From Film Student to Project Manager
I had the opportunity to interview fellow GWU MSPM graduate, Matthew Levy (@TheSocialPM on Twitter), to discuss his career transition from film student to project manager. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on similarities between film production and project management, how his Master’s Degree has impacted his career, and his favorite (and not so favorite) films.
The Green PM: What inspired you to make the transition from film production to project management?
Matthew Levy: Film school (for me) was more about a well rounded education in something I was interested in and might have some ability in. My education in film making covered old school film production (plan, film, edit, show), film theory, video production and very early computer assisted film production. Upon graduation, I did not feel a strong drive to go into the film industry, and ended up joining a start up in the broadcast news industry, that was attempted to deliver digital versions of satellite feeds, in an archived mpeg 2 format. This was in 1994, so it was a very big deal at the time. While not formally stated, everything we did there was project oriented. We were ahead of our time, in both being a start-up and then 3 years later going out of business. After that, I began a long career in IT and business operations that has led me to where I am today.
The Green PM: What similarities do you see between the two disciplines?
Matthew Levy: To my thinking, there are many similarities. All film projects are unique, have a start, middle and end (in spite of the fact that 4th Spiderman is being planned). They have specifically defined deliverables, objectives and constraints. In fact, the triple constraint fits them perfectly. I think it is highly debatable whether or not the forth constraint (quality) is applicable. What is more interesting to me, is that the old way of editing film has aspects of a metaphor for project management. Once you develop your film, you cut it physically into segments and (depending on the length) hang it on a all and label the segments. You then spend a good deal of time considering how to splice them together. I am reminded of this process during the creation of the work breakdown and Gantt charts.
The Green PM: What was the biggest challenge that you faced when making the career switch?
Matthew Levy: I suppose that as I moved from that initial start-up and it became clear I was going to be mainly in IT and the business world, I had to give up the notion that I was going to get back to that other work. This was a emotional process for the most part. Otherwise (and because film is process oriented), I think the change was not that big a deal for me. When I eventually got around to grad school, realizing that I should have paid a lot more attention to mathematics (as I started grad level stats) was the worst part of that change.
The Green PM: How do you see project management being accepted as a viable career in the film industry?
Matthew Levy: Honestly I don’t know, since I never worked professionally in film production, but I suspect it is well accepted, though it might be at a subconscious level. In general, I think project management is seen in most industries as something that is clearly vital, but also often resented as ‘overhead’. The acceptance of project management as a serious and deeply needed role, is something I am committed to.
The Green PM: How has your Master’s in Project Management aided your career as a Project Manager?
Matthew Levy: I think and Master of Science is respected, regardless of the field. I believe pursuing and obtaining the MSPM clearly communicates my focus and expertise. In conjunction with my PMP and my experience, it sets me up as an expert source in my organization. I can not say that everything I learned has a place in the practical business world, but the MSPM has given me the internal knowledge and resource to bring not only the best project management to a project, but also the right project management for that project.
The Green PM: What do you feel makes a good project manager?
Matthew Levy: Honesty, ability to accept the role of the one who has to tell things as they are. Someone who wants to make sure there team is setup to work and then gets out of the way. Above all, someone who can take their ego out of things and make sure that communication is the center of all their work.
The Green PM: How do you see project management evolving over the next 5-10 years?
Matthew Levy: I see the world acknowledging me as the King of PM. OK, maybe not. This is very hard to say. I hope that in 5 to 10 years most small and mid-size organizations will have accepted project management as the replacement for the middle management structure (other than Operations). I hope that larger organizations and government will move more into Portfolio Management, where the right projects are being selected, not just technically successful ones. I think that virtual, cross cultural projects and team will continue to grow.
The Green PM: If there is one piece of advice that you could give a novice project manager, what would it be?
Matthew Levy: I’m not sure this is particular to PM, but I would tell them to listen to that little voice in their head that is nervous about something they are doing (or not doing). I can’t tell you the number of times (when things have gone wrong) that I realized I knew what was coming and could have stopped it if I had listened to my gut. Also, always get everyone’s opinion. You are not an expert in everything, but your team might be (as a team) and you should take advantage of that. Also, learn a new language if you don’t already speak 2 or more.
The Green PM: I hear you have a blog about project management. Tell me more about it.
Matthew Levy: At the moment it is dead, but at some point in the future I might restart it. I think I am more interested in doing some kind of podcast, since we live in this fantastic city, with all these amazing projects and professionals in it.
The Green PM: Finally, what is your favorite film and why?
Matthew Levy: This is an impossible question. I don’t like the same music I liked 5 years ago, and films are much the same for me. I think The Graduate has held up pretty well. The extended cut of Apocalypse Now is even more disturbing than the original (maybe over the top). Alien and Blade Runner are still perfect. Blade Runner in particular is a surprise, because the ‘future’ has changed so much. I like films that capture a moment in time, that is they are accidentally a cultural record of a time. Salvador is great for that, I like The Odessa File as well, for that reason. The Year of Living Dangerously has a little bit of that. The first 15 minutes of Joe Versus the Volcano is a hilarious homage to Metropolis and the following 15 minutes are a sad but amusing comment on working in an office for a living (the film implodes shortly after that). The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an amazing silent film, which was totally ripped off by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Sweet Smell of Success is a great none standard noir film. Burt Langcaster is fantastic in that one.