Joseph T. Garrity

And always be aware that people are watching you from the beginning because your reputation depends on what people are saying about you. Even if you’re talented, if you’re just not a good collaborator and you’re a pain in the ass most people don’t want to go through a hellish experience to maybe get something good at the other end. People like working and going through difficult times and challenging times with people who are passionate and are team players. You’ve got to know and understand that this is not just about any one person it’s about people working well together through difficult and challenging moments.

And know that you’re going to be in it for the long run. It’s not going to be easy. It’s usually 24/7 for a designer. Most people go to sleep and rest. A designer usually brings all that crap home if he gets home at a decent hour! And it’s a mental thing where you’re worrying about so many things. And if you want to have stability in your life this is a business that maybe you don’t want to be in. You’re going to go through peaks and valleys of working and not working. And it starts over every time you stop a movie, then you’ve got to find the next one.

I’ve been lucky enough that this business has supported me financially and that I enjoy doing it. So I’m very lucky. And I’m back at the school that got me here in the beginning. And the fact that they’re paying me now while I paid to be here before is pretty great. I’m still working and I’m fifty-five years old and that’s okay. I’m very happy with how things have worked out. And now I’m grading people’s film design papers -it’s pretty interesting to give back and to share the knowledge that I have. These kids get perspectives from all our teachers who are people who have worked in the business or are working in the business. And we’re mentoring them with things that we’ve learned so it’s interesting to say the least.