Nicholas Todd Bullock (NT Bullock) is the founder of Sequential Pictures. He is a filmmaker who discovered his passion for creating videos long before the advent of YouTube. In the mid-90s, he got hold of his father's camcorder and fell in love with capturing moments on camera. Despite the limitations of the time, like the absence of editing software like Final Cut Pro or access to free training and tutorials (again -- this was pre-YouTube), Bullock persevered. He worked multiple jobs to save up for a computer and a video capture card, recorded tons of skits and short films with his friends, and eventually published his work online -- and went viral with one of his first parodies published on youtube: "STAR WARS: A Lost Hope."
Since then, he's filmed and produced dozens of short films, parodies, and skits, as well as feature films (some of my favorites include "Aliens Alternate Takes" and "The Thing Redub."
In today's conversation, Todd shares his 'origin story,' how he got started in film, what inspired him to create and publish these skits, shorts, redubs, and parodies, what the reception has been, including the ups and downs of being a creator in a world that tends to hammer those who are inventive (including, in my words, YouTube's crazy and unfair copyright "standards," shadowbanning, and more).
We also talk about Todd's recent near-death experience (including multiple trips to the ER, 17 days in the hospital, correction: "many months" in the hospital, and losing weight till he weighed only 89 pounds), how this has impacted his career, and how he's rebounding (including what's coming next from him).
As an aside, if you feel compelled to support Todd, you can find a gofundme for his health challenges here, and hopefully, I've inspired him to set up a Patreon account, which may be live in the near future.
UPDATE: Todd now has a Patreon -- you can support him here.
I hope you enjoy today's conversation, and if you do, please share this interview with others, and leave a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you're listening to this.
[00:00:00] Intro to the filmmaker NT Bullock
[00:08:39] NT Bullock's journey, early online success, and learning process.
[00:17:17] How learning and adapting online facilitates the creative process.
[00:20:57] The challenges with measuring or projecting the time to complete a project (and why NT Bullock focuses on "getting the job done" instead of hitting specific 'metrics')
[00:27:35] The early days, the struggle to monetize content, and how he found success.
[00:39:33] How NT Bullock got started with paid film gigs (including car commercials), how he financed his movies, and why he prefers making shorts over feature-length films.
[00:46:32] Why NT Bullock doesn't use Patreon (but should!)
[00:53:06] YouTube's unfair copyright policies and why they limit revenue and visibility.
[00:57:58] The challenges of making and selling creative projects (or the pain of commercializing art)
[01:11:41] Redubs, the Dune film, and what inspires NT Bullock's art.
[01:15:43] Health struggles, his near-death experience, business setbacks, and the uncertain future.
[01:24:03] Wrap up and what's coming next
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In 2007, I read a book that changed my life.
While the book itself is simple (borderline elementary now that I've gone back to reread it years later), there was a single idea that I couldn't shake at the time; one that still sticks with me today.
Before I explain what that idea is, I want to put this in context:
I first read this book when I was a 20 year old West Point cadet. At the time, I was double majoring in Russian and Human Geography with a track (like a minor, but not) in environmental engineering.
By academia's standard, I was slightly above average in the brains department, and I was soon to be entrusted the lives of 30+ soldiers in combat, which I can only assume means that somewhere, someone thought I was a responsible adult (or perhaps I slipped through the cracks...we'll never know).
Yet here was a book that a middle school kid could understand (and really, that every kid ought to read) that said something I'd never heard before.
Or perhaps better stated: never fully appreciated before.
What was the idea?
Everything in life is either an asset or a liability; it either puts money into your pocket or it takes money out of your pocket.
You want more of the former and less of the latter.
Of course, after finishing the book, I didn't put it away, smugly proclaim myself smarter, and move on.
Instead, I took a deep dive into the subject, spending years devouring more books in the same genre (finance and investing). More importantly, I took action on what I learned: I saved lots of money, kept my expenses down, invested in real estate and stocks, practiced options trading, and more.
Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't - which was painful - but the important thing is that I gained an understanding of the material I was reading, not merely in concept, but in practice (this is the kind of experience that only comes from stepping inside the ring).
Finally, but no less importantly, this spurred my interest in other areas including business, publishing, and teaching.
It's hard to put a dollar figure to an idea, but I think I can safely say I'm thousands of dollars richer now than I would have been otherwise, because I read this book; because the idea resonated deeply with me; because it caused a spark...
And this of course is the point: an idea is a spark.
It has the potential to dramatically change our lives.
But it's also just that: a spark.
