Meet Andrea Ashton

We recently connected with Andrea Ashton and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I’m a filmmaker because I love that although film and television seem to be about entertainment, on a much deeper level they serve to enlighten, educate, and actually shift perspectives for an unsuspecting audience. How powerful is that?! Ever since I was a little girl I was a storyteller. It was a way for me both to escape the uncomfortable realities of living in a broken home and to try to understand and explain what was happening around me. Initially, I wanted to be a novelist but when I realized that film school was something you could do, I knew this was the means for me to reach a wider audience and have more impact. I also appreciated that filmmaking is a collaborative medium where the strength lies in the artistry and hard work of many diverse individuals adding their touches. Being a novelist would have been a lonelier, more isolated path.

I’ve always sought to make our world a more equitable, fun, and loving place and my films and film sets reflect that ethos even when they touch on dark, uncomfortable subjects.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve been directing shorts and pilots ever since I graduated from NYU’s film school and the next step is to make features and to direct for television and streaming services. Because I’ve had the fortune of shadowing multiple directors on Apple’s “The Changeling” and FOX’s “Gotham” for over 60 days including during prep and post, I feel more than qualified to make the leap. I have also optioned one of my feature scripts and I have three others in development. This coming summer I plan to direct a film I’m currently writing that’s a genre-defying lo-fi sci-fi dark comedy indie feature about a dog that can teleport and the humans who master its method for better or for worse. I will shoot it with my amazing husband, cinematographer Christopher Norr, ASC (known for “Succession,” “Jules,” and “Sinister”). Follow me on Instagram to support my journey!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for perseverance, joy in what I’m doing, and a thick skin. The film industry is not for the faint-hearted. It can take forever and a day to get anything made, a million things can go wrong, and you can be subjected to seemingly insurmountable criticism and judgment both along the way and after you’ve made something you deem wonderful. Many artists give up when faced with these challenges but I’ve learned that if I approach it all with joy, I can overcome snail-paced progress, career-breaking moments, and the harshest of feedback.

To those who dream of becoming a filmmaker, expect the worst and aim for the best. Elevate your attitude above the rabble and don’t give up. And always keep it light. When it stops being fun, that’s when to stop.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
A key part of being successful at directing is handling the feeling of being overwhelmed because it is a constant reality throughout any given day on set. You are barraged with decisions that must be made immediately in order to stay on schedule and within the budget while also maintaining creative vision and guiding the actors to their best performances. Days are long, typically 12-13 hours of running around, and you’re often operating on little sleep because you’ve been preparing most of the night before. You scrutinize take after take on the monitors (often two simultaneously, sometimes three), with the weight of the film and the thousands of dollars being spent in your hands. Is the scene covered? Are the performances convincing? Is the story being told? Are you going to complete what you need to for the day? If not, you’ve failed. A daily, if not hourly, test of your merit. It’s almost superhuman.

So how do you not feel overwhelmed? Keep calm and focused even if it means taking a step away to breathe and think things through. Learn how to prioritize what needs your immediate attention and what can wait. Delegate whenever possible. I also like to remind myself of something an old boss once told me when I was stressed about a project: “No babies are dying here.” If that’s not sobering advice, I don’t know what is.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Philip Goldsmith for the two pictures of me directing next to the white guys in glasses (dark backgrounds).

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our

Productivity
Perspectives on Staying Creative

We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists,

Confidence
Kicking Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

This is the year to kick the pesky imposter syndrome to the curb and move