Meet Robyn Paris

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robyn Paris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Robyn, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

It’s an on-going process! I think confidence comes with time and age. I certainly feel more confident in my own skin now than I did in my 20s and 30s. I credit my parents with giving me freedom in my childhood to explore things I loved. I spent lots of time as a kid wandering the woods behind my house unchaperoned, biking all over (since we lived in the countryside of North Carolina), building forts in the woods, putting on shows for the neighbors and generally roaming unchecked during the summers. That freedom bred creativity and independence. I never got into trouble – and I think that was because my parents said they trusted me to make good decisions – so I did. Confidence comes with room and space to be yourself, unfettered, without a ton of judgment. I did ridiculous things as a kid – like the time I wrapped my entire body in tinfoil for a book report about a Russian cosmonaut. I used to play dramatic music and make over-the-top entrances for presentations in high school – maybe kids were nicer back then because no one really mocked me – at least not to my face. Haha! I was nerdy in the sense that I studied a lot, but I tried to make it work for me, instead of against me. I think the confidence to put myself out there and take risks comes from a belief that I’m worthy, even if other people don’t see it or agree. And if people doubt me, I love to prove them wrong – that’s my stubborn side. When you take creative risks, your confidence goes up, even if you fail. I’ve always derived a sense of accomplishment when I’ve faced my fears by putting myself out into the world creatively – and it’s surprised me to see the people who respond to my work.

Certainly leaning into my dramatic tendencies at a young age increased my confidence. If I’d stifled them, I probably couldn’t do what I’m doing now. Also, being authentic increases your confidence. When you hide who you are and people like you, you don’t feel proud or confident because you know they are liking a fake version of you. If your instincts tell you to avoid certain situations or people, listen to them. That breeds confidence. And walk away from things that don’t serve you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

For the past year and a half, I’ve been working as a creative director in Virtual Reality (VR). And with the release of the Apple Vision Pro, it’s an exciting time to be in the space. My background as a filmmaker, writer and theatrical actress serves as a strong foundation for directing in VR since VR is so much like live theater. While VR technology has grown in popularity, it still hasn’t reached a tipping point where everyone has a VR headset, but that day is coming soon. I think the VR headset or some modified form of it will replace the iPhone in the next 10 years as the quintessential piece of tech that everyone will want to own. Both the price point and the chunky size of the headsets will need to be reduced though before they fully catch fire on a broad scale. I personally own a Meta Quest 3 and use it as a lifestyle tool, primarily for workouts and meditation. My work in VR involved directing and co-writing over 18 live action experiences with actors, and also creative directing computer generated (CG) VR. Since then, I’ve been busy as a filmmaker working to get several feature film projects funded – all of which are hilarious and warm-hearted stories – because I think more laughter and kindness are what the world needs. My stories almost always star comedic women, struggling in a world they don’t fully understand and bumping up against obstacles and people who underestimate them. Maybe that’s how I feel!

Speaking of laughter, I’m also releasing the final two episodes of my 10-episode comedic mockumentary web series, “The Room Actors: Where Are They Now?” within the next month. The show is a fun broad comedy in the tone of The Office or Modern Family, two of my all-time favorite shows. Right now, you can watch the first 8 episodes of the series on my YouTube channel. It stars the original actors from the cult film, “The Room.” When I launch my 2 new episodes, I’ll be pulling the whole show off YouTube and migrating it over to streamers.

One fun short film project I’m really excited about is called “Conference of Karens.” It’s a satirical film about a group of Karens who get together annually to complain about how they are being perceived by the media. The joke is that they fit the stereotype to a “t” – I think my 2024 will feel complete if I can shoot it and edit it this year to be ready for festivals.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Work ethic, writing ability, determination. Work ethic and determination mean everything. If you aren’t willing to work your ass off and if you give up easily, then you won’t achieve what you desire. It’s drive, determination, combined with luck and access that will lead you to success. In terms of how to develop these skills, I’d say make a schedule and a plan for yourself and work everyday to make progress towards your goals. If you set up shorter daily milestones for yourself, like “send 6 emails to possible contacts or employers,” or “write 10 pages of my screenplay,” you’ll feel like you’re achieving things and you’ll be setting yourself up for success in the long term. I mention writing because it’s helped me so much both as a screenwriter AND as a director. If I weren’t an experienced writer, I’d have a much harder time as a director and during the post process when I’m working with my editor to finalize a film.

If you want to be a filmmaker but you don’t know much about the specifics of how to do it, I’d look for internship opportunities so you can work to fill deficits in knowledge. Just being present on a set in any capacity will jumpstart the learning process. You can watch the director work, you can see how a set functions, you can learn how to interact with actors. This applies to any creative or business endeavor you might want to undertake – just get yourself involved in the industry somehow – and work to surround yourself with people who know a lot more than you. And when you get those opportunities, work incredibly hard. A strong work ethic will lead you to more jobs and help establish your reputation as someone others can depend upon. I’d also avoid presuming you know more than you actually do. Show humility, show appreciation and don’t take opportunities for granted.

I’d also recommend taking classes in the areas you want to improve upon and reaching out to people who could serve as mentors for you. I’ve gotten emails from people new to filmmaking asking for 15 minutes of my time over the phone to ask advice and I always say “yes” to those requests. I’ve done my best to help those people if I can and if the person is looking for a job, I try to see if I or anyone I know has an opening for them. It’s worth it to reach out to people cold – you never know where it could lead.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Absolutely! I’m always looking for creative, driven, talented collaborators. In general, I gravitate to stories about outsiders, rule-breakers and misfits, frequently women and almost always through the lens of comedy, social commentary and satire. My work tends to be grounded and edgy but always characterized by heart. If you have a project like this and need a director, please keep me in mind!

Currently, I have three female-driven comedic feature films I am attached to direct, all of which have received some type of acclaim, whether as a major contest winner or a rating higher than 75 on Slated.com. I’d love to find talented producers to bring on board for these projects and of course investors! In addition, I’m currently writing a low budget contained family comedy, called Fakesgiving, that I’d love to film in a local mountain town in 2025. While I will have a script, I intend for a lot of the film to be improvised – so anyone out there who loves improv comedy and finding creative ways to produce high quality work on a low budget, please reach out!

For potential collaborators, I’d suggest taking a look at my series here www.theroomockumentary.com and my short film Fruitless here www.fruitlessthefilm.com because that way, you can get an feel for my work to determine if we have similar sensibilities. I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at [email protected].

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