Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Gates.
Hi Taylor, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The first thing I ever remember writing was a poem about a duck while I was waiting for my mom to get her hair done at the salon. I was in kindergarten. After that, I was hooked. Other early highlights include the comedic DARE skit I wrote in fifth grade. It was then I learned that people laughing at jokes I penned was a truly addictive feeling. (And considering it was an anti-drug sketch, the word “addictive” is very much a pun intended there.)
When I was 13, I discovered fanfiction and started writing and publishing stories about my favorite shows online. That was my first real taste of sharing my work with people other than parents and friends and getting feedback from people all over the world. It also sparked an interest in writing for the screen. Discovering Gilmore Girls was integral in planting that seed, as it completely shifted my understanding of what TV could be. A witty dramedy that focused on several generations of women filled with pop culture references? My mind was blown. It was at that moment Amy Sherman-Palladino became my biggest writing hero – an honor that will always remain.
I then went off to college, where I took a life-changing screenwriting class with my professor Lisa Nikolidakis and eventually graduated with a BFA in Creative Writing. I moved to Los Angeles in 2018, and a year later, I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Outfest Young Filmmakers Fellowship. That served as a crash course about the industry, and I learned valuable skills about everything from producing to set design. Through that program, I also wrote and directed my first short film: a coming-of-age LGBTQ+ comedy called Academic Super Squad that premiered at Outfest later that year.
Through that program, I also met my brilliant writing partner Sav Rodgers. Together, we’ve written several projects, including a feature called I Love You, Margot Robbie, which was selected for the 2021 Outfest Screenwriting Lab, the 2022 GLAAD List, and a finalist in the 2021 ScreenCraft Comedy Screenplay Competition.
The past February, I directed my first feature film, a horror movie called Dry Spell about a group of recovering addicts who go on a retreat to the desert — only to find sinister forces awaiting them there. I learned so much during that experience and am forever grateful to writer, producer, and star Sarah Clingenpeel for