We recently connected with Rachel Thomas-medwid and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Hard work and perseverance. At its minimal definition, success is the achievement of something you’ve been trying to do. So just finishing a film with all the hurdles that are involved can be considered a success. But to grow and improve, you need to continuously educate yourself, learn from your mistakes, and not give up. Filmmaking is so complex with multiple moving parts that change with every project; something you learn making one film isn’t necessarily applicable to the next, so it’s a constant drive to learn and improve.
I think networking and connections are also incredibly important. Connecting with people who have skills you don’t have and learning from them can be invaluable. And I don’t mean networking in a schmoozing “what can you do for me” sense but in a way where you’re forging genuine connections that are mutually beneficial and help everyone’s growth. I’ve been lucky to have developed these relationships early on in my film career, and I also continuously work to expand my network by attending film festivals, events, and often putting myself in situations that push me out of my comfort zone as an introvert.
And finally, passion is a must! The industry is filled with rejection, so it’s important to have that intense impulse and joy in the creative process, not just the outcome. Most filmmakers I know can’t imagine not making films, it’s almost like a “curse” lol. In the end, success without fulfillment isn’t considered success in my book.
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?
I’ve always been into writing and storytelling in different forms. As a teenager I loved making films (terrible horror films…it was the 1980s after all!) but I never considered filmmaking as a career possibility. In college, creative writing really took ahold, and my honors project was a collection of original short stories. After graduating, I went into publishing and still currently work as magazine editor for a scientific publication. While I appreciate and enjoy having a career that involves writing, my true love lies in the creative process. It wasn’t until I discovered screenwriting that my passion for storytelling and film finally converged.
My directorial debut was in 2020 with my film The Squirrels in the Attic. While the timing wasn’t ideal (Covid!), it did go on to screen at festivals worldwide and won numerous awards. Getting positive feedback was validating but the most important part was how it opened these mental doors for me. My focus changed from trying to find people to tell my stories to being able to tell them myself. I was unsure if I’d like directing but found out that for me it’s an extension of writing and this amazing opportunity to get these stories as close as possible to what I’ve created in my mind…I find that truly magical.
Since Squirrels, I’ve directed four award-winning short films (In the Company of Crows, Penny, Cult, and Fenwick). One of my screenplays, iNFLUENCE, was also produced after it won the Grand Prize in the Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Short contest, which provided an excellent opportunity to work with another director. Along with these films, I’m continuously writing new screenplays and producing zero-budget short films. I do these mostly as learning tools for myself and rope in family and friends as “victims,” I mean stars, haha…which sort of brings it back full circle to my teenage filmmaking years!
I’m currently in pre preproduction for a new short horror film, Dissection Day and also in development for a first feature film, On the Last Day. The short screenplay had such a strong response in festivals and contests, it inspired me to write the feature and I can’t wait to make it. My creative partner, Jaci Kjernander, and I are actively looking for the funding and working to have everything in place to get moving once that falls into place.
It’s been a fast and exciting learning curve for me and while challenging on so many levels, I’m soaking it all in and loving every minute.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Although it’s not typically looked at this way, I consider creativity a skill. There’s problem solving, innovation, and a necessity for structure when you’re creating art.
I think “non-creatives” might not understand that to be successful as a creative, there’s a lot of discipline involved. There’s a cliché image of creatives as flighty, dreamy, or inconsequential, but that’s very far from most creatives I know. Creativity is something that takes a lot of work.
We all have a destination and I think part of creativity is allowing yourself to take a non-traditional path to that destination. Since the route is not necessarily straightforward, a “non-creative” might have a hard time relating. However, I believe anyone can connect to having a purpose and that the journey toward it is going to look different for everyone.
Having said all that, I honestly believe everyone is a creative, whether they choose to tap into that side or not.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
This is more of a behavior than a lesson, but my first instinct is to retreat when facing situations that push me out of my comfort zone. But it’s the exact opposite of what anyone should be doing, no matter what profession!
I used to avoid things like pitching, interviews, podcasts etc. because they made me nervous. But eventually I bit the bullet and start saying yes, and that had a big impact on my growth as a filmmaker. Each time, I realized not only was it not a big deal, but the experiences can also be rewarding and educational. And while I still get nervous, it’s more anticipation than stress and know that it’s an important part of development professionally.
The backstory is simple…I’m an introvert and live in my head a lot, something very common for writers. People who’ve met me in person question this because it’s not how I come across (I love people, I love socializing!). But it’s just a misinterpretation of the label and how certain people gain their energy—both personally and creatively—from being alone and that’s one hundred percent me. With a full-time job that’s not film, three kids, two dogs, and a busy life, that recharging time can be scarce, so I continue to “unlearn” that instinct to say no because in the end the yes is always worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelspoonerthomas.com
- Instagram: @rachelspoonerthomas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.thomas.98/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-thomas-medwid-73b95094/
