This is an indie production. It’s not like you’re creating Star Wars or something that you have a fan base or something, but I’ve learned that to be humble and trust is usually a good idea that also it didn’t have much to lose. So I created a mock-up of a blog with a production diary, looked up who was the lead actor. So to put a picture, like a little mock-up to show, this is what you’re going to get. Five minutes later, I get three emails from the three main heads of the studio, each of them with different wording, basically telling me, we need this right now. Come here, take a flight as soon as you can, and you’re in. You might see that as a big coincidence, but I think that putting yourself out there and trying to find ways you can be helpful in any situation, even very little things. Sometimes we think that big names and people that are at the top of their career, you have nothing to offer. And I believe that there’s always something you have to offer specifically that no one else can. And so finding those alternatives. And you know, in the industry, you ask 100 people how they got in, and I’m glad that you’re asking your guests because you learn a lot from different ways. But I always see, there’s the door where you could have an agent and then submit your scripts and then select it by the readers, and then the reader submit to the studio. In animation, that’s almost impossible. It’s just statistically, it’s very unlikely that they’re going to, like a big studio, taking a new writer, you have to pass so many filters. That said, like a building in animation studio, they have the main entrance, and they have a lot of windows. And so when I ask 100 people, I’m pretty sure 90, 95, 99 people would tell you, I got in through the window. Not that you’re doing anything strange, it’s just the fact that you nurture these connections, and then you’ve always put yourself in a position to help. How can I help in this situation? And a different approach, and sometimes I had that bad approach, I don’t think it’s useful, is trying to go and ask people, telling them what you need. I have this project and I see that a lot. We all have our baby, our big project, but going around and telling everyone about our baby, our project, and trying to cram it into the conversation, I don’t think it’s a good approach to find first ways to help others. That has something that has helped me. And then from behind the scenes, one of the actors from the film now has an animated series on Netflix. He’s a Disney actor that was very connected there. While I was studying in LA, I connected to the animation industry as I went to meet the leadership at Pixar, I went to all possible events, and tried to genuinely connect. I’m an introvert and maybe what we do here on the YouTube channel, it’s pushing myself outside my comfort zone, but it’s not about me, it’s not how I am, it’s about the result about the stories. So long story short, it was through direct connections and some of them became friendships and in the industry, one-on-one, not strategic. I don’t believe in called emailing people and try to create these connections and find a way to help others.
