By honing his skills and capturing opportunity, Reed Martin ’96 embarked on a dynamic career path.
Martin, who studied political science at Georgetown—“It’s what you did in Washington”—entered Columbia University’s Journalism School after deciding to become a features writer. “My big dream” he says, “was to write compelling stories about subjects that were outside of the mainstream—I wanted that center column in the Wall Street Journal!”
Martin soon realized that to be a successful journalist he needed a specialty. “An MBA could open doors by giving me the tools that would make me an asset in any industry,” he said. “It was the diamond drill bit to my journalism degree.”
After earning his MS, Martin began his studies at the School. In his second year, he entered a competition sponsored by the French Embassy’s trade office. The competition challenged students to write an essay on how to improve a French business sector’s market share in the United States. A film buff, Martin combined his business knowledge and writing skills to write the winning essay. His prize was a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to the Cannes Film Festival.
“While walking down the red carpet, I felt a pull to work in film,” he says. “It was a crystalline moment. I realized my Columbia MBA was also a ticket to working in the film industry.”
Turning his focus to entertainment, Martin worked in marketing at several media firms and eventually used his knowledge of the industry in developing media courses for the MBA curriculum and teaching. He has held an adjunct position at the School and currently teaches as an adjunct at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where his classes are often filled to capacity.
Today, Martin continues to apply his talent as a writer, his knowledge as an MBA and his passion for film to his daily life. Most recently, he is the author of The Reel Truth: Everything You Didn’t Know You Need to Know About Making an Independent Film (Faber & Faber, 2009). Martin, who has also delved in the creative aspects of the film industry—as a screenwriter—wrote the book as a cautionary tale about what aspiring filmmakers should know before they pursue their dreams. He interviewed more than a hundred filmmakers, including Danny Boyle and Kimberly Peirce, asking them to share harrowing stories of early production disasters that could have prevented their ultimate success. Martin offers would-be filmmakers tips on how to work through challenges on set and off.
The book was inspired by roadblocks from Martin’s own life as a screenwriter, he says. “I wanted this book, which is full of stories of overcoming struggle, to be an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers.”