You still have to cut down the tree, haul the fire wood, and find the gasoline.
An idea is a spark, but you still have to cut down the tree, haul the fire wood, and find the gasoline.
Two points worth reflecting on:
This requires resources (mental and physical - both of which you can create, grow, and increase over time) and hustle (accessible to every person on Earth at this very moment - if you choose to use it).
This idea didn't pass haphazardly to me through a college class (I took lots of those and was never taught anything close to this), nor YouTube, nor a podcast, nor a blog post, nor telekinesis (I'm not there yet).
It passed to me through a book.
For the purposes of message spreading, there is no better form than a book. And thanks to the internet, just about everyone in the world has the ability to reach just about everyone else in the world, making it the perfect conduit.
This means if you're in the business of spreading a message (and aren't we all?), you should sincerely consider writing and publishing a book; the impact you can create has never been higher, nor the barrier to entry lower.
But most importantly of all: there are people in the world who WANT to hear from you, who want your ideas, who need the spark...
And I think we do a disservice to the people who matter - not to mention, a disservice to ourselves - when we keep our ideas hidden.
The simple solution:
Put your ideas out there. Create a spark. Start a fire.
Today.
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P.s. next week I want to share with you the book I wrote about in today's blog post, as well as 10 other books that have caused similar sparks in my life, and I hope you'll share your most important books with me too 🙂
p.p.s. I'm creating a new, free course on publishing to help people create and spread messages that matter. If you're interested, sign up here.
The Conventional Entrepreneuren·tre·pre·neur:
"The owner or manager of a business enterprise who, by risk and initiative, attempts to make profits"
The entrepreneur seeks to make a profit – at least, conventionally speaking.
The conventional entrepreneur believes he can do something better (cheaper, faster, closer etc.) than what exists in the market place.
He builds something to fill a need in exchange for profit, and, we might imagine, does so because profit is the goal.
art·ist:
"One, such as a painter, sculptor, or writer, who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts"
The artist creates things of aesthetic value – again, at least conventionally speaking.
The artist does what he is compelled to do – which is to create art. The artist creates what doesn’t exist, and, we might imagine, does so because he loves his craft intrinsically.
I propose a third option.
Someone who loves the process as much as the potential impact; who wouldn’t create if it didn’t affect others powerfully and positively; who takes himself seriously enough to do the terrifying, creative things others would gladly avoid.
I propose the idea of an entrepreneur who doesn’t create solely for return on investment, and an artist who doesn’t create solely for internal self-satisfaction.
I propose a hybrid: the Creative Entrepreneur.
cre·a·tive en·tre·pre·neur:
One whose business is an extension of one’s personality and art; whose purpose is creating something bigger than oneself, something that can grow and expand, but never at the expense of creating art as a gift; who seeks true freedom, even if it means uncertainty or failure; who desires self-determination, even if it means challenging the tribe; who does the hard, creative work, day in and day out, because it matters.
The Creative Entrepreneur weaves his art into every project, like AJ Leon from Misfits Inc. (twitter: @ajleon)
The Creative Entrepreneur invents beautiful, practical tools that enhance our lives, like Nate Kutsko of Kutsko Kitchen (twitter: @kutskokitchen)
The Creative Entrepreneur tells a story through film and story (and teaches others how to do the same), like Benjamin Jenks from Adventure Sauce (twitter: @benjaminojenks), or writes to inspire writers, like Jeff Goins from Goinswriter.com (twitter: @JeffGoins ).
This concept is nothing new – the Creative Entrepreneur has always existed (from Archemides to Da Vinci to Ford).
But now, becoming a Creative Entrepreneur isn’t just more attainable than it’s ever been, it’s more imperative.
The ordinary fades away, the average is ignored, and the usual is just that (and lost in the noise).
But the Creative Entrepreneur stands out, sticks around, and leaves an impact.
The life of the Creative Entrepreneur isn’t easy, nor is it comfortable.
But it’s not supposed to be.
We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable. [G. K. Chesterton]
The role of the creative entrepreneur is to invent, design and build something profitable, personal and creative.
To do that, we need a set of tools that enhance our work and magnify our impact.
The following is a quick list of tools I’ve found ESSENTIAL in designing my new company (more on that later), writing my book, and building my blog.
A caveat: tools can’t do the work for you. The most important thing to remember, for the creative entrepreneur, is to do the hard, creative work, no matter what. These tools will help, but if you’re searching for a tool to do the work for you, you’re not going to find it (no matter how much you outsource).
