We recently connected with Chelsea Nott and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

There is a saying that goes “to be loved is to be seen”. I have been fortunate enough to have had many experiences in my life where folks have gone above and beyond for me and for that I am so unbelievably grateful. My favorite moment though has to be in my first writing class of my freshman year.

The class was being taught by Andrew Meyer (producer of The Breakfast Club and many other iconic stories), so admittedly I was a little excited. I had already declared my major as film with a concentration in producing, so to be taught by someone of his stature was unbelievable.
The very first day of class, I had to take a 30 minute bus ride to get there. I thought I had left early enough, but apparently I didn’t, so I made it to class with only 5 or 10 minutes to spare. This meant that there was literally only one seat left in the back of the class. Obviously, I grabbed that seat.
A little bit later, Professor Meyer starts talking about another class he teaches about writing feature-length adaptation scripts. It’s my dream to produce for Marvel, so naturally this class felt like a golden goose for me. I didn’t pay attention to almost anything else he said about the class (because my brain was now in overdrive), so I missed the part where he mentioned that it was a high level class with mostly graduate students.
So once class ended, I practically skipped to the front of the room to introduce myself and ask about the other class. And as soon as I did so, the first thing that Meyer asked me was “Why were you sitting in the back?”. I told him a shortened version of my morning commute, and he continued by saying “You don’t seem like someone who sits in the back. Next class, I want to see you sitting in the front.” Not only that, but he also told me that the next day was the first session of the feature writing class and he had just one seat left. He said that if I attended that class (at 8am no less), that he would waive any pre-requisite requirements to add it to my schedule.
Long story short, the next day I was sitting in the front row an hour before class started – and I loved it. So I dropped my art history class, signed up for the graduate level writing class, and away I went with double 8ams – one freshman level writing class, and one graduate level feature film writing class, all as a first year student.

In that class was where I met Kate Haley, who would go on to be the first director I ever worked with and produced for. With her, I made my first film which is now in its festival circuit.
To be loved is to be seen, and I had never felt more seen than by Andrew Meyer who somehow within 15 seconds of talking with me knew exactly the kind of student and producer I was.

Chelsea, 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?

My name is Chelsea Nott, I am a producer, filmmaker, and problem solver currently earning my degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
I started working in video production back in 7th grade by making newscasts for my middle school, went on to produce and project manage as an intern with the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, and now I’m a full time student and filmmaker!
My personal brand is built on combining my perspectives as a consumer and a business woman – equal parts fun and function!

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

One of my favorite things about producing is that I get to bring other people’s stories to life. It truly gives me a joy like no other. And the best thing about that is that I get to take care of other people along the way!
On set I am responsible for the health and well-being of my crew, and getting to provide for them and make sure that they’re taken care of is one of the best parts of the job.
This industry is really all about the people, and filmmaking is something that you don’t just do with professionals – you’re doing it with your friends.
Every set and production becomes its own family because of how much time you spend with one another day in and day out, but you’ll never work with the same exact crew twice – so every family you build is really a one-time thing. When a project finally comes to a close it’s really bittersweet, but getting to see the final product on the silver screen and having that family that you built right there next to you to watch it – nothing comes close to that feeling.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The power of conversation. I learned about LinkedIn really early in my opinion and joined when I was 17 in my first internship. I knew that the platform had a lot of strengths and tools to offer, but I didn’t fully know how or have the confidence to utilize them.
Having been on it for a few years now and experienced those conversations on that platform lead to real world jobs and experiences, I really wish I would have reached out and talked to more people on it sooner.
Communication and conversation are some of the most powerful things we have in any industry, not just film. I think people underestimate how much others enjoy connecting, especially about shared experiences like schools, companies, internships, etc. There’s never any harm in reaching out to someone, and I wish I would’ve realized that a little sooner!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chelsean734.wixsite.com/chelsea-nott
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsean734/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-nott/

Image Credits

Michelle Chwala
Louis Comitz