An Emmy-nominated writer and director and jack-of-all-trades, between creating “Freaks and Geeks,” his classic TV episodes for “The Office” all the way up to rebooting the classics like “Ghostbusters,” Paul Feig is a man of many traits, and more men should strive to be like him.
Albeit a bit quirky, the “Bridesmaid” director and “The Peanuts Movie” producer has plenty of fetching qualities that seem a bit lost on the modern man today, but just like Bill Murray, we could learn a thing or 10 from great men of entertainment like him.
Paul says it’s never too early to get started.
Feig, although fidgety in his appearance (probably due to his over-excitement for all things film related), is something of a renaissance man. He grew up in Michigan working his dad’s army’s surplus store at the bright age of five, knew he wanted to be in the business and ended up writing and editing commercials for his dad’s store at the age of 15. It’s easy to live for tomorrow, but there are plenty of those and only one right now. Focus your energy into the right now and not the tomorrow, for we never know what that bitch may bring.
The same goes for working on your threshold for rejection…
Once a Universal Studios tour guide and stand-up comedian, he was no stranger to the closing of doors in his face. Bullied as a boy and even as an adult — “Ghostbusters” was given the most dislikes in the history of YouTube videos — Feig doesn’t simply roll over at the first signs of creative disgust. Even the great “Freaks and Geeks” was a one-season wonder in 2000 and wasn’t fully appreciated until later, but that didn’t stop him from coming back strong with episodes for “Undeclared” and “Arrested Development” shortly after.
As they say, the greatness of a man is measured by his strength in times of unease, and clearly Feig is a poster child for such creative resilience. You won’t get any further down the hole if you don’t keep chipping away.
…and an appreciation for constructive criticism.
Most people would balk at poor reviews to a movie trailer, something Feig has struggled to deliver considering his movies are very character-based. But instead of turning a blind eye to the haters, he took the time to consider any and all of the things that might make his new ghost-busting project a failure in the eyes of the die-hards.
It’s easy for an artist to hold little regard for their audience’s opinions, but upon the salty return of his first “Ghostbusters” trailer, Feig used that as ammunition to strengthen the story as much as he could before its release on July 15. Keep an open mind when it comes to criticism; it’s one of the best ways to get better.
The man has impeccable style.
In an age of jorts, flat-billed hats and bottomless freelancers, if there’s one takeaway for every man when it comes to Paul Feig, it’s his style. Consistent and considerate when it comes to his appearance, Feig leads by good example, showing up each day for work, as well as anything involving press, in a classic three-piece suit. Stylistically, there’s nothing boring about his suits, each one superb and tailored in its own right, but he tends to spice it up with a swank top hat or any one of the antique walking sticks from his impressive collection.
At his USC commencement speech, he even took off his graduation cap immediately so a good hair day would not go to waste or unnoticed. Let that be a lesson: Never let a good hair day go to waste and don’t be afraid to dress up for work if your chair is 20 feet from your bed. It separates church and state.
He’s all about the ladies.
Nobody in all of Hollywood’s bumbling incoherence has the balls to ironically focus his talents on the female populace, but Feig has done just that, well before this “Ghostbusters” controversy ever started. His first big hit, “Bridesmaids” in 2011, gave people a taste of what a female-driven cast can accomplish. It’s arguable that we’ve seen it all when it comes to men, and Feig has the female sensibility to marry great comedy and great women together. We’re just waiting for the A-Team to be redone as the Va-J-Team. “The Heat 2” was just announced as well, the original starring his go-to gal, Melissa McCarthy, and Sandra Bullock.
He ain’t afraid of no (creative) ghost.
When it comes to tackling the unknown, projects people swear to stay away from, Feig isn’t the least bit shy. Nervous as hell? Sure. But his confidence and dedication to his work is too unparalleled for him to shy away from a good challenge. One of the most anticipated films of the decade is the reboot of “Ghostbusters,” a film originally green-lit in the ’80s by the man who introduced Feig at his USC commencement speech this year. Feig and his “The Heat” co-writer, Katie Dippold, rolled up their sleeves and did the work until they came up with a script Sony loved after three decades of rejections.
Rejection is okay if you give it everything you had. Not everything you do will be great, but never trying is the greatest regret.
He’s well read and methodical.
A graduate of USC, which is where some of the greats went — he was moved by Steven Spielberg’s boulder scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” — and Feig felt compelled to learn from the best and find his own voice. Not only has he spent most of his free time studying the works of the masters, he reads, too. Yes, books. Feig has an appreciation for some slowly slipping mediums, but you can tell by his vast list of credits, from “Mad Men” to “Nurse Jackie,” that this guy has his finger on every pulse. Take a note, folks, dive into quality works of the past, not just your Netflix queue.
Feig knows how to really work with people.
The film industry has its hard-to-work-with types, but — ask anyone — Feig pulls out his actors’ best qualities, which, in turn, pulls out his best qualities as a director. As one of the big movie directors to come from TV, he understands the importance of allowing comedic stars to do their thing, not cutting people out of the creative process. Once the script is shot, improv on lines comes tumbling through, especially in the case of the lady-led “Ghostbusters” flick with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon, three of comedy’s best leading women. The first thing people think of when it comes to other people is how much of a joy they are to be around, or how much of a bummer. Don’t be a bummer.
He finds inspiration in all.
After witnessing a slew of piss-poor screenwriters, Paul realized he could write, at the very least, piss-poor himself. Not long after, his pilot for “Freaks and Geeks” was Emmy nominated for its writing. If you can find inspiration in the mundane, you’re on your way. Feig promises that you simply can’t do enough when it comes to creativity. His advice: Keep doing stuff. There’s always something to be done, so instead of letting others do the work for you, get it done your way by doing it yourself. Other bits of inspiration include “don’t be an asshole,” “don’t be a control freak” and “there’s never been a better time to create something.”
He invests in himself.
Not many know this, but Feig has had his hands in the acting pool for some time now. His passion project, however, was not something greatly celebrated, but he did it anyway, his way.
Saved up after “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” Feig took 30K and invested in his passion project, “Life Sold Separately.” He learned early on he had to do things himself, his way, and that nobody is doing your work for you. And if they do, they probably won’t do as hard a job as you, if you’re more passionate about it.
You may have grand plans for yourself, and you may think nobody else has a clue about it, and then one day you turn on the tele and there she be, your beautiful idea. Whether or not yours is a rare gem, an obscure classic in the making or just something you’re terrified to do, get on it. Ideas have a way of making their rounds until they find something willing to bring them to fruition. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the only one with brilliance passing through.
