Meet Kevin Hershner

We recently connected with Kevin Hershner and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kevin with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I am very lucky to come from a very hard-working and accomplished family. As the baby of the family, I have been very fortunate to learn from the examples set by everyone who came before me, especially my parents and older sisters. Most importantly, my family showed me the importance of working hard in the service of others. My father, who is a lawyer, frequently works pro bono. And my mother volunteers for a variety of important causes, including several that offer support to immigrant communities.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have always loved telling stories and trying to make people laugh, even since I was a little kid. As I entered adolescence I fell in love with filmmaking, as it is the ultimate culmination of visuals, sound, music, language, and performance to tell a story.

The stories I have always loved and connected with the most are ones featuring flawed characters dealing with morally gray subject matter that result in ambiguous conclusions. Spike Lee said the reason the ending of “Do The Right Thing” is so impactful is because both characters are right. Those are the types of movies that I chew on for long after the lights come up.

This is the reason I was so determined to tell the story in my upcoming directorial debut, “Normal Accidents.” It tells the story of a young man named Ethan who has made some questionable choices in his life and now must grapple with the consequences. Like Ethan, none of us are perfect and we all harbor regrets. The movie aims to put the audience in Ethan’s shoes in order to help each viewer reflect on their own lives.

We just released our trailer and poster online! Check it out at www.NormalAccidents.com!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As a filmmaker, the most important skills are the ability to trust, to listen, and to learn. Filmmaking is collaborative. Surround yourself with good people. Trust that they know what they’re doing, because you can’t do everything yourself. Listen when they voice their opinions, because everyone you’re working with has the intentions to make the best project possible. And learn how to learn, because the methods and the technology are always changing. You never want to stop growing.

The best way to learn these skills is simply by being nice. There is a public perception that filmmakers have to be mean in order to get their films made. When I was 19 years old and working on one of my first films, in a fit of frustration, I screamed at all of my cast & crew. Thankfully, I am still lucky to call many of those people friends and collaborators to this day, but I still cringe when I think about it. And at the end of the day, it didn’t even make the film any better.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for new partners and collaborators! There is a common stereotype of the secluded, recluse writer who hides away while they work on their stories, but I am the total opposite. I am an absolute extrovert, and the main reason I write screenplays is to bring together talented people to share their gifts. I am such a film fan, and making movies gives me an excuse to watch talented artists work up close.

If you are funny, kind, and love telling stories please send me an email at [email protected]. Even if we are not going to collaborate on a project, I love meeting new people, watching their movies, listening to their music, reading their screenplays, etc. Even if you are early in your journey, I would love to connect with you!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Anthony Mongiello

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