Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Grace McGovern. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Grace, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
As a filmmaker, everything I do is collaborative. No matter what role I have on set, you are working in a large team in pursuit of making something bigger. Much of my optimism is derived from the people around me, feeling their encouragement, work ethic, and commitment to the project makes me want to keep going and to become a better artist. Sharing the process and the work with other artists makes the final product both better and more fulfilling. That collaboration also gives me the hope and motivation to want to create more; if I didn’t have my team, I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do.
No creative person can exist without some form of optimism. Even those people who create from deep pain have a sense that externalizing their struggles onto the screen, page, or canvas will make something better — whether for themselves or someone else. Creative people are constantly optimistic and hopeful: that the next thing they make will change their careers, make someone cry, induce social change, or allow someone to feel seen. And even if you doubt yourself or your work, you have to hold hands with those fears and try anyway. We have to believe in the power of our vulnerability and what we are able to create and that takes immense optimism. So, even when it’s hard, hope anyway.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Saint’s Landing Productions is a female founded and owned production company/creative collective. We are a group of university students who are learning about our creative voices. By working on these projects, we expand our portfolios, become better filmmakers, and get to create something special through teamwork. We are an ambitious bunch with diverse tastes and talents. Our staff is 7 members strong, 5 being women (Erin Tillman, Isa Derrick, Mali Keyes, Kate Foley, and myself) and we make short films, music videos, and other visual media. Additionally, 6 of the 7 short films we’ve released have been directed by women. We strive to have as many women on our crews as possible, as they have been systematically undervalued within creative industries. Saint’s Landing believes that everyone should have the opportunity to make the art that speaks to them.
Saint’s Landing has also begun to collaborate with clients by making music videos for Nashville based artist girl georges. The two videos that have been released are “sue” and “i want you to call me on my birthday” – both of which can be found on YouTube. We hope to expand our collaboration to other artists and there are a few more releases planned for Saint’s Landing this year – so stay tuned!
If you need any visual work or music videos made in the Nashville area, please reach out to us via Instagram or email!!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
“The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground.” — Chögyam Trungpa. Take the leap. And keep taking those leaps. To make art is to be very vulnerable and you will end up with eyes on you, so why not make the things that feels the most authentic? To hold onto what people expect of you or your art will only hinder the work and the joy that comes from it. Freefall and indulge the weird ideas, the late night fantasies, try something new and keep going, keep falling.
“Embarrassment is the cost of entry. If you aren’t willing to look like a foolish beginner, you’ll never become a graceful master.”- Ed Latimore
I do not know everything and I never will. To be able to learn and grow, we have to give up self-consciousness and perfectionist tendencies. Be willing to fail and fail upwards. Things will inevitably go wrong and you might get laughed at. You can double down or give up totally, or you can stand by the work you made as a step in your learning process. You can feel embarrassment as a motivator rather than an inhibitor and focus on the next thing. You’ll never be perfect and never be done learning – how freeing is that?
“Your vibe attracts your tribe” – Unknown
Authenticity truly works, only then are you going to find the people who will support you, challenge you, work with you, indulge your crazy ideas, cheer when it goes right and be there when it blows up in your face. The greatest satisfaction I’ve found creatively so far has been finishing the “sue” (by girl georges) music video; I cried when I saw the finished product. Not because it was a “masterpiece”, but because I had a vulnerable and meaningful vision carried out by people I love. It was a feeling that I try to find on every project I work on.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
As college students, our biggest enemy is time. We are all busy with school, work, and extracurriculars. It makes scheduling very difficult. Filming takes a long time, even to make something short, and is rarely a solo effort. Sometimes your ambition and skill level can outpace where you are in life, so it’s best to make the most of what you have. We try to make the best possible film/video we can and really use the time we have. If we have one weekend where everyone is available to film a music video, we have to be as efficient as possible to get everything done and have it done well. You have to be organized and really trust your team. It’s a challenge, but it brings people together to work on something cool and gives us the experience of working against the clock.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @saints.landing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC287A5uqqoPzGpRpMjCEo3g
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Jessie Quadrini Mali Keyes Jessica Hood
