Meet Summer Rhodewalt

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

Summer, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Keeping creativity alive is a challenge in itself, but it’s an entirely different mountain to climb when your career is centered around it. I think when people think of creativity they often think of art, and to most – art is easy, so by default, creativity is easy. At least, it should be, right? I used to have the same mentality until I got to art school.

Going to Savannah College of Art and Design has given me a new respect for creativity and all that word entails. There are a vast range of fields within creativity to choose from, all with their own rigorous curriculums. And honestly, when looking at creative careers, it’s even harder to navigate because there is not a “best” way to learn other than experience. There’s no rulebook or set-in-stone method of writing a book, designing a video game, painting a collection, or filming a movie. You have to find what works for you while also accounting for what works best for your collaborators, who have their own specific creative process that is never the same twice. And there’s also the added pressure of comparison and deadlines that often stifles creativity.

All this to say, fostering creativity has been a years-long trial and error process. What I’ve found works best for me is practicing presence. Taking long walks and taking photos of interesting subjects I find along the way, sitting down in one of the beautiful squares in Savannah and simply people watching, or just witnessing a conversation amongst my friends while we’re out are a few ways I do this. As a writer and filmmaker, I lean towards stories and characters that are pulled from real-life. I love connecting with my audience by showing them people or situations that are relatable to them, and helping them find the beauty in it through the story I create with those honest, raw elements of everyday life I see happening all around me. I also have found that immersing myself in fellow creatives’ work helps me heighten my own creativity. Especially crewing or acting on sets, I find that I usually leave the experience feeling inspired and refreshed, almost like that passion is reignited within me again. Filming, however tiring it may be in the moment, is truly a rush. And I think that’s a great segway into my final point on this: finding the thing that excites you beyond it’s accompanying difficulties that will inevitably arise is the best foundation of maintaining creativity. If you can never get bored of that said thing, there’ll always be a new angle to approach it.

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?

Film is not anywhere close to what I thought I’d be pursuing at this point in my life, but I’m so grateful I chose to go for it. Initially, I knew I enjoyed writing quite a lot, so I thought journalism or narrative writing would be the route I would take. It was either that or aeronautical studies to become a pilot! Complete 180, I know. Luckily, I’m awful at math and my love for writing escalated more into a passion for storytelling. I began to plan out my stories visually; what would each scene look like? How would the characters move? What mood did the setting provoke? That’s when I realized I didn’t just want to write stories; I wanted to bring them to life through a visual medium. I switched my major to film and television just before I started my freshman year here at SCAD.

Now, being four years deep into my craft, I’ve had time to find my voice as a filmmaker. When it comes to my projects, I’ve always leaned towards slice-of-life and coming-of-age narratives that aim to help audiences uncover the beauty within reality, however mundane or simple those realities may be. I believe that in creating characters and stories that come from honest experiences/circumstances, it forces audiences to step outside of themselves and really look at themselves and the world around them in its most raw, honest form. As the person working behind these projects, it also makes me step outside and confront myself, and giving myself an outlet to be in and express that human vulnerability is rewarding to me. Ultimately, human connection is the basis of my work, both between characters and between the film and the audience.

I’ve had the privilege of serving a variety of roles on sets, but I found that writing and directing is my focus. I think you can gather by now writing has always been something I find fulfillment in. Directing is something I didn’t expect to like but have learned to love. As mentioned, characters are a huge part of my stories, so efficient performance is vital. As a performing arts minor, I’ve gotten more into acting and the methods/process behind it. By being on both sides of the camera, I’ve gained a better understanding of how to speak to actors as a director so that I can lead them to their best performance. Working with actors is truly my favorite part of filmmaking that I hope to only progress in.

As for my goals with writing and directing, ultimately, I’d love to work my way up to having my own production company one day that centers on unique stories with a similar slice-of-life appeal. I would also like to foster upcoming filmmakers and maybe have a program/fund for them to help make their films; I’d like to be the person I needed to navigate this industry for them to help get their foot in the door. In the meantime, I’m happy continuing to work alongside other talented filmmakers to make some great movies.

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?

This is an ever-evolving list! It’s hard to narrow down all the lessons and skills I’ve learned in the last 21 years. But if I had to choose three that were most impactful to me while coming into filmmaking, and honestly just growing as a person in general, were learning my core-values, keeping a good circle, and confidence.

Knowing your own personal values and making them non-negotiable in your work, social life, and routine/lifestyle is essential to maintaining your own identity. Early on into college, like most freshmen, I found that outside of the familiarity of home I didn’t really know who I was as a person. In turn, I became very malleable to whoever and whatever I was around. I felt like I was constantly revolving my life around other people and things that weren’t aligned with what I wanted out of life, and this scatteredness began to hinder my overall well-being. By taking the time to find my values and create boundaries with them, I’ve found my voice as a creative and ultimately what I want out of life.

Surrounding yourself with great people (that also hold similar values) is also integral to your journey, wherever you’re at. We are a product of the company we keep; it only makes sense to be a bit selective when choosing who to give our time and energy to. If I find that I feel drained, detached from myself, or tense whenever I hang around a group or a specific person, I am quicker to come to the conclusion that they aren’t a great fit for me or my goals. That doesn’t have to mean they’re a bad person; we all are different and sometimes differences just don’t mix well. But recognizing this is a necessary part of self-growth. In addition, surrounding yourself with people that are better than you in some way or that challenge you is a great way to progress in your own life, as intimidating as it may seem at first.

Finally: confidence. This is a skill I still am learning every day but having confidence in yourself as an individual and what you have to offer is, in my opinion, the foundation of the rest of your life. Without finding worth in what you do or how you carry yourself, you will always get in your own way of reaching your highest potential in all areas of your life. Knowing and acknowledging that you matter and what you bring to the table holds weight can help you open doors you didn’t even know were possible. I was skeptical of this ideology initially, but as I began to work on my confidence, I started to see changes everywhere.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

A current challenge I’m facing is my thesis film! As I’m approaching the end of my senior year here at SCAD, I have to make a final capstone film. For my thesis, I decided to write and direct a slice-of-life narrative called “Blind Spot” – a film that film that follows a grieving teen in the wake of her grandfather’s death who is forced to confront her past and vulnerabilities when her estranged father re-enters the picture to help her learn how to drive. It deals with themes of familial ties, loss, and forgiveness.

This film has been the most challenging to write, as it’s based on a loose personal anecdote, and I’ve had to rewrite it a few times to make it align more with my goals for the film. Production-wise, I’m lucky to have the team I do because they’ve turned an otherwise daunting process of rallying crew, solidifying locations, raising money, scheduling, and casting far more seamless than it has been in the past. Regardless, there’s a running joke here that a director never feels good about their projects, and that’s where I’ve found myself approaching our shoot this weekend. When it comes to directing, there’s an added pressure of having as many answers as possible to all the questions that will inevitably arise throughout the entire pre-production to post-production process, and a slew of imposter syndrome to keep us all humble.

However, beyond all the natural insecurities that come with projects of this scale, holding onto my values, having a great support system, and re-focusing on the fact that I get to do the thing I love and be surrounded by people who also love film along the way has helped me overcome this challenge little by little. I know I won’t be able to say the words “I’m ready” until after we wrap because that’s how it goes, but I know either way, we are all working together to bring my vision to life and make a meaningful film.

If you’re interested in following our process, you can follow our instagram @blindspot_the_film!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rhodewaltfilms/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/summer-rhodewalt-537649272
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@summer_lizabeth