We recently connected with Paige Compton and have shared our conversation below.

Paige, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Oh boy… This is the penultimate question for anyone that continues to pursue a creative path. Am I happy that I chose this life? Overall, yes. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not hard. It’s the hardest thing, everyday… mentally, physically, emotionally, financially. It’s 90% of the time really f***ing hard. With 10% of it being rewarding/inspiring. Be aware, I never used the word “easy” in any of that description.

There are many days that go by where I wonder why I am drawn to such a difficult career path. I often daydream about having a 9-5 type career with some sort of ladder built in to actually advance in your career at semi-expected intervals. Unfortunately even though I would have peace-of-mind, I would get bored pretty darn fast.

Directing is so amorphous. I could have a blockbuster film and for some reason never achieve another thing. Maintaining some semblance of a career is a constant climb. Just because you have one success doesn’t guaranty future work. It may open a few more doors but those may not be doors you want to pursue. It is a constantly deciding between what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to. Not everything is meant for me to create. I have to stay true to myself and things, people, stories, worlds that resonate with me.

To me, “write what you know” really translates to “write what you have experienced first hand or what deeply resonates with you.” This to me, goes for directing as well. How am I supposed to convince a team of people to jump into the fray and inspire them to create with me, if the story isn’t a part of my own soul.

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.

This question is a lot to cover.

What you need to know:
I am a narrative writer and director. Mostly love the directing part.
I have been making movies and working in the audio-visual industry my whole life.
I have done every job on and off set at some point and can speak the language of them all.
I served in the U.S. Army as an audio-visual engineer for 7 years.
I managed an indie alt-rock band called Stereoriots (you can find them on Spotify) for 6 years, and helped get them signed to a small lable.
I have a bachelors and masters degree in filmmaking.
I have an absolute passion for helping people find their passion/calling in life.
I love to help people.

Overall: I LOVE TO MAKE MOVIES, GUYS.
But especially movies that will inspire people.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Honestly, just read. In general. As a storyteller, you should be reading stories. It doesn’t matter what kind – fiction or non-fiction – just as long as it interests you. A lot of ideas can come from a good book or even a bad one.

As far as helping to understand and prep for filmmaking with an emphasis on directing… read anything and everything that has to do with filmmaking and human psychology. And not just books about directing. Books about acting, producing, editing, camera, lighting, production design, make-up, costuming… READ IT ALL.

Dig through YouTube. (YouTube University is what I call it.) Consume as many videos on the subjects above. Follow accounts on social media that specifically post things about the subjects mentioned above. Learn as much as you can when you are in between projects. And make this a habit, because the industry changes faster than most people realize.

The last thing I will suggest is Movie Marathons. I have learned so much from doing this. Pick a filmmaker you admire. Go to IMDb and pull-up their filmography. Go watch EVERYTHING they did CHRONOLOGICALLY. You are going to see how over time they grew and developed a style and language.
You can do this for directors, editors, cinematographers, costumers, production designers, etc. Be sure you only watch the things that they are credited for with their main career.
For example: If you are watching a director’s filmography, skip the film they didn’t direct and they only acted in.
Also, what I find really fun with this project is digging up the films. Some are on streaming services I may already have. Some are only available for $3 on amazon video. Some are free on YouTube. Some I borrow from a friend. Some I dig up on eBay. Some are a whole adventure to the local library or a local video store (there are some still out there). It really opens up more doors and community around films and the project/research you are doing is a great conversation starter.

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

Working and collaborating with other creatives and their chosen mediums. Period.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paigecompton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dudette.director/

Image Credits
Bia Catbagan, Zac Goodwin, Yancey Wang, Veronica Bouza