After a successful and 20 year long career in design/tech, I’m trying my hand at writing and directing full time.

I finished a masters program in drama — not an MFA — a few years back where learned I was an okay actor, but really enjoyed writing narrative screenplays (I had always enjoyed creative writing on my own) and directing (many of the creative and problem solving skills I have actually translated seamlessly to filmmaking). Films let me be visually creative and business oriented like my previous job, but I found the emotional aspect that creating films affords me is a big missing piece to my overall fulfillment. I truly feel like an artist, which is something I’ve shied away from really owning.

So, I left my corporate job this year and my first project will be to write and produce a short (I have a few assignments under my belt from two semester’s worth of self-directing shorts, but not a true reel).

• What helpful words of wisdom do you have for me (I don’t need to hear discouraging or negative thoughts — I have plenty of those on my own 🥲)?
• What do you wish you’d known or done more or less of when you started out?
• What did you do that really set you up for success, especially if you were a writer/director combo?
• Any resources, newsletters, books, Discords, meetups (especially in New York City, where I live) that you would first-hand recommend? (I’ve researched a lot but there’s tons I’m sure I don’t know!)
• Beyond writing the script for a short and putting together a solid pitch deck, what else would I need to get a strong start?

Also, I don’t want my excitement to mask the fact that this will take a lot of hard work, won’t come easy, and will be a journey littered with failure. But it just feels like the right direction. Thanks in advance for any and all advice!