SHORT BIO OF THE DIRECTOR:
Georgia Snow Nicholas is a first time filmmaker hailing from the rocky New England shores. Since uttering her first words at age one Georgia has always been a story teller. It all began with performing. As a child Georgia was constantly putting on show for family and friends, sometimes entertaining and sometimes inconveniencing. Nevertheless Georgia persevered- the show must always go on! At first it was the adrenaline that attracted her and later she would learn that it was actually the meaning of the stories she was telling. The more committed she became as a performer the more she realized what she really wanted was to write and direct her own stories. As a filmmaker Georgia aspires to tell stories of human connection and struggle. She wants to reflect on how as humans we all need to feel needed and also that no matter how dark a situation might be there is always room for humor and light. “Burnt Blue” is Georgia’s debut film, and while it is a drama she looks forward to writing and directing dark comedies in the future. Georgia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2017 where she studied Performing Arts and Film & Television. Georgia currently lives in Los Angeles where she is pursuing a career as a writer, director and actor.
- Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that filmmaking is your way of telling stories?
As a child I constantly put on plays forcing my brothers and sister into all sorts of costumes and directing them all sorts of characters. I was given my first camera at age 11 and the rest is history.
- Do you think it is essential to go to a film institute in order to become a successful filmmaker?
No I do not. However, I did attend a film institute and I learned a lot. If you are able to go to film school do it. You’ll have access to equipment and professors whom you can bounce ideas off of, you’ll be inspired by your peers and have a healthy spark of competition. That said, film school is insanely expensive and it is not necessary to go in order to have a career in the industry.
- Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
The hardest part is getting started. First you have to overcome the fear of failure and the absolute hardest part is getting organized and finding collaborators. The most important part of getting started is believing in yourself. If you believe in yourself people will want to collaborate with you and people will want to help fund your project.
- What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your film? How did that lesson happen?
Resilience. Necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes things won’t go as planned and you will have to work with what you’ve got and problem solve creatively. When things don’t go as planned stay calm- perhaps the mistake will be better than what was originally planned!
- What were the production realities from casting through editing that you had to accommodate? How did you navigate those compromises or surprises and still end up with a cohesive film?
Time and money! From pre to post production we battled with time and money. At the end of the day it really comes down to your collaborators. I was fortunately able to hire really talented folks that were able to work within our budget and that is ultimately what made the film cohesive. As a director I had a vision and I knew that I needed a very special team to make my vision come to life. I am thankful every day that I was able to successfully find that team.
- What was the hardest artistic choice you made in the making of a film, at any stage in production?
To have the same piece of music ongoing throughout the film.
- You are a collaborator. How have you discovered members of your team and how do you keep the relationship with them strong?
Most of the crew I worked with were friends or friends of friends. As a director I made a point of giving lots of positive feedback to my team during production. Now that the film is over I keep up with everyone through Instagram and update them on the status of the film.
- What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker’s role to worry about that?
Audiences want to be taken away from reality. They want to be inspired and they want to be entertained. I believe if a filmmaker focuses on telling a story to the best of they’re ability that there will always be an audience member captivated by their work.
- What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Why are they necessary? How do you get the most out of them?
Short to the Point is my first film festival as a director! I think that film festivals are a great way to show your work as an artist and also provide fantastic networking opportunities.
- Do you believe that a filmmaker should be original and fresh or he/she should stick to classic but safe cinema style?
Filmmakers are artists, I believe they should be free to experiment as much as they want. Never be safe! Be bold and take risks. If you want to make a drama one day and a comedy the next that is ok!
