Life rules

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Navigating your life can sometimes turn into a nightmare. When a crisis happens, it's hard to find a ground under your feet. I felt the need for creating a foundation of practices that would serve as a guide in case of emergency. After ten years of trial and error, I've developed the list of rules. Anytime I feel like I'm "losing it," I can easily open my file and check whether I'm on the right track. 

The number 22 is a "Master Number" in numerology, which means, it has a powerful vibration. It has the potential of turning dreams into realities. Of course, over time, some of the rules will evolve, so I don't limit myself to follow only these exact ones my entire life, but I maintain the number.

1. Write in a diary - win the day!

2. Work hard on your dream.

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Own your actions.

5. Certainty => Potential => Result => See, I told you!

6. Read wise books at least 1 hour a day.

7. Dream big, act daily.

8. Listen carefully.

9. Compliment people often.

10. Your habits = YOU

11. Ask yourself: "Is my heart in this work?"

12. What would [Insert your hero] do?

13. Love yourself like your life depends on it.

14. Travel more.

15. Take risks daily.

16. What will people talk about your achievements 300 years from now?

17. Spend quality time with your family.

18. I'm an average of 5 people I spend my time with.

19. It's either "HELL, YEAH!" or "No."

20. Cheap costs more.

21. Can I solve this problem in one day?  

22. Less is more.

You can either use this specific list or build your own. It helped me many times, and I believe it will benefit you. Remember to act upon the rules you've created for yourself. Otherwise, it's a useless practice. Remember, action cures the majority of our problems. Make a list and follow it.

Tips for your next film

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I've been making a variety of short films with different budgets and crews. When each project was over, I was writing a list of lessons learned. I've decided to combine the best of them as a guide for future productions. Use it with pleasure.

Get the best script possible first, so then you can get the most desirable cast and crew to help you with it. It's important because it makes the filmmaking process less painful for everyone. Choose an AD who understands your film to its bones and has the potential to become your longtime friend. Have the best people you can find but keep the crew small. Also, don't try to reduce your team to "Never-mind-I-do-it-myself-production." A professional sound person on set will make or break your film.

Put in the budget everything you know and add 15% for contingency. Stick to your budget. Have all the payments to your crew scheduled and agreed in advance. Make sure you have required signatures on the paper, if something changes, get it resigned by both parties as soon as possible.

Schedule well so that you can shoot in fewer days. Know what essential shots you need to capture by heart. It will help you to stay true to your vision in the moments of doubt. When you have a schedule, it's easier to adapt to unexpected circumstances. Synchronize everything you want to execute with your key crew members. Provide a good lunch, especially when everyone works for free.

When on set with your dream-team, exude enthusiasm every day. Work harder than anyone else. Make sure every single person of your crew performs a task he was assigned to do. Keep it that way. As you go along, allow people to express their opinion but make final decisions yourself. You are the creator.

Prepare different ways to convey your ideas to the actors. Know the essential on-set vocabulary. Shoot in a spacious place, so you have enough room for a camera and equipment to make the shots you need. Avoid shooting in distant locations, unless there is absolutely no other way.

Imagine that the whole planet will see your movie, but make the film for yourself. It has to entertain your most capricious inner critic. Have fun on your next shoot.

My vision of the future

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I imagine the future where we will live in a society dominated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). People will live either in AI-organized Human Incubators or hide underground, in human-developed communities that are not necessarily honest or democratic. The general question I start with is, "What makes us human?" then I develop it into, "At what point technology becomes a human being?"

Even today, some people live with artificial limbs or even organs. But what would happen if the person has an artificial brain? Is he or she still a human? When does a soul, or universal energy, enters us and becomes our personality?

Then I imagine a man who was born in a human incubator run by AI. He has never experienced life outside. He has never seen a forest. I'm curious about the future because I compare myself to this man, who got stuck between two different worlds. He tries to figure out the meaning of life in the building he cannot leave and lives in a society that he doesn't fit. He dreams of breaking free from the safety of the bubble community. He strives to explore the dangerous, unknown, but independent world.

Then there's a woman with an artificial brain who lives in the totalitarian human society located in the underground sewer system. The woman behaves absolutely like a living-breathing individual, no difference at all. But, unfortunately, she has to hide her identity from the tyrannical leader who happens to be her husband. He kills anything artificial-intelligent as part of the entertainment events within the tribe.

I want to share my vision of the future because I feel like it will give a fresh look on threats posed to our modern life. The rapid technological advancements and the unstable political environment are one of these dangers. We need to realize that a human being is not just his physical body or possessions. The human being is something that we don't see, like emotions that we feel, the decisions we make, and the spirit within us. Let's re-discover ourselves to experience our humanity fully.

Your accent is your advantage

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The story began when I wasn't speaking English at all. I was an adventurous boy in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and was thinking about other countries as something that happens in fairytales. As I grew a little older, I came across the VHS tape, "English for kids." There was something magical about that tape. It was my first introduction to English.

I've been on and off my language courses up until 7th grade. I didn't need it for my life, but that was the year when I went on an exchange trip to Europe for the first time. I've experienced a cultural shock, which triggered me to make English my second language. I was studying English almost every day immersing myself in it. I've been taking extra courses and signed up for a conversational club. The club hosts were usually from the UK or the US. I was mostly focusing on a British accent because it is popular in Europe. My teachers, family, and peers were expecting me to speak like an English dandy. It didn't bother me that much, because I was focusing on grammar.

After a few years, I've been lucky to get an opportunity to study abroad. I've decided to go to the UK because it was an obvious choice. However, all my plans went into a pipe when I was refused a visa to the UK. I was so angry that I decided I would never go there unless I receive an invitation from Her Majesty herself. When one door closes the other opens, and for the first time, I started considering going to America, and it all suddenly made sense. I focused my energy on learning a standard American accent. Tongue twister practice, reading aloud, and conversing with Americans became the necessity. I was determined to master the right pronunciation.

When I reached a comfortable English-speaking level, I've managed to receive a scholarship to study filmmaking on the East Coast of the United States. After a while, however, I realized that my American accent is not American at all. I was frustrated, and I enrolled in free American accent classes provided by my school. It was a roller-coaster ride. Before each class, I felt like my American accent is flawless, but after, I wasn't sure whether I'm able to speak English at all. I realized that accent change wouldn't happen overnight, but I didn't want to feel inferior all the time.

Then I started to notice unexpected things happening to me. Americans were complementing on my accent; I started hearing random podcasts episodes where successful people were emphasizing the importance of preserving your original voice. My friends were encouraging me to try doing voiceovers. I followed the advice and recorded a series of short audio episodes. The feedback was positive, which inspired me to use the audio files as a draft for a motivational audiobook.

I've entirely let go of my fear of never reaching a decent American accent. As long as every word I'm saying is nice and clear I'm doing a great job. It doesn't matter whether you sound like an American. What matters is that the words you say convey what you mean. That person who listens to you sees the same picture as you imagine it in your head. I'd encourage everyone to embrace their accent. Make it your signature and let the world know what you've got to say.