Director Becky Smith's Tips for Dealing with Rejection

by Diana Peterson

Film and television director Becky Smith recently completed her first feature “16 to Life” and has directed episodes for Lifetime’s “How To Look Good Naked,” Bravo’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and MTV’s “Parental Control." Becky also teaches at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, where I met her as an undergrad film and television student.

Becky recently emailed me this "informal list," gleaned from her own life experiences and from friends.

Dealing with Rejection in the Film Business

Becky Smith’s Homilies!

1. Success in Hollywood is determined by how well one deals with disappointment

2. The competition is fierce. If this is something you really want to do, great. Just know you might not get it. Go for it. You have nothing to lose.

3. You have to make your own opportunities most of the time

4. Doors will open if you persist, but not necessarily the ones you are expecting

5. Many filmmakers have made a first film that didn’t get a lot of attention, and moved on to their next film

6. You can tell yourself a story, i.e., “this is how it is” or “this is how things always go” – or you can step away from the story to see the possibilities…

7. Don’t “face reality”, create reality

8. Hope verses visualizing – leaving it up to the universe vs. taking action. Take action.

9. Genuinely have fun while you are setting goals and reaching for your goals, otherwise you won’t convince anyone of your enthusiasm, including yourself. A large amount of living is moving toward the destination, so enjoy the journey.

10. 99% of the stories that hold us back are incidents from our past that we’ve locked on to.

11. Don’t ask “why” – move forward.

12. Thinking small and playing small doesn’t serve you.

13. Often people’s lives are about “reacting to” instead of “taking action”.

14. It’s round one – CALM DOWN!

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