Roger Nygard has become a successful feature documentary filmmaker, and director and editor on episodic television series including ”The Bernie Mac Show,” ”The Office,” and ”Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but his entertainment career path was not a smooth one. In his profile, he talks candidly about his early struggles, and about how he turned a loan from his mother into much-needed career-stability.

Current project:  My latest documentary, THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE, will be released theatrically beginning June 18 (New York), and July 2 (Los Angeles), followed by a rollout to the rest of the country.  

College & degree:  BA, Speech Communications, University of Minnesota.

Internships: None. But I have facilitated many internships.

First job in the entertainment industry: Production Assistant for a production-management company, Rollins, Joffe, Morra & Brezner. They had a production deal at Paramount and represented clients like Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Robin Williams, David Letterman, and Woody Allen. My goal was to be the best damn PA they ever had. They promoted me to assistant. Then to talent scout.  

Big break:  Selling my first documentary TREKKIES to Paramount for seven figures qualifies as the biggest break so far…

Eureka moment: When I realized I could do what I wanted to do–not what other people expected me to do–and still make a living. I have turned down many projects, such as reality shows or mundane scripts, that would have paid a lot of money and probably advanced my career faster. But I can’t just punch a clock. I have to be challenged. That’s why I do so many varied and unusual projects.  This business is too hard to take lightly. It’s not for the indifferent and you’ll burn out if you are not inspired.

Career path: I started making short films when I was seven and continued through high school and college. When I got to Los Angeles, I realized I needed a kick-ass demo that would get me hired, because nobody will hire you to direct until you’ve already directed (unless you own the script or the production checkbook). So I took my grad school money (I had been accepted to USC) and made another short, “Warped” (which was later released in two home video compilations). I sent that short to everybody who would look at it and that led to my first offer to direct an episode of “Monsters.”

Meanwhile I had read a hilarious script by a comedian I met at the Comedy Store named Steve Oedekerk. My composer on “Warped” knew an investor so we convinced him to finance my first feature, HIGH STRUNG. Each project introduced me to more people, and invariably one of those connections was integral to the next opportunity in my career path. That path has continued through movies, television, and documentaries. If you want a job, start working, even if you have to work for free. You’ll meet people, and if you’re good, they will take you along to the next job.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry:  In the gap between my first film, HIGH STRUNG, and my second film, BACK TO BACK (AMERICAN YAKUZA 2), I went $30,000 into debt trying to launch my next projects. (They make those credit card cash advances sooooooo easy!). The worst day was the day I faced the fact that none of my projects were happening and I had no job and big debts. But that’s when a mini-eureka moment happened. I decided to change course and take an Avid editing class. I borrowed $500 from my mother, and with the Avid editing skill newly in my repertoire, I got a job writing, producing, and editing promos for TNT. (One of my connections I met when we were both peons at Paramount was in charge of TNT Latin America and he needed some fresh blood.) I spent the next two years making promos while learning all my editing tricks that became part of my style as a filmmaker, and I brought this style forward to all my projects.

Best day in entertainment industry: Every screening of a new movie or television episode is the new best day. It just gets better each time. It’s a powerful feeling to create something and then witness how people react. When I make an audience laugh, think, gasp, cry, get angry—that’s the best day!

Best thing about your current job: To be able to create! That’s why we exist.

Worst thing about your current job: The long hours. Nobody will work as hard as you do for your projects. Some day I’ll get to sleep.

Brush with greatness: Greatness is the opportunity to work with Larry David. Even greater is being able to dissect from the inside how Larry’s comedy process works. And greatest: becoming a creative part of that process. No matter how ridiculous or crazy a storyline gets, our focus in the editing room is on what do we have to do to more clearly and more succinctly tell that story.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Read a LOT. Study literature, not just filmmaking. Learn the art of telling a story. Tell stories that fascinate YOU. Chances are good that if you are entertained, others will be also. Nobody can guess with any accuracy what the “audience” wants. And why would you want to?  How boring is that errand? Be a leader. Create what you like and others will follow.

Next move: I’ve begun the next documentary project, I’m writing the next narrative feature, I’m pitching ideas for the next television series… I can’t be sure which door will open next, but whichever it is, I’ll go through it. Create opportunities, and then say yes.

You can find more information on Roger’s documentary, THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE, which is being released in Los Angeles on June 18th and New York on July 2nd and other cities following that, at: www.TheNatureOfExistence.com.

Several of the questions submitted were from people outside of Los Angeles who wanted to know if it was possible to get a jump on starting their entertainment career before moving to L.A. (”Yes!”) and, if so, how to do it.

My advice included ways to volunteer or get paid in entertainment no matter where you happen to be. (One tip I gave was to contact the local film board where you are – most states and metropolitan areas have them – and either get leads to work on upcoming productions shooting in the area or find out about volunteer or paid opportunities at the film board itself.) I also urged those who aspired to be writers or directors to actually write and shoot shorts or features now, to determine if they really like doing those things and (assuming yes) to have good samples of their work for when they do move here.

Another tip I gave those who are starting their career remotely (which I also give to people in L.A.) is to “find your people.” Outside of LA, this means going to – or creating – meet-ups (through MeetUp.com) related to film, television, music or new media, whatever area in entertainment you are interested in. Your people can also be found by taking a class – improv, singing, writing, etc. You want to be around people with similar aspirations so you can support each other and pursue creative projects together.

I also gave specific guidance to participants about breaking in as a writer, an editor, and an actor, respectively, and covered generally how to build your reel, both for a budding editor outside L.A. and for an experienced cameraman in L.A. who wants to transition into the industry after many years working for the military and the federal governemt.

All in all, I gotta say, it was a lot of ME. I had had the questions submitted in advance so I could make notes on what I was going to say and do any additional industry research, if needed, and decided not to have the call be interactive so I could cover as much ground as possible. But I think for future calls like this, I will have the person who submitted the question read it on the call and be available for follow-up from me and any related questions they might have.

The feedback I have received thus far has reflected the desire for more interaction, but also has been very positive, which is gratifying. One participant emailed me after the call to say he had already found his local film board on line and left a message to get more information. Some of the people who submitted questions also mentioned in emails that they’d gotten a lot out of the answers to other people’s questions in addition to their own.

I am looking forward to doing another one of these calls in March. For those who are interested, see below how you can get a jump on signing up when the time comes!

*Space was limited and offered to Mogul Mindset eBlast subscribers first, then YII blog subscribers, then the general readership, aka “those who can’t commit.” If you’re interested in participating in the next one (in March), might want to sign up for MMs or subscribe to YII so you can be sure to secure your place and get your burning entertainment career questions answered.