We were lucky to catch up with Allen Plone recently and have shared our conversation below.

Allen, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I first was chosen to do work for hire and I found it could be as rewarding as creating my own art films and my writing, I decided to drop teaching and just do creative work for the rest of my life. I was 27 years old

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 began my artists life writing poetry and creating small, independent art films in 16 mm. I also directed several plays, a profession that I sometimes wonder if I should have continued with since I love working with actors and never more than in theater. However, I won several awards for my films, one of which was a poetry film based on one of my poems about the loneliness of aging. Interestingly enough, the Federal Government saw the film. They were doing a series on senior citizens. They contacted me and wanted to know if I would do two of the films in the series. Since my byline reads, “don’t ever be afraid to say yes,” I said yes, sure I’d like to do them. This was the first commercial work I’d done for money. At the time I was teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz, but thought this has to be more fun. I did two films on Senior Citizen Advocacy. The won awards. This led to me being asked to do commercials in and around the Santa Cruz area. One of them was for a local politician running for office. When the owner of one of the ad agencies saw the spot, he called and said, “If you can make him look good, you can do anything.” He hired me to do a series of commercials. I found this new life so rewarding and quit my teaching position and decided to open an commercial production company in San Francisco with my then, girlfriend, now wife of 45 years. We had $450, half of which went to her to buy an outfit befitting a producer and sales person, which she had become. In less than a year, we had become the 3rd. largest production company in Northern Cal. We were contacted by the Democratic Committee in California and became their primary commercial production company. I wrote and directed over 100 political spots during the years 1979 and 1983. We also did a series of National commercials and many local spots. We decided to move from being a biggish fish in a smallish pond and move to Los Angeles. It took about a year for us to get settled, but I soon was hired to direct my first feature film, “Night Screams.” I’ve directed, now, three features, written five produced screenplays and several television shows. I have done three children’s programs as well as having written four children’ books. I left the ad business and concentrated on my screenwriting and directing. I believe that success stems from passion in the arts. If you show love and a passionate commitment to your work, others will begin to believe in you. I do less directing these days and more writing. I love writing and as an artist, you must be in love with your craft, continue to hone it, continue to learn how to be better. To that end, I think I’m most proud of the writing I’ve had published; many poems and four books of poetry, a book about my dog, Rufus, a book on living a compassionate life and, as mentioned children’s books. I think one of the things that sets me apart from others is that I try to live a life of compassion and love, which informs my writing. I’m always willing to try something new, something I’ve never done before. I try to treat each bit of writing or directing as if it was the most important thing in the world, because, for a client who’s paying you good money, it is. And what I write for myself is no exception.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe the most rewarding aspect is when one of works, short story, film, script or poem, creates an emotional response for the viewer/reader. The work is itself rewarding, when I know I have done my best, when I have put every bit of my heart and soul into my creation. I live to do the work; writing or directing.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

If my work as a writer has any mission, it’s to create a world where compassion and love are primary. All my children’s books are in someway aimed towards this goal. Though my work as a writer/director of television ads and at least one of my feature films doesn’t point to this goal, nor support it, I now try to do nothing but work that sends into the world a sense of compassion. It’s easy, I hope, for people to see how most of my work, especially my poetry, reflects this desire to share my inner self and to try to promote compassion for all sentient beings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.desertcamstudios,com

Image Credits
On set for “Danny’s Tales,” a children’s program. On set in Detroit for a documentary on the M1 Garand rifle, which was said to have helped win WWII for America, Me taking stills at a concert for Earth, Wind & Fire, the concert film of which I directed and edited.