when I was 11
living in a small town in Texas my best
friend and I were bored so I had an idea
let’s make a music video i styled her in
a prairie dress sung by my grandma and
grabbed a flashlight and a little
point-and-shoot camera as we set out for
the abandoned ranch behind my back yard
I kept thinking of the song wolves by
Bon Iver it was dusk and at the time I
didn’t really know how to adjust camera
settings so instead I would shine the
flashlight at a fence or on the ground
and give her directions based off of how
the song sounded to me by the time he
got back we were tired she had cactus
spines in her leg and the flashlight was
flickering out but we had something we
had the footage that would shape my
future and ultimately build my passion
for filmmaking after my parents posted
the video online the creative director
of adolescent content saw it and I
signed on with them and directed my
first two commercials it felt like my
dream was becoming reality
I mean not only could I be a director as
a female but also as a kid when I first
started thinking about directing I
didn’t know how few female and kid
directors were able to work
professionally I mean the job of the
director is literally to direct the cast
the crew being the leader of the set
although I loved what I was doing I
questioned whether I really belonged on
set as the casting crew piled in I felt
like they were wondering what’s she
doing here or whose daughter is she
people just couldn’t place me and
eleven-year-old in the adult world of
directing one time I told this woman I
directed and she said oh like trois
this feeling of not belonging was
hitting me from all sides I mean at the
time I was going into middle school and
wasn’t sure I belonged middle schools
kind of where cliques coming
no more playdates no more toys
everyone’s trying to figure out who they
are and where they fit in even though I
was excited about what I was doing I
wasn’t sure if I could tell their kids
because they think I was bragging or
teachers because they think I felt
superior to them it was really hard to
navigate middle school especially as an
introvert but when I’m on set I’m
engaged it’s like directing gives me
more energy sadly as a society we have
really defined expectations of what
people should or shouldn’t be doing it
really any age I’ve learned that what
I’ve been feeling and experiencing is
ageism and I’ve heard it being talked
about in a way that it’s something that
older adults face but I think it affects
us all because if what we can or can’t
do is determine by our age then real
Immonen ourselves and our society why
can’t someone who’s 80 keep working if
they love what they’re doing or someone
who’s 70s start a business which brings
me back to why can’t an 11 year old
direct defying ageism and being able to
direct has taught me so much and helps
me grow in a lot of ways first it’s
taught me that I don’t have to have the
answers to everything when I’m on set
someone will ask me about a certain type
of camera lens to use or if we should
use the Steadicam for a certain shot I
used to freeze up and not know what to
say because I thought I had to have the
answers to every single question but
then I just started asking well what do
you recommend surprisingly people would
share their opinions and even let me see
the effect on camera it led to more
knowledge and way better decisions for
the next time in the four years since
I’ve started directing
directed commercials and short films but
I still feel like there’s a lot for me
to learn because in a way I think
there’s always gonna be more to learn in
school I was never someone who would
raise my hand or confidently ask a
question but in wanting to be the best
director I can it’s in my best interest
to find that more confident side of
myself that more curious side of myself
that speaks up and asks in order to
learn directing has also taught me not
to settle when it comes to my passions
imagine what the world would be like if
all kids grew up learning not to settle
when it comes to jobs and relationships
and finding happiness over all I’ve also
learned that there’s a place for
everyone I used to feel like the weird
art kid that didn’t play sports but when
I’m directing when I’m on set I’m a
person with a purpose and a drive to be
my best when I wake up for that 7 a.m.
alarm for school I’m way less
enthusiastic to get out of bed than for
that 4 am alarm for being a on set can I
see myself doing this for the rest of my
life I don’t know and I don’t think it
really matters because today what I do
know is that I don’t want to be known as
a kid director which I am or a girl
director which I am but a great director
thank you
living in a small town in Texas my best
friend and I were bored so I had an idea
let’s make a music video i styled her in
a prairie dress sung by my grandma and
grabbed a flashlight and a little
point-and-shoot camera as we set out for
the abandoned ranch behind my back yard
I kept thinking of the song wolves by
Bon Iver it was dusk and at the time I
didn’t really know how to adjust camera
settings so instead I would shine the
flashlight at a fence or on the ground
and give her directions based off of how
the song sounded to me by the time he
got back we were tired she had cactus
spines in her leg and the flashlight was
flickering out but we had something we
had the footage that would shape my
future and ultimately build my passion
for filmmaking after my parents posted
the video online the creative director
of adolescent content saw it and I
signed on with them and directed my
first two commercials it felt like my
dream was becoming reality
I mean not only could I be a director as
a female but also as a kid when I first
started thinking about directing I
didn’t know how few female and kid
directors were able to work
professionally I mean the job of the
director is literally to direct the cast
the crew being the leader of the set
although I loved what I was doing I
questioned whether I really belonged on
set as the casting crew piled in I felt
like they were wondering what’s she
doing here or whose daughter is she
people just couldn’t place me and
eleven-year-old in the adult world of
directing one time I told this woman I
directed and she said oh like trois
this feeling of not belonging was
hitting me from all sides I mean at the
time I was going into middle school and
wasn’t sure I belonged middle schools
kind of where cliques coming
no more playdates no more toys
everyone’s trying to figure out who they
are and where they fit in even though I
was excited about what I was doing I
wasn’t sure if I could tell their kids
because they think I was bragging or
teachers because they think I felt
superior to them it was really hard to
navigate middle school especially as an
introvert but when I’m on set I’m
engaged it’s like directing gives me
more energy sadly as a society we have
really defined expectations of what
people should or shouldn’t be doing it
really any age I’ve learned that what
I’ve been feeling and experiencing is
ageism and I’ve heard it being talked
about in a way that it’s something that
older adults face but I think it affects
us all because if what we can or can’t
do is determine by our age then real
Immonen ourselves and our society why
can’t someone who’s 80 keep working if
they love what they’re doing or someone
who’s 70s start a business which brings
me back to why can’t an 11 year old
direct defying ageism and being able to
direct has taught me so much and helps
me grow in a lot of ways first it’s
taught me that I don’t have to have the
answers to everything when I’m on set
someone will ask me about a certain type
of camera lens to use or if we should
use the Steadicam for a certain shot I
used to freeze up and not know what to
say because I thought I had to have the
answers to every single question but
then I just started asking well what do
you recommend surprisingly people would
share their opinions and even let me see
the effect on camera it led to more
knowledge and way better decisions for
the next time in the four years since
I’ve started directing
directed commercials and short films but
I still feel like there’s a lot for me
to learn because in a way I think
there’s always gonna be more to learn in
school I was never someone who would
raise my hand or confidently ask a
question but in wanting to be the best
director I can it’s in my best interest
to find that more confident side of
myself that more curious side of myself
that speaks up and asks in order to
learn directing has also taught me not
to settle when it comes to my passions
imagine what the world would be like if
all kids grew up learning not to settle
when it comes to jobs and relationships
and finding happiness over all I’ve also
learned that there’s a place for
everyone I used to feel like the weird
art kid that didn’t play sports but when
I’m directing when I’m on set I’m a
person with a purpose and a drive to be
my best when I wake up for that 7 a.m.
alarm for school I’m way less
enthusiastic to get out of bed than for
that 4 am alarm for being a on set can I
see myself doing this for the rest of my
life I don’t know and I don’t think it
really matters because today what I do
know is that I don’t want to be known as
a kid director which I am or a girl
director which I am but a great director
thank you
Please follow and like us: