14. RJ Sauer | Director / Writer

As a director, RJ's ability to hold the end vision in mind while navigating all the challenges of the filmmaking process is a true testament to his talent. In this episode, Marshal speaks with director and writer, RJ Sauer about the creative process and the responsibility of creating a film. RJ talks about the key aspects of his workflow, his journey in building relationships and finding work, as well as navigating the ups and downs of the freelance creative world. Most importantly, he shares about his story and how it shapes not only his work life but also his personal life. I’m excited to share this conversation with you, so let's dive in!

Episode Highlights

(01:23) Getting to know RJ Sauer

(08:23) Building relationships and finding opportunities in the industry

(26:57) Managing clients, teams, and the politics involved in filmmaking

(28:59) Key aspects of RJ’s creative process

(39:52) Qualities of people RJ loves to work with

(50:55) Navigating the ups and downs of the freelance creative world

(57:49) Taking personal adventures

(1:11:17) Focusing on the journey

🔗 CONNECT WITH RJ SAUER

📸Instagram | ⁠@rjsauer⁠ 💻Website | ⁠http://rjsauer.com⁠

🔗 CONNECT WITH MARSHAL

📸Instagram | ⁠www.instagram.com/marshalchupa⁠ 💻Website | ⁠www.marshalchupa.com⁠ 👥 Linkedin | ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/marshal-chupa-99a7921a8⁠

📄 SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

Visit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - ⁠www.shotlistpodcast.com⁠

🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST

This podcast is all about helping emerging cinematographers, photographers, and directors navigate the challenges of making a life and a living behind the lens. From workflow to personal growth, creative vision to marketing, finances to production—every episode is packed with a wide range of topics to support visual storytellers in their pursuit of building a business and growing a career they are proud of.

🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts | ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/shotlist/id1645435800⁠ Spotify | ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3m5203Y5yQ7wNXQhZBOmNV?si=f46bc0e937bf40c1⁠ RSS | ⁠https://anchor.fm/s/5cb2e948/podcast/rss⁠

🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW

If you enjoyed listening to the podcast, I’d love for you to leave a 5-star review on the bottom of Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show 👊 ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/shotlist/id1645435800⁠

📱 GET IN TOUCH

You can also drop me a DM instagram @marshalchupa or email ⁠marshal@marshalchupa.com⁠