Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Skirboll. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

It’s such an interesting question: on the one hand yes, absolutely, I wish I had started sooner. But, on the other hand, I believe, philosophically, that everything happens when and how it should.

Had I followed my heart as a teen I would have applied to acting programs and pursued a B.F.A in Theater. There are opportunities that you miss out on when you don’t have that intensive four year training: relationships with other students that you carry with you into your professional life, networking and introductions that can take years to find on your own, and just a grounding into the world that can be difficult to achieve later in life.

However, I wouldn’t be the person or the artist I am today without the life experience I gained off stage. The person I am today is the sum of all my yesterdays, right?

I think this “real world” experience helped to ground my performances in reality (while I was still acting) and has leant a richness to my writing and directing that would be missing if all I knew was the world of the theater.

All that being said, I do wish I had realized sooner how much I love directing and writing!

I didn’t start acting until I was 25. It was 10 years before I decided to write my first play, Another five years before I decided to direct for the first time. I’d been so resistant to the idea for so long – and in complete shock at how much joy I found in that role! Making the leap from stage to film was even harder. For years I let the technical aspect of filmmaking intimidate me – I didn’t go to film school, I didn’t know one lens from another, just formatting a screenplay seemed hard!

But once I took that leap there was no looking back. I discovered abilities within myself that I hadn’t know existed and most importantly I found an amazing group of collaborators. Working with others in a way that brings out the best in each of us – that’s what I found to be the most addictive aspect to filmmaking.

I guess the final answer is yes – I wish I’d started sooner. But, I don’t regret the choices I made that got me here now!

Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I probably should have known I was meant to be a director going back to childhood – I can remember “directing” my brothers and cousins as we “put on a show” for the extended family at holiday gatherings at a very young age! But instead I fell in love with performing: I loved the freedom I found in becoming another character and the empathy I gained by walking in other’s shoes if only for a little while.

Unfortunately growing up in a small town in Western PA there weren’t a ton of opportunities – though I took advantage of every chance I had to be on stage. Though I dreamed of being an actor, I didn’t have a roadmap to follow at the time – no mentors to point me at theater schools or help me prep for auditions. And I was smart and sensible. Acting felt like a pipe dream.

So I went to university, got a BS in Sociology and a job at an investment firm. Smooth sailing to an upper middle class life of stability, right? Except at 25 I took an acting class. And was reminded of how much I loved the theatre. And quit my job to go to acting school full time. I thought I’d give myself 5 years to see where it went…

And here I am, many years later, still acting on occasion, directing every chance I get, writing, producing and even editing.

My work runs the gamut from comedy to drama with the occasional genre piece thrown in, But one thing they all have in common is the deep commitment to complicated, interesting adult characters. I love stories about women who don’t fit neatly into the boxes that society has drawn for them. Women who are more than mothers or wives or girlfriends. Women who are human. Who mess up and make mistakes. Who break the molds.

I think one of my greatest strengths as a director is how committed to the collaborative process I really am. I believe in finding the best people – both cast and crew – and giving them the freedom to shine. They say 90% of directing is casting – and it’s true that if you have the right actors in place they will show you things in the script that you didn’t realize you wrote. But so much of filmmaking happens off set; in pre- and post-production. Finding people that get your vision and then make it better by showing you new perspectives: whether it’s your cinematographer or sound designer or composer or AD. The final film is a testament to the skills of every single person that lends their time and talent.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding part of being an artist/creative – particularly a filmmaker – is the relationships I’ve cultivated over the years. I’ve already mentioned how much I value the collaborative process and I bring it up again now because it’s really the most important aspect.

When I was in LA, before I was writing or directing, I took a stand up class. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do stand up comedy, but I figured if I could write a solid 5 minute set, I could write 10 minutes. And if I could write 10 minutes then 20 would be doable. And if I got 20 down I could write an hour long one woman show. This was when it seemed a lot of comedians were turning their comedy into sitcom gold.

Well I did get my five minutes done, and performed it live in what was the most terrifying performance of my life – first time showcasing my own words in my own voice without the comfort of a character to hide behind.

Instead of continuing on that route I pivoted to finish my 9 character full length play “Hell is Where the Heart Is”. I always found Los Angeles a lonely place and writing something for a full cast was a way to invite others into my creative playground.

And while there’s a great deal of collaboration inherent in theater, I discovered that filmmaking took that spirit of teamwork and amplified it 1000%. You have to build a great team to make a great film (hell to make any film really!) And once you find those people that you click with it feels like coming home.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I highly recommend Judith Weston’s books “Directing Actors” and “The Film Director’s Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques” for any aspiring director. Her books are a great resource that are written in a clear, conversational style that’s easy to understand with actionable steps to being a better director.

And on a more personal note I have to thank Sande Shurin – my acting teacher and mentor for more than 20 years. As a teacher Sande had a way of seeing you and pushing you past the obstacles you created for yourself; gently but firmly. Her acting technique is at the core of my directing style because it’s at the core of my acting style. She had little tolerance for anything that smacked of inauthenticity: “Stop ACTING!” Be authentic – listen, react, exist – whether on stage or on camera or in life. Show up fully and commit 100%. Sande passed last year but her spirit continues to guide me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melissaskirboll.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissadirectherfilm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.skirboll
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-skirboll-66833912/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/melissaskirboll