We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Hutton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Growing up, I watched a lot of movies that influenced my career tremendously. Obsessed with airplane movies like Top Gun, Always & Air America; I began flying lessons at the early age of 14. By the time I graduated high school I was a stunt pilot. I even took jobs out west working on airplanes that put out forest fires like the movie Always. Little did I know that one day I’d be making films about flying. I directed an award winning film that has been all around the globe titled Touch & Go about a teenage pilot who survives the flight of her life!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I became a filmmaker by accident! That’s right, it was never on my radar until I returned to Atlanta, GA in 2013 to attend graduate school as a sculpture major. A year later The Walking Dead needed welder fabricators so I made a detour. I was 30 feet up on an aerial work platform in Senoia GA on a beautiful sunny day stick (SMAW) welding when I realized I was making more money building walls to keep out zombies than I ever had as an aircraft mechanic. The Walking Dead called me back another season and before long I got into special effects, construction, painting and welding on major movies and television shows like First Man, Venom, Ozarks, Dynasty, Jungle Cruise and contract work for Tyler Perry Studios. Two years into grad school I changed majors to Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design.
Leaving my aviation career was a huge milestone in my life. I was never able to break the glass ceiling as a woman. I always wanted to go to art school and express myself through the language of drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. Art has a therapeutic way of allowing self expression and addressing the barriers I feel as a woman. Eventually, I found my voice when art school organically led me to filmmaking. Now I want to write and direct movies about my experiences as woman, because I believe in the power of film to change lives!
As I pilot I trained to perform an emergency flight maneuver called touch-and-go which involves landing and taking off in a limited amount of time and space. I named my production company Touch and Go Productions; because it metaphorically represents my mission as a filmmaker.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Taylor Owenby, founder of Imperial Savage Productions, held a roof top birthday party in a beautiful sky rise in downtown Atlanta, GA. We exchanged contact information. Over the course of several conversations we realized we share the same dream and aspirations to raise local talent in Georgia, create more equitable content, and seek to lift underrepresented voices. Taylor invited my company, Touch & Go Productions to be an equity partner. We spent the majority of the pandemic collecting content, writing proposals, building a website and lining up other business opportunities until the pandemic lifts.
Imperial Savage is a global content studio + advisory firm at the intersection of tech x human connection. Content is King. We are Imperial.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Well we all had to pivot when the pandemic hit. Since there was no commercial filming, Taylor and I laser focused on building relationships, acquiring content, and putting together a sustainable plan for the future. Sheltering in place gave us the time and energy to accomplish these goals.
I was also a volunteer producer on the No Address Documentary Series, created and directed by Caletta Harris with Reel 2 Real Productions. This series was 5 years in the making, hitting the streets of Atlanta to figure out how we can end the criminalization of the unsheltered and actually get people housed with supportive services.
Working on No Address inspired me to gain more skills in social work and try to balance my film career with street outreach in order to help our fellow brothers and sisters get off the streets and assist nonprofits in capacity building. Eventually, I aspire to build a pipeline for the underserved to receive job training and placement in the entertainment industry; I believe it can be done with the right relationships in Georgia.
Maria, invited me to direct a psychological crime thriller called In My Sights written by local Georgian, Livingston Oden.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://imperialsavage.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=touch%20and%20go%20productions
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hutton-17203846/
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/DirectorHeatherHutton
Image Credits
Boris Martin for underwater photo