Meet Timothy Troy

We were lucky to catch up with Timothy Troy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Timothy, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I don’t think imposter syndrome is something that you overcome for good. I think it’s a continual process that ebbs and flows. Every time you try something new or find yourself in an unfamiliar situation, you’ll probably confront some degree of imposter syndrome.

For me, what I try to do is remind myself the steps I’ve taken to get to a given point. The opportunities that open up are because of choices I’ve made- sometimes they exist because I’ve had to make them for myself. That could be writing and funding my own films so I can direct them or being proactive about approaching people that I’d like to collaborate with.

So maybe it sounds simplistic, but the best way to combat imposter syndrome to me is to remind yourself that you’re not an imposter- you are where you are for a reason. If you are always pushing yourself, no matter what opportunity comes your way, you can honestly say you deserve 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?

I’m a filmmaker from Chicago, focusing on writing and directing. I became fascinated with filmmaking very early on. When I was about ten years old or so, I discovered behind-the-scenes documentaries about Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Something clicked in my brain. That glimpse behind the curtain turned my understanding of movies from a kind of magic into something that people did as a career. It looked like people getting paid to play with big toys; sometimes, that’s exactly what filmmaking is. I decided it was what I wanted to do and I never looked back.

I work across genres, though my heart always returns to horror films. Horror movies have a unique ability of explore questions of humanity without being too overt and heavy handed, because the themes can lurk under the surface while the audience focuses on the monster menacing the heroes. A film like The Babadook is really about grief and how we deal with emotions, despite all the scary imagery and the monster.

I love creating characters that people really care about and can see themselves in. It’s important to me to make films that people can connect their real-life experiences to, even when something fantastical is happening on screen.

I’ve made over a dozen short films so far, and I’m excited to make the jump to a feature. I currently have two feature scripts I’m actively pitching, and both are making the rounds in festivals and competitions. I’m sure it will be rife with new challenges, but that’s part of what drives me to try it.

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

The three qualities I think that helped me the most in my journey are curiosity, self-confidence, and openness.

I’ve always been a constant learner. I want to know how things work and why they are the way they are. Usually, the best way to learn how things work in the film industry is to stand back and watch, but that doesn’t mean that asking the occasional question hurts either. Watching how other departments operate helps me better understand the whole process of filmmaking, and that has informed my directing. It’s difficult to get what you want if you don’t start with some idea of what’s possible.

Self-confidence might seem like an obvious thing, but I think it’s much easier to say than practice. You have to learn to trust your instincts. Building them up over time by learning your craft or business helps, but there will always come a time when you have to make a decision, and it might not always be the one everyone else is pushing for. Those are the hardest times to trust your instincts, but they may also be the most important. Just remember that everything can be a learning experience, so don’t be afraid of experimenting.

That said, be careful not to do things just to be contrary. Examine those instincts thoroughly, and make sure you’re not just trying to be right. The best idea should always win, no matter where it comes from. That’s the openness I’m talking about. Some of the best ideas or moments in films I’ve made have come from other people. But you have to be ready for them and willing to accept them when they pop up.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The most important book I’ve read about directing is Judith Weston’s “Directing Actors”. It really reshaped my approach to speaking with actors. For me, that’s much less about esoteric background stuff like “what did your character eat for breakfast before this scene” than it is about keeping the direction grounded in the setting and the character’s goals. Using “active” words- verbs instead of adjectives- often yields the best results. It’s much more effective to ask an actor to “grieve” than it is to say “be sad.”

One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten about my directing was from an actor who told me “You really understand what we need.” That feedback came after reminding the actor that the scene took place very late at night. That simple note gave her ideas about tone, energy level, and emotion that landed the next take. It was a good lesson in how effective concise and straightforward notes (the kind Ms. Weston describes) can be in adjusting performances, and I try to apply that lesson every time I direct.

Ms. Weston’s book is filled with grounded, practical suggestions for how to direct actors, and I can’t recommend it more highly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crazylittlemonsterproductions.com
• Instagram: @clmmovies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14n3aWbpus/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/crazylittlemonster

Image Credits

Pete Flem
Abby Rath