From game dev to filmmaking, it’s been a crazy journey of reinvention, but I made it!

Six gruelling months ago, I was staring at a blank page, sitting under the heavy gaze of posters from my most inspiring movies; locked in, determined to reinvent myself as a writer & director here in Sydney. Fast forward, I’m wrapping up post-production on my debut short film, RUNNING IN HEELS (official poster coming soon!)

Now I just need a little luck. I’ve submitted the film to a few key festivals for consideration, so fingers crossed for an official screening! But before the release, I think about how much support and constructive feedback I received along the way.

So, to the super talented actors, project crew, my beautiful fiancée, friends, family, and former colleagues: thank you for helping me shape the film into what it is today and giving me the confidence to share it with the world!

Regardless of whether the film finds success, one thing I appreciate about life’s clichés is that you grow through most experiences. Coming from video game dev, as well as my earlier years spent in fashion design and music production, it was such a confidence boost to see how all my sensibilities carried over into indie filmmaking.

From vision development to working on real-world locations, the atmosphere may differ from a mocap stage, but collaborating as a crew and diving into the characters with my actors to tell a powerful cinematic story felt like a natural transition. And I loved every part of it!

I also had goals outside of the creative process. Throughout the rigorous journey of making a film with what feels like hundreds of moving parts, my focus was on improving my communication as a leader.

Forgive the preachy message, but what genuinely helped me was using the three C’s: Be CLEAR, be CONCISE, be COLOURFUL (vivid). I use this method in my screenwriting too, but it’s a great tool for improved communication, especially if you tend to yap a lot like me!

I also made a point to be more open to other ideas and feedback. I even conducted an audience test on a cut of the film, which undoubtedly improved the final product. In the end, I do believe feedback is a gift even if it often hurts 😆.

Through it all though, I was also reminded of who I STILL am: extremely passionate, driven, and a storyteller at heart. I always hope this shows in my work and inspires the team.

So, what’s next?

I’ll admit, there are nights when I lose sleep over how risky this new career path of "making it as a full-time director/writer" is. The anxiety definitely lingers: "How the hell do I do this?" But then I remind myself how much I want this. To focus on the craft, I’ve always found a way to throw myself into the deep end, pushing to prove I belong, and I’ve failed more times than I can count!

But today, I can at least say I set out to create a film that highlights my voice as a filmmaker… and I FINISHED IT 🙏 

Thanks all. 

#Filmmaking #CareerJourney #Reinvention