1) Dropbox
I’m not sure how I would live without Dropbox.
I’ve used other cloud based software, like Microsoft’s Skydrive and Google Drive, but nothing compares to the simplicity, accessibility (I can access it from computers where Skydrive and Google Drive are blocked), and space (Dropbox gives you extra free space every time you have a friend sign up!).
I put every writing file in Dropbox. I put all my designs, artistic creations and business plans in Dropbox. I’ll even put movie files I want to watch on my laptop when I’m disconnected from the internet (Dropbox will download the file to your computer when it’s connected to the internet – so you can still edit, change, and use the materials without a connection).
I try to back up my Dropbox folder on my computer, but even when I don’t, I’m completely confident in Dropbox to work without fail (a bold claim, but true).
2) Evernote
This is my creative tool of choice.
When I’m driving to work and I have a moment of inspiration, I take out Evernote and simply talk into my phone. Evernote transcribes my dialogue for me. It only works if you talk slowly and enunciate correctly, but, once you get used to it, you’ll be taking verbal notes like crazy.
It also syncs up with every device that has Evernote (for me, that’s every device). So I can edit my to do list on my computer and see it on my phone when I go to the grocery store, or take a clip of website and make a note to read later, or just take a picture and scribble notes on it…Evernote is essential for the creative entrepreneur.
It’s free. Get it.
3) Skitch
Skitch is an add-on to Evernote, so maybe it shouldn’t be a stand alone product…but I also find it has enough value on its own to deserve it’s own spot here.
Skitch allows me draw pictures very quickly on my smart phone and easily save them for later.
I had the idea for the cover of my eBook, The Art of Instigating, when I was driving to work. I took out Skitch and drew up the concept to make sure the idea didn’t pass me by:
Sometimes, the best way to capture an idea is to draw it out. Skitch helps the creative entrepreneur get his thoughts out on paper when words just don’t work.
Okay, so iPhones are great, but I don’t own one, so I can’t really comment. But the Galaxy S-3 is perfect for all the above apps, plus it’s not restricted to Apple’s locked-down ecosystem (for me, this means more freedom).
The Galaxy S-3 is crazy fast with an awesome screen and camera. It’s like having a creative office in my pocket.
Bonus points: the battery is great, even with heavy use. Worst case, I usually have to charge up midday because I use it HEAVILY. Brilliant phone (and you can get it for less than $200 with a 2 year contract from any of the major telephone companies).
5) LastPass
Okay, this tool alone is something I can’t stop promoting.
It’s free, easy to use, and will save you HOURS of time.
LastPass is a secure way to save all your passwords, so you don’t have to log into 30+ accounts every day – you log into your LastPass account and when you come to a login page, LastPass will auto-fill or auto-login for you with the click of a button.
For someone like me, with dozens (possibly hundreds) of different login usernames and passwords, this thing saves me the frustration of having to get a new password every time I visit an old site.
6) Spotify
Okay, so this isn’t so much something you can use to create (that I know of), but something I’ve found essential in my creative process.
I love listening to my Ultimate Indie Party in Your Pants Playlist when I do work.
A lot of people prefer to work in silence, but if you want complete creative control over your music (unlike Pandora), Spotify (even the free version) is the way to go.
Of course, for $10 a month, the premiere, ad-free version is a no brainer.
7) Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
Don’t laugh.
I know it’s not cool to use Microsoft products, but I know Word and PowerPoint 2010 like the back of my hand. I used both to create my logo, design the covers of my books, typeset/design the pages of my eBook, and write all my rough draft blog posts.
The reason I mention these products, in particular, are because a lot of people get caught up in having the right software; but you don't need anything special.
I’m not saying my stuff is professional grade, but, in its minimalist fashion, it works. And yes, even if you have the bare essential equipment and software, you can create works of art (whether you use a PC, Mac, or something else entirely, the basic software is all you need).
Often times, the limits and boundaries we’re forced to deal with help us create better art anyway. So, in a way, Microsoft products help my creativity…
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And that’s it (for now).
There are definitely a bunch of other tools I use, but none as often as the ones listed above.
One last note: you don't NEED to use any of these tools, and there are definitely alternative tools available. Test out others and see what works for you. This is just a quick list to show you what I've found simple, easy to use, and effective.
I hope these help. Let us know in the comments below which ones you like or hate, and what tools you would add to the list!
Enjoyed this content? Get it straight to you inbox (along with exclusive content) by subscribing to The Resistance Broadcast (plus, get a free copy of my new book: The Art of Instigating).
