Meet Andy Rowland

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andy Rowland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andy below.

Andy, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

Writing blocks are probably one of the most annoying things that can happen to a writer. You get into a flow state and then one line of dialogue or the next transition suddenly just isn’t there. It’s aggravating and has stopped me more times than I would like to admit. One of the best ways I’ve overcome is by simply pushing through. As long as there is something on the page, there is progress. Dialogue can be changed later; small details can be tweaked. For me, getting from point A to point B is the important part. The audience is never going to read your first draft (unless you want them to, I suppose), they are only going to see your final product. It doesn’t matter how messy the process is, the final product is what needs to shine.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an independent screenwriter/filmmaker based in the Atlanta, GA area. Through my up-and-coming production company (Homerson Pictures), I am in the process of producing a handful of projects that I feel like really help showcase a lot of the young and undiscovered talent around the area. While most of the projects I have made have been written by myself, I am expanding into producing other young filmmakers’ work. My favorite part of independent filmmaking is we don’t have a studio executive or big-name producer to answer to. Our goal is to create the best films we can with what we have, with the hopes that each next project can get bigger and bigger. I am in the process of editing a short film I shot over the summer and am currently shooting my new film, which I hope to get into the festival circuit early next year.

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?

Creating art of any kind can be tough, especially when you feel like no one cares about your work. You have to be able to stay confident in your work and know that the final product is going to be what you wanted, even if everyone is telling you it’s wrong. That being said, you also have to be able to take criticism. Not everyone is going to like your work. That’s a fact. What’s important is being able to distinguish between the criticism meant to build you up for the future or trying to just take you down. And lastly, trust the process. Everything is a process. It may seem like it’s taking forever but if you felt like it was worth making, then the final product is always worth it.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

As Homerson Pictures expands, I want to work in different genres and mediums. Stop motion animation, traditional sitcom, and high stakes action are all pockets of filmmaking that I would love to dive into. I’m always looking for the next film to create and how to get it on a big screen somewhere. The best way to contact me is going to be either through my Instagram (andy_rolo) or through my email at [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Instagram: andy_rolo
• Youtube: Homerson Pictures (@HomersonPictures)

Image Credits

Mackenzie Kollbaum and Jayla Cochran