“Always try to look ahead and grow.”
Long before her success in the film industry, Chay Carter was a student at Boston College studying communications and psychology. While in her late-twenties, the Academy Award-winning producer (Argo) took a huge career risk that changed her life. She left her Strategy PR desk job at Disney to become an assistant to a young actor named Ben Affleck. Even while “paying her dues” getting coffee and picking up dry cleaning, Carter knew this was her opportunity to gain real set experience and learn the inner workings of the film industry.
Carter’s passion for storytelling, acute attention to detail and commitment to her craft have quickly taken her all the way to the top. Her producing credits include the acclaimed, Affleck-directed Gone Baby Gone, Argo and The Town. No matter how many awards she accumulates, she maintains the kindest and humblest spirit. Taking time out of her busy routine, she teaches us the basics of filmmaking and the scope of creative producer responsibilities, from start to finish.
My Advice
Take the opportunity on-set to observe and get to know all the moving parts of a production. If you have aspirations like I did, you’ll push yourself to be more creative and be in a position where you can look around and question things. Learn how the cameras work, lighting, grips, hair, makeup, who’s moving all the stuff around to make the production. That is crucial if you have aspirations to move up.
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