We were lucky to catch up with Kat Street recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kat, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Whether I fully knew it at the time, I’d have to say that the epiphany came to me more like a feeling and less of a thought. I was fourteen and was going to high school at a performing arts school in Philly (CAPA) as a creative writing major. A friend of mine handed me a screenwriting book and I was hooked. How had it not occurred to me before that movies and television shows were made like this? But that wasn’t the moment.

After months of reading and learning a little bit about filmmaking, I decided to make a short film with some friends. It was a ghost story. You will never see it. Anyway, we all got together after school to start filming. I picked up this heavy VHS camera and set it on my shoulder. I don’t know if it was the weight of it, the feeling of my hand sliding into the zoom control attached to the lens or what. But in that moment, there was this sense of calm, comfort, control. Then I said “Action.” That’s when I knew that’s what I should be doing for the rest of my life. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.

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’m a Los Angeles-based filmmaker – which is a rather broad term. I write, direct, produce – and have edited and shot as well. My main focus as of late has been writing and directing. When I moved to LA, I started out as a cinematographer, shooting low-budget music videos and short-form content. I eventually transitioned to pursuing TV writing, which has been very similar to chasing a moving train that is just a foot out of reach.

I have written numerous pilot scripts that have been placed in contests such as Filmarket Hub’s Screenplay Contest, Final Draft’s Big Break, the Sundance Episodic Lab, and New Voices Lab. I was a participant in the 2021 Stowe Story Lab, and am currently a fellow with the Blackmagic Collective’s Emerging Filmmakers Initiative. I created a comedic web series, “The New Adult,” which won the grand jury prize with AAWIC’s Webisode Challenge, and is currently streaming on Kweli TV. Before the pandemic, I wrote and directed a dramatic short, “Cycles,” which gained recognition for its acting and an honorable mention nod for Best Romantic Short.

I create female-driven stories featuring flawed women who embark on a journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and self-love. From the jump – when I first learned about filmmaking – I wanted to find a way to create things that brought people from all backgrounds together. I want to make films that make people realize that at the core, we are more alike than we are different. My husband has called me an optimist on more than one occasion.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the main thing non-creatives struggle to understand about the journey of a creative is “why on earth would you pursue something that might not be lucrative?” I was fortunate enough to have supportive parents growing up. And I want to clarify that they are not rich. They encouraged my path, and that fed my soul. And sure, I got the occasional “maybe you should go to a school that has a good math program” from my mom (I was good at math once upon a time), but there was no arguing with me about pursuing film. It was gonna happen.

Why on earth would you pursue something that might not be lucrative?

Creatives ask this question to themselves at least once in their journey, too. Believe me. And while it would be amazing to make a decent living on our creative endeavors, for a lot of us, it’s a passion project. “Passion” is the operative word here. Our creative work fulfills us in a way that nothing else ever will. It allows us to be our complete selves. Similar to dancing to music that you enjoy, it is a certain kind of release that makes us feel incredible. That’s why we stay on the journey, to feel that rush, that release. It’s in some ways quite spiritual.

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

This is tough because I have a few checkpoints for this question. I’ll start with the first checkpoint, which is one thing I absolutely love about filmmaking. It’s the community. The most rewarding aspect to me is coming together with a group of like-minded (hopefully hand-picked) creatives to make a movie together. When you have a fantastic crew – which I have had multiple times and treasure – nothing else matters. Well, making a good product matters, sure, but the shared experience of doing this insane thing is the best when it’s with people you like and respect. During my last short, I took a moment to look at everyone working in unison to make this thing that came out of my brain, and I was in awe. Everyone sincerely wanted to do a good job, and it showed. I felt honored to be in their company, and it made me want to do well at my job as a director.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katherinestreet.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katstreet1/
• Twitter: katstreet1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thenewadult_WWC