When I was in high school my favorite thing in the world to do was go watch movies. I decided in my senior year to get a degree in film. However, Little Christy did not truly understand the film industry, nor what a job in film even looked like. After a year of being a film major and lots of people telling me to “Runaway from the drugs and corrupt film industry!” I bailed for a more “suitable” profession: teaching.
I have devoted many moons to teaching children and quite honestly, they have taught me too. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for any money in the world because those experiences helped shape the person I am today. As it turns out, I had a bit of a “Come to Jesus” moment in a bookstore in Washington, D.C. about 2.5 years ago and that burning desire to be a filmmaker crept back. So, of course one drops everything and immediately moves to NYC, right? Well, I did, because that’s how I roll. Balls to the wall. My time was short and I learned a few film things and when the money ran out, I bailed.
Lessons learned from New York City? Filmmaking is a difficult field to break into and teaching needs to be my main source of income. You know what? That’s totally cool. My epiphany was that I could continue to work in a job that means so much to so many people and can make such a huge difference, but also pursue my dreams as a filmmaker during my “teacher breaks.”
The point of this post? In year 3 of my pursuit to become a filmmaker I have finally accomplished a few goals that once seemed out of reach: 1. I wrote a screenplay. 2. My team filmed said screenplay. 3. Oh, and I got to DIRECT that screenplay. What?! If only Little Christy had known in 2000 that a life well lived would bring about the experiences and guts to really fully understand filmmaking and what it would take to be a filmmaker. It’s fine, though. I’m living life without regrets.
Earlier this month my film friends and I shot my short screenplay, “The Lake.” It is currently in post-production and I hope one day soon to be able to share the sweet story of a couple who realize that sometimes moving forward means moving apart.
Christy Fleetwood 