We were lucky to catch up with Allen C. Gardner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Allen C., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I’ve taken a lot of “risks” throughout my life, and maybe the biggest of which was moving to Los Angeles when I was 18. I remember a lot of people telling me that making that move was risky. All I knew was that I simply HAD to do it. Whether or not something seems risky doesn’t ultimately factor into my choices. After all, the outcome of any situation is never guaranteed, no matter how much of a “surefire bet” it is. I don’t do things because people might perceive them to be risky or because they don’t think they’re risky. I do things because I have conviction about them, because I believe in what I’m doing and feel like those actions could be of service to people on some level. When it comes to what one does with their life, both in the big picture and on a daily basis, I think that people shouldn’t concern themselves too much with whether or not something is risky. They should just ask “Do I have conviction about this? Do I believe that I’d be making some sort of contribution to the world if I did it? Would I most likely find this endeavor to be fulfilling?” If the answer is a uniform “yes”, then they should forget about any sense of risk and just do it. Everything that’s worth anything requires a leap of faith on some level, and I have never regretted taking that leap.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
I’ve always loved storytelling and began writing, acting, and staging performances for family and friends and shooting little movies at a very early age. I completed my first feature screenplay, “Heatwave”, when I was fourteen years old, and I then went on to form the Memphis-based production company Old School Pictures alongside my close friends Brad Ellis, Mark Norris, and Matt Weatherly while in high school. Before graduating, we shot numerous sketches, shorts, and feature films. After high school, I moved to Los Angeles and acted in various film, TV, and theater productions while continuing to write and produce independent films with Old School. I also started staging my own plays, and I began a long-running collaboration with my close friend Adam Burns as well. After co-directing several film and stage productions, I formed Open Dialogue Productions and began solo directing and editing films, in addition to writing, producing, and acting in them. Under the Open Dialogue banner, I made “Being Awesome”, “We Got Lucky”, and “Save Yourself”, as well as “Bad, Bad Men” and the recently released “Cold Feet” (I co-directed the latter two with Brad Ellis.). I’m currently in post-production on Open Dialogue’s latest film, the comedy/drama “Baby Come Home”, which is also my first co-production with close friend Matthew Gilliam, whom I have acted with and directed in various productions. Matthew and I will also produce my newest play, the music-fueled drama “Breaker Breaker”, in 2023 and shoot the film adaptation soon after. I’m also in various stages of development on several other projects.
Over the last several years, I’ve greatly enjoyed speaking with various classes and other writers, filmmakers, and actors about the way I approach my work and achieve my goals, how they can develop and refine their own projects, and striving to create work that is personal, fulfilling, and able to connect with its audience. I’ve found these conversations so fulfilling that, alongside my friend and fellow filmmaker Clinton Cornwell, I’ve launched a coaching and consulting firm for writers, actors, directors, producers, and editors. Our company is Story/Life Creative, and we are dedicated to helping our fellow creatives set and achieve their goals by offering them support, feedback, and structure. Our approach to working with clients is founded on our experience, empathy, and sheer love for what we do. Our services are tailored to the specific needs of each client, so anyone could benefit from Story/Life.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I have a lot of stories from over the years in which people would flat-out tell me that I could or shouldn’t do something that I truly needed and loved to do. Sometimes, those people hadn’t even seen or read any of my work. They just formed their opinion based on a snap judgment that they’d made about me or based on their dissatisfaction with their own lives, and then they decided to force those opinions on me. Each time, I just had to work through the pain and then keep charging forward. There was one specific incident when someone who I deeply respected spoke very disparagingly about a script of mine. I was eighteen and about to move to Los Angeles, and this harsh critique was given to me secondhand by a mutual friend. I clearly remember going up to my childhood bedroom, sitting at the foot of the bed, and crying. The thing that hurt the most wasn’t the fact that this friend didn’t like my script. It was that they apparently thought I should give up, that I shouldn’t be given the time and space to learn and grow. That’s how I felt about it, at least, so I just cried for a while, worked through, and decided that comments like those would only strengthen my resolve. I kept honing my craft and putting myself out there, and years later the aforementioned critic began to really enjoy my work. A few more years later, I even started getting hired to write scripts by that very friend. That’s just one of many examples of a time when I had to work through the pain and press on. If I’d simply listened to the people who had told me either directly or second-hand that I couldn’t do something or that I just wasn’t any good, I would’ve never done anything!
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
My whole life, my main objective has been to connect with people. I want to share who I am and how I feel in order to relate to people and make them feel more understood. I can recall specific incidents from my childhood when I just absolutely had to try to make people feel more loved, and I was just completely fueled by that need. I’ve also always been drawn to storytelling, especially in regards to movies. Now I always strive to tell engaging stories that are indicative of who I am and how I feel about myself and my relationships, stories that I am just deeply compelled to tell. That will always be the driving goal when it comes to my creative journey, and with Story/Life, I want to help motivate and guide more and more fellow artists.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wearestorylife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allencgardnermovies
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllenCGardner
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-c-gardner-0106146
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/allencgardner
- Youtube: http://bit.ly/OpenDialogueYouTube
- Yelp: Vimeo Page: https://vimeo.com/allencgardner
- Other: For inquiries about my movies or writing, filmmaking, or acting services, email me at allencgardnermovies@gmail.com. For inquiries about my coaching and consulting services, email me at wearestorylife@gmail.com.
Image Credits
Headshot by Julie Daniels