We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Troy Dangerfield. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Troy below.
Troy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Everyone has some connection to story, whether through your favorite show, a verbose friend or even your own memories. I believe storytelling is an inherent part of being human. It’s how we connect with one another and communicate how we are alike or different. Learning how to write for television or film requires you to look into the stories you love, and deconstruct them. When I decided to pursue writing, that is where I started. I had to get into the mechanics of stories.
One of the best ways to learn how to write scripts well is to write scripts poorly, often. I learned so much from my first failed scripts. You can learn exponentially more from failure than success. I also spent a lot of time reading good scripts and books on screenwriting; it really helped me gain skills in the craft. What is beautiful about writing is that there is always so much to learn, and you will continue to get better with each new story.
As far as my skill set goes, scripts are puzzles, and I love puzzles. I like to break things down and put them back together, and that really helped me on my journey in this craft.
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?
Since I was a child, I have always wanted to work in entertainment. I always loved T.V and movies. When I came to LA I originally started as an actor. I was coming out of Syracuse’s Conservatory theater program and was excited to be a part of the stories I grew up watching. I found in LA, the opportunities for African American actors in significant roles were limited. I dabbled in writing at the time but then got a job at Abc’s Castle as a PA. It was an excellent opportunity for me to learn the machine of television. Over time, I got to know the writers and see their work every day, and I decided that is what I wanted to do. This set me on a path that took years to break into the industry fully but, I have had the opportunity to work on projects I am passionate about. I had the great honor of working on Tomb Raider, the legend of Lara Croft, and three seasons of The Witcher.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of the interesting parts of the entertainment business for writers is that you can be talented, but nothing will happen if you can’t get your scripts in the hands of the right people. That is why agents and managers are so crucial to this business. Getting my first manager took literal years. When covid hit everyone was frightened, but Hollywood completely shut down for a while. And I got a call from my manager that he decided to switch careers and go to law school. It was a brutal hit when you lose an essential team member. And I was afraid it might take another year or 2 to find another manager. I wallowed in the loss for a while as the world around me seemed to crumble. I decided that the only thing I could control was my output. So, I put myself on a schedule and wrote a feature over 20 weeks. I wanted to have something tangible so that I could find new reps. The script I wrote was put on a site that circulates scripts if they get a high enough score. Mine script was highly ranked and circulated. That script was seen by agents who signed me not a year later. And they have gotten me more work than that previous manager could have. This was a moment I had to push forward when things seemed hopeless, and by the end of that year, I had a job as a writer, which I would not have believed was possible at the time.
Have you ever had to pivot?
As technology (AI) grows, the thing that can make you irreplaceable is to constantly expand your skillset. I have begun to lean more into directing. I believe that in the future if you can write an excellent script and translate that script into a fantastic film, those will be the highest-value people in this industry, and I intend to be that. I have actor friends, that I encourage to write something for themselves, shoot it, create their own work. Sometimes, that advice is met with rigidity, “I am not a writer and didn’t come to LA to be that”. I understand that sentiment, but it means you capped your potential. Sometimes, in my writing, when I am most uncomfortable or going in a direction that makes me afraid, that tends to be where the treasure lies. So, I am not fully pivoting, but I am leaning more toward directing. During the writer’s strike when no one could do the writing work that we love. I used that opportunity to shoot a music video and expand that skill set. In this business, like most, adaptability is critical. I am excited to see what is possible when I combine my writing skills and the directing skills I am quickly learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://troy-dangerfield.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ttdanger/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-dangerfield-8b2a5617/