Today we’d like to introduce you to Callum.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. Starting in around 4th grade, I would write mini comic books back, often sharing them with classmates and family — sharing my stories is where I found utmost joy. As time went on, I would draw more and more from film as inspiration for how I would frame the stories in my comics and even how I would draw the panels (albeit, not well). Eventually, at the beginning of the pandemic, I decided I wanted to shift my medium. I had already been immersing myself further into the world of cinema, broadening my horizons from Marvel movies and Star Wars, and I wanted to build off of that. So I taught myself how to write screenplays, and started telling my stories in the form of feature-length scripts. While most of the, if not all, of the scripts I wrote during that beginning period were not good at all, I kept writing. It felt like something I had to do — an instinct rather than a desire. And breaking out of my limited drawing style allowed me to write stories that I couldn’t tell in comic form — dramas, westerns, or anything that didn’t involve a superhero! We had already restarted in-person school when I met a kid in my 11th grade chemistry class who saw me editing one of my feature scripts on my computer. He floated the idea that we start a film club at our high school (this is Amherst, MA, by the way), since there weren’t many outlets in our immediate radius to create films. So throughout that year, we brought together a ragtag group of passionate wannabe-filmmakers to write, produce, and eventually screen a feature-length film. The final product, putting overall quality aside, was astounding. It was the coolest thing ever to see the script I wrote being projected onto our local cinema’s screen for all of our peers to see. And I couldn’t have been happier to do it with the friends I had made in the film club. Now in my sophomore year in college, I have a few more short films under my belt — either just written or also directed. I even have a TV show that one of my best friends here at Oxy and I wrote together. That TV show went far and we actually had a profressional teaser shoot that was used in the pitching of such last October! And while I’m still not the most experienced or skilled (in my honest opinion) guy in my field, I’m still further inspired to keep making stories that inspire others and myself to keep making things. It all harkens back to those early days making comics, wanting to share my stories with the world. Not a novel concept, sure, but something I find joy in. And I think that matters more than most things in my life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s definitely been rough! I’ve constantly doubted my ability to succeed in my craft, and I still do to this day. There are a lot of people out there that put me in my place as an amateur filmmaker and I couldn’t be happier about that. I see my peers’ films here at Occidental and I feel inspired to write something on par with that. On top of that, working with some not-so-easy-to-work-with actors has always been a challenge. Back home, my friends and I had to constantly make concessions either on set or during the editing process when we would notice one of our actors not bringing their all, or simply not focused in the slightest on the task at hand. Another struggle I just remembered: actually starting a project. Even when I’m working with others, it’s so hard to take the first step and keep going. I’ve always had to motivate myself with new music to keep me writing, or having others hype me up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write screenplays, I try and film those screenplays, and sometimes I draw. I for sure specialize in the writing side of things. It’s what I’ve done for most of my life, and I’ve only grown since the days of drawing comics about superheroes. I wouldn’t say I’m known for much, but if you were to ask my friends, they’d probably mention movies. I’m known as the guy who talks about the latest movie in theaters, chatter on social media about upcoming movies, or other trending news. I feel like I’m always asked questions like, “what movie should I watch on the plane?” or “ideas for a movie night?” It’s a funny thing to be known for, but I embrace it. But that’s not what I’m most proud of, of course. I think my ability to take and idea, outline it, and churn out 90+ pages of a screenplay within a few months is what makes me the most proud of myself (which, by itself shouldn’t be too ‘of note’, but it’s important to keep in mind that finishing things is not my area of expertise). It’s honestly really hard for me to say what sets me apart from others! I always struggle with the idea that I just blend in with other aspiring filmmakers and that my scripts will just be lost in the storm. If I were to name anything, it would maybe be my can-do attitude and scripts that (I hope) aren’t too preachy in nature with a distinct voice that connects them all to my pen.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Network. Connect with other film lovers and collaborate. It was the best thing for me in high school, and it’s the best thing for me now. I met a fellow lover of film in the early days of orientation here at Occidental, and now we’re on the cusp of getting a TV show produced (with a professional shoot for the teaser already under our belts from last summer). We’d have a lot of fun during the process of writing the show too, bouncing ideas off of each other and writing something that feels like a cohesive sum of both of our minds.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@callummcd05
Image Credits
Photos taken by friends and family
