What’s YOUR story? You can email me (obensont@gmail.com).

In today’s post, writer/director Laura Fielder shares her story:

I have always been a writer since the day I was able to hold a pencil in my

hand. I’ve written poems, short stories, lyrics and music. I am a trained as a

classical violinist with a Master’s degree in music. I’ve played music for most of

my life, however the film medium always mesmerized me. I studied film as an

undergraduate in college. As an undergraduate I thought of becoming a filmmaker.

However, because it was cost prohibited I decided to create stories through words

and sounds because of music’s immediacy and accessibility.

Fast forward to marriage and children. My then-husband re-introduced me

to power of visual storytelling. After observing the media my daughters were

consuming across all media platforms I decided to try my hands in filmmaking.

Three years ago I took a film production class at a local community college. My

passion was rekindled and I never looked back. I’ve been studying and creating ever

since. I have always been fascinated with the human condition and as an educator I

see it everyday up close.

I write everyday. I have completed several short scripts and feature length script

and stages of completion of several feature length scripts. My stories vary in genres

and formats. However science fiction and horror are the genres that speak to me.

I am blessed to live in New York City because the city encompasses so many cultures

and world that I encounters on a daily basis as an educator. Also New York City

has such an indie spirit. What we may lack in infrastructure (i.e. Los Angeles) we

make up in can do spirit. I worked on various capacities as a production assistant,

writer, assistant director, script supervisor, actor, associate producer, and location

manager.

I’ve co-written a short film that was submitted to the Asian American Film

Festival in New York City and was an associate producer for another film that was

accepted in the Electric Lantern Motion Picture Festival in London.

Although I am primarily a writer, I direct because I want to make sure my story is

told the way I envision it. I also produce because I refuse to sit on my hands and

wait.

In the three years of fully committing myself to film making, I’ve learned that

filmmaking is not for the faint of heart. It takes a certain kind of madness to venture

into making film. Recently, I’ve decided it’s time for me to step out on a limb and

work on my own project. I just finished principal photography for my first film

short which I written directed and co produced.

The production was crazy and exciting. I learned so much about the process

of directing and filmmaking in general. Most importantly I learned that this is

something that I can do over and over again.