We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sophia Wolov a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sophia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Over the years, I’ve worked on many projects that have been meaningful in different ways. However, the project that will forever be etched in my memory was for the Scales Conservation Fund. This NPO does incredible work for endangered animals, and I was fortunate enough to produce a video for them about the most endangered species in the world: the pangolin.

It was an experience I’ll never forget. The director, cinematographer, and I drove hours from our hometown, Johannesburg, to an undisclosed location in rural South Africa. We stayed three nights surrounded by nature. During the day, we followed these incredible little creatures around the rescue center. I’m probably one of the few people in the world who has been licked by a pangolin. That’s pretty damn cool. The horror stories surrounding these creatures are painful to hear, but learning how people dedicate themselves to the service of others and the service of nature is inspiring and deeply meaningful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I left South Africa to follow my dreams of working in Hollywood as a writer and producer. I’ve been here for two years and feel that I’ve achieved so much in such a short amount of time. I’ve already worked with some of the industry’s biggest names, and I hope this is only the beginning.

I earned my Master’s in Writing and Producing at Chapman University, ranked the 4th best film school in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. Living near Hollywood, I took full advantage of the school’s incredible facilities and community. I became the Events Lead and played a key role in organizing the school’s famous Master Classes, which included facilitating and producing events featuring Oscar-winning creatives such as Billie Eilish, Justin Hurwitz (La La Land, Whiplash), Brendan Fraser, Molly Shannon, and Natasha Lyonne, among many others.

During my time here, I’ve read scripts for the producers of Twilight, Smile, and Dave. I’ve also been a script reader for Alexander Payne, the multiple award-winning director of movies like The Holdovers, Sideways, and Citizen Ruth. My most hands-on experience came from joining the Love Riot team, which produces for Jon Batiste. I produced a music video that will be used as a proof of concept for a larger project that will hopefully be extremely exciting!

Currently, I’m working at Manage-Ment, a company that produces for and manages some of the most elite writers in Hollywood, including Taika Waititi (multi-award-winning writer/producer/director), Tarell Alvin McCraney (Oscar-winning writer for Moonlight), and Mfoniso Udofia (Lessons in Chemistry showrunner). I continue to write and produce as well. I was lucky enough to be part of a pitch fest at Sony where I pitched a pilot to multiple production companies and agents in LA and I have a short pilot coming out soon and am looking forward to sharing it with everyone!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

This might not be a lesson to unlearn, but it is something I’ve had to keep in mind: there’s no such thing as an overnight success. You have to keep building, practicing, and growing every day. The more consistent and regular you are, the more it will add up. It’s also crucial to listen and learn from the people around you. I’ve been fortunate to gather a group of mentors whom I deeply respect and look up to in this industry.

These mentors include Stephen Galloway, the Dean of Chapman and former editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Joe Rosenberg, an agent who has represented directors such as Ridley and Tony Scott, David Fincher, Terry Gilliam, Luc Besson, Todd Haynes, Mark Romanek, and Michael Bay, Jill Condon, the Golden Globe-winning writer from Friends and Todd Slavkin the multi-award winning showrunner of shows like Melrose Place, Smallville and Shadow Hunters. They’re frank, honest, and sometimes brutal—which is important. I know that listening and truly hearing them is crucial to my success.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There is no greater feeling in the world than giving a project or story every piece of yourself for a period of time—sitting for hours, days, or months immersed in a story world, refining it, and then being rewarded by watching something that was once a tiny thought become something tangible that others can experience. I look forward to a time when I can focus solely on a project I’ve created, working on it without distractions for months on end.

I love the sea, and one of my favorite metaphors comes from when I was younger. My dad and I would swim out to the backline. I was maybe five or six, so the waves seemed enormous. These massive waves would come in groups of seven, and my dad taught me that as a wave approaches, you should try to grab the sand, hold your breath, and stay underwater for as long as possible. You kick and kick, and as you come up for air, another wave hits… then another… then another. You get a little knocked around, but then you take one more breath, kick as hard as you can, and when you come up for air, you’re in the middle of the clear blue ocean. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and calm… until you have to make your way back to shore. Ultimately, the reward is getting an idea to the backline and admiring what a team was able to create with mere ideas.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sophia_wolov
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ sophia-wolov-1aa171198
• Other: To donate to endangered species fund: https://www.scales.org.za/

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