Today I was fortunate enough to interview Academy-Award winning producer Michael Shafia.

RS: How did you get started in the film industry? 

MS: I got started 12 years ago working on a short film that I don’t think ever made its way to release but a friend of mine was composing music for that project. I was working mostly in the music industry at that time, but I was looking to make a change. So, a friend of mine was composing for that film, invited me to come check out the project and I basically worked as a free PA on that show and I met producers and started making connections out of that and that’s how I got my start.

RS: And where do you get your inspiration to make your films?

MS: It’s kind of a matter of practicality, a matter of what makes sense, what ideas are in the ether and what seems like it’s going to be a realistic, viable course of action. I don’t want to try and pursue something that’s not going to be doable. Right? You might have a lot of ideas, a lot of luck, a lot of ambitions, but if that’s not squared with what’s practical and what’s realistic, there’s no point in pursuing it necessarily. 

(Rest of interview is below)