Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charlie Norton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Charlie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve had the privilege to write and direct in my career so far is my last film, “The Lost Weekend”. It takes place during the Summer of 2004 and it follows James (played by Brendan Egan), a teenage boy grappling with his masculinity, as he faces toxic expectations about manhood while embarking on a “boys trip” with his friends, Dylan (played by Mathew Ray) and Nick (played by Henry Lynch), to Cape Cod.
I wrote the script based on personal experiences I had on the Cape the summer before college and the plot is inspired around a statement one of my friends said to me: “If you don’t have s*x before college, you won’t understand what it means to be a man”. Boys will do anything to prove their worth, especially if it means resorting to conquest, but was s*x hindering me from discovering my own manhood? Granted, I was 18-years-old and the “men” I was hanging out with at the time had their priorities straight in teen angst shenanigans. But this really bothered me and it made me insecure about my own masculinity.
It wasn’t until I had those experiences years later to realize that manhood is defined by forging your own path, not confining to the stereotypes, and “The Lost Weekend” is ultimately a love letter to that statement. I hope audiences can take away something from it, especially those young men who might be facing similar struggles today.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a writer, director and producer originally from Bridgewater, MA currently residing in New York City and I’ve been working in the film industry since 2016. Although I’ve been making films since I was very young, I got my first “in” by interning at the Oscar qualifying Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and serving on their youth jury for three years. This not only helped build a foundation for my creative career, but I was able to carry it forward early on: from creating content for my high school’s communications department to eventually studying film production at Hofstra University. This is where I really started to find my craft and while I was taking classes at school I would work on professional sets, big and small, as a production assistant; which eventually led me to get on the director/producer track since graduating in 2023.
Being a filmmaker is the only profession I see myself doing and as a creative I love exploring where my inspiration stems. But the only flaw I know of having as a filmmaker is that I’m a perfectionist. If I don’t meet my own expectations of quality, then I feel like I fail at what I’m trying to achieve. However, this idea of “quality” is so opinionated coming from artist to artist. Yet, in order to be a filmmaker you have to brace the fact that you’re always going to fail again, and again, and again… until you make something that sticks. When I got my BFA at Hofstra I felt like I was able to find the “quality” I was searching for, eventually leading me to write, direct and produce two of my proudest works, “Graffiti” (2021) and “The Lost Weekend” (2023). Since then, I’ve been fortunate to showcase both of my films at several film festivals across the United States and abroad as well as screen at prestigious theaters like the Village East Angelika in New York City and the TCL Chinese Theaters in Los Angeles, just to name a few.
What sets me apart from other creatives is that I’m motivated to create. Being a storyteller is what I was born to do and nobody is going to take that away from me. There have been many people in my life that have either attempted me to steer in the wrong direction or influence me to not pursue filmmaking as a career. But what they haven’t been able to break down is my drive and that’s not going away anytime soon. Motivation stems from drive and that’s what allows quality to shine. Even if it takes time to get the next project out of the gate, it’s on our side. But there’s always never enough time. Now as a 23-year-old filmmaker and post-graduate, my next creative venture is to direct my first feature film based on my recent short film, “The Lost Weekend”, along with producing several other content along the way. I’m very grateful for the award winning projects I have my name attached on. Whether it be with a studio, a close collaborator or one of my own, I’m just thankful to have my name out there.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is connecting your work with other people on an emotional level. It’s those reactions of having someone walk out of the theater after seeing your film and say to themselves: “wow, what did I just watch”? Or “wow, that made me feel something”! Those are the most rewarding factors to me. In that moment of time, they’re not only connected with what’s on screen but they’re also connected with you as an artist.
Back in the summer, I attended the Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod representing a screening of “The Lost Weekend” and at an after party, an older gentleman in his 70’s came up to me and said: “I just want to let you know that I saw your film the other day and was deeply moved by your story. All of those memories of proving your masculinity came rushing back to me, and it seems nothing has changed. But your film can be the change”. Hearing this really moved me, especially from someone fifty years older than me who was impacted by my story! We ended up talking for the rest of the night and it’s an interaction I won’t forget. These are the genuine reactions which mean the whole world to me.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
You know, there’s this misconception that if you want to succeed in the film industry you either have to be a celebrity or essentially be born into nepotism. But that’s not entirely the case. Being a full-time creative is a self commitment to your own artistry, even if it means stepping out of the norm to find your own success. Many of my friends and loved ones who have absolutely no knowledge or experience in the film industry will never understand that success in this business isn’t granted. Like I said, it take time. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with studios like Amazon/MGM, HBO and Walt Disney, just to name a few, on top of making my own films. But success didn’t come to me right away, I had to work for it! Some people get lost in the fame and fortune of filmmaking and it’s not all about that. You’re job as a filmmaker is to keep your audience engaged, keep your audience on the edge of their seats and leave your audience satisfied with your work. That’s the game plan.
There have also been many times where I tell non-creatives about my work and accolades and almost every single conversation ends with the revolving question: “am I ever going to get a real job”? Well, what does a “real job” mean anyway? And when I do land that real job, I feel like non-creatives are never satisfied with that answer. One day, I hope to land a distribution deal with a production company or have the privilege to direct and produce one of my own projects with a network and/or studio. But for now, I’m just going to continue doing what I do best: being a storyteller. My destiny is to be a filmmaker and my “real job” is creating, no matter the cost and with whatever it takes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flyingcardproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_charlienorton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlie.norton.794/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-norton/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flyingcardproductions
- Other: The Lost Weekend (2023 Short Film Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA4QTvEDwjk&t=1s Graffiti (2021 Short Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad5OY2utX18&t=66s IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10046920/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_charlie%2520norton
Image Credits
Andrew Allen Pictures Getty Images – Michael Tullberg Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle Film Festival Woods Hole Film Festival SoHo International Film Festival – Champion Hamilton Charlie Norton<br>