We were lucky to catch up with Niya Butler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Niya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I didn’t always know I wanted to pursue a creative career, nor did I even envision being able to call myself a Director and Screenwriter.

Growing up, I was pulled to the world of science and everything that encompassed it. In my preschool years, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut. I loved watching The Twilight Zone (1959) with my grandmother. My youthful brain equated the science fiction to outer space, birthing my love for the genre. Overtime, that dream of floating through outer space turned curiosity for veterinary medicine. I loved watching Brave Wilderness on YouTube in my free time – my curiosity for animals remained steady and still does today. But that professional curiosity turned out to be only a fleeting though as it slowly turned into a love for medicine during my adolescent years.

My favorite television shows were The Walking Dead (2010) and The 100 (2014). Two shows that were not necessarily medicine oriented, but scratched that itch for me. I loved them because their characters were so easy to digest while delivering weekly episodes that amazed my growing mind. I soon found myself looking into the production of them – wanting to know everything from the casting to the table reads to the makeup tests and so on and so forth. My mother joined me and we soon found ourselves at San Diego Comic-Con every summer. By this point, I’d enrolled in college and had begun studying biology, with the dream of being a neurosurgeon. I loved that I was studying to do what I loved, but I didn’t love what I was studying. In my dorm room, I escaped my studies with different films and television shows that turned into my creative inspirations. Interstellar (2014), Breaking Bad (2008), Game of Thrones (2011), The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)… to name a few. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic began and I no longer loved that I was studying to do what I loved. I wanted to truly enjoy what I was learning while also being driven by the end goal.

I pivoted.

Screen Arts with a concentration in Production became my new major in college, or in simpler terms, Film Production. Being at home while being apart of this new degree program allowed me to truly hone into not only what filmmaking is as a whole, but what it also meant to me. My first semester of the Screen Arts program ended with me completing Acts 1 and 2 of my first feature film script, Precognition. It was exhilarating to learn how to take my imagination and put it on a page in a way that it could become real. It wasn’t until was able to write, “THE END,” on that same script that I realized I wanted to continue to do that. Aware of the stigma behind pursing a creative career in Southern Louisiana, but still motivated by the thrill of letting my imagination guide me, I decide to give it my all. Landing my first internship with Warner Bros. Discovery solidified in my head that I was on the right career path.

So, I guess I should rephrase my introductory sentence and say, I didn’t always know I wanted to pursue a creative career, or call myself a Director and Screenwriter, but other parts of me did. Though it took a few years, I soon fell into the right place at the right time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi y’all, I’m Niya! I’m currently working at Focus Features within their Digital Marketing department, but outside of my 9-5, I write and hope to continue directing. I’m originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and have been living in Los Angeles, California for almost two years now. I graduated with a BA in Screen Arts with a concentration in Production… or in simpler terms, Film Production. If you’ve already read the why on the push behind my creative pursuits, then you already know the nitty gritty.

Fast forward through that juice stuff and since starting my internship with Warner Bros. Discovery, I have been able to intern within so many more facets of the industry. Following WDB, I went on to intern with the Producers Guild of America, then with NBCUniversal’s unscripted production team, then joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold Rising program while interning with Paramount Television Studios, then finished my interning career with NBCUniversal’s Universal Television’s development team. I was able to soon after join NBCUniversal’s West Coast Page Program where I went on to work with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s digital distribution team, Universal Content Productions’ physical production team, and finally Scripted Entertainment’s public relations team. I have nothing but positive things to say about everyone that I encountered. All of these opportunities gave me the knowledge and confidence to create work that I’m proud of while also being able to work with those around me in a creative space.

I’ve been able to take this newfound knowledge over the years and apply it to my creative pursuits as I gained my in-office skills. My first feature script titled, Precognition, went on to be an Official Selection Finalist for the 2024 Essence Film Festival. It’s a science-fiction thriller with coming-of-age themes and lots of betrayal.

As of recently, I’ve been working on another feature film of mine titled, The Paradoxical Green Cherry Blossom – an illusionary horror sci-fi full of big threats in small spaces. In October of 2024, I wrapped production on the proof of concept for this feature film and are planning on releasing it this year, 2025. Along with releasing it, I also I hope to make the feature one day through combined efforts of crowdfunding, investing, and… just being in it for the long-haul.

I aim to continue to create stories that are as engaging as they are scary, mysterious, thrilling, or saddening. This can only be done through the help of many, many, many talented individuals in the filmmaking business. My goal is to work with as many of them as I can to make captivating motion pictures that inspire and invoke reactions.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing that I think non-creatives could struggle to understand about my journey is that while I do work a 9-5, there is a lot being done behind the curtains to maintain the steady growth of my creative career. Since moving to Los Angeles, I’ve made a conscious effort to attend as many filmmaking events as I can in my free time. My college career and ability to network in school was stunted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so I try to make up for it now by attending events, screenings, and working with local film organizations. This has not only allowed me to meet so many talented locals, but I’ve also picked up skills that I’ve been able to contribute on set when helping friends with their shoots. Outside of that, I am also watching a lot of films and shows, while also keeping up with the entertainment trades and latest releases. Not only for my own personal entertainment, but also to learn from talented individuals who are succeeding at their craft, by watching their craft. It may seem as though it’s a lot to do while also working 40 hours a week and I will admit, it is, but I enjoy it. The thrill of being pushed while having fun is what keeps a lot of creative people going!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For the longest time, I’ve always known that I wanted to work in a production space. If I weren’t working in a production space, I would be writing. And that’s what I’ve done. But above all else, I’ve wanted to direct what I’ve written. After taking so many weeks or months or for some, years, to craft ideas for stories and then put those ideas on paper, it’s hard not to imagine what it’d be like to see them come to life. Not only that, but as a black woman striving to direct films, I want those stories to be told and represented by black women and people of color – on and off camera. Even more so, I strive for these illusively horrify stories that I create to open up more opportunities for people of color in the entertainment industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://niyabutler.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niyajanea/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niya-butler/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@niyajanea

Image Credits

Personal Photo: Miles Fritz