Katisha (Kat) Shaw Of DTRM On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in TV and Film
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
If someone tells you you’re not good enough (whether true or not), the steady climb, and your desire to learn and grow, will ensure that you are good enough eventually. Again, do not stop.
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in TV and Film, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Katisha (Kat) Shaw.
Katisha (Kat) Shaw is a queer actress, writer, and film producer with roots in both Canada and Costa Rica. She and her business partner, J.C.Davidson head DTRM Inc, a production company with a slew of high profile films being released in 2023, most notably with their film Backspot premiering at this year’s TIFF. She also has a strong background in marketing. When she’s not charging full tilt into creating, supporting, and sustaining projects, Kat manages to find time to scuba dive, ride horses, and attend live theatre and music events.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Canada and raised in Costa Rica by inventor parents. They blessed me by exposing me to other cultures, experiences and opportunities around the world that gave me a sense of profound empathy for humanity. I was always around artists and musicians, and this had a huge impact on the trajectory of my life.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I met a stage director who would eventually become my acting coach. She’d watch me run ragged from stage project to stage project, from short film to short film, and she sat me down one day and advised me that I had to focus (truly commit) if I wanted to achieve the levels I was aiming for. Exposure is one thing, but intent is another. She wasn’t wrong. She’s a boutique coach, but her small roster is known by Casting in Canada and the U.S. for being exceptional actors. I keep trying to promote her, but she’s one of those rare people in the industry who doesn’t care. She also saw my determination and kept saying that I’d be a brilliant producer. I tend to knock on a lot of doors, and don’t care if I must kick them down. Also, the art of storytelling in all its forms has ALWAYS resonated with me. I see it as preserving our legacy, and teaching lessons for the future.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I find the entire experience of filmmaking magical. Whether it’s moments on set watching an actor or a scene partner drop in and have some real-time discoveries, or learning how some FXS are done. Postproduction is always a wonder! My career to date has been a whirlwind of excitement and growth.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Mistakes are part of the process; we learn from them. I have learned to just be free and take it all in, day by day. My biggest mistakes are usually getting far too excited for my own good and speaking 100000 miles an hour… so I end up having to repeat myself and slow down.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Every project is exciting, but next year’s slate has me just BUZZING, starting with a thriller centered around a mid 20s’ female journalist chasing a serial killer — that no one believes is real, and then followed by our big ensemble cast rom-com — heavy on the comedy. We’re going to be shooting that project in the Caribbean.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Failure is not an option — Commit, show up, don’t wait for the phone to ring.
No doesn’t mean no — it just means not right now. This industry is tough, and many see it as unattainable — but there is an audience for everything, and there is a story to be told. Don’t quit.
Give yourself 20 minutes to feel down, shake it off, and then get back up. You’re going to get back up a lot.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Diversity has been severely underrepresented in the West for the entirety of the history of cinema, but things are changing. Being able to see oneself on the big screen is powerful. We hear it all the time now; children, and youth, and everyone really, all saying that when they see themselves mirrored, they become aware of things they themselves can achieve. Having diversity also promotes tolerance and compassion; when we see the story of others, we have empathy for them. That’s world shaking.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . Don’t quit — I made the mistake after film school of walking away because I felt broken. Don’t quit. don’t allow that feeling to hold you down.
2 . You are MAGIC — my coach and best friend tells me this often, and I wish I had her early on to keep my sparkle, but now I shine!
3 . Imposter Syndrome is a lie — you belong just as much as the next person.
4 . The business is a steady haul, not a meteoric rise. Don’t feel defeated if it takes longer than you thought it would.
5 . If someone tells you you’re not good enough (whether true or not), the steady climb, and your desire to learn and grow, will ensure that you are good enough eventually. Again, do not stop.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I am one of those people who doesn’t know how to turn off — and this is a hard struggle. I have forced myself to take social media detox days. Turn the computer off. Go out to the theater to see movies, see live theatre. Spend time outside. Ensure you have hobbies that are not film related (I snowboard, Scuba Dive and ride horses)
Self-care, Self-Care, Self-Care!
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I hope I’m doing that right now through the kinds of projects DTRM Inc promotes. Art is a very strong medium for social change. It’s the way I use my voice.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My acting coach says she’ll stop teaching me if I use her name here :P
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Fall down seven times, get up eight. That seems to really apply to the film industry.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Greta Gerwig — as a filmmaker, a director, and genuine person, she is someone I look up to.
How can our readers follow you online?
DTRM.ca
or instagram katatonic_kat
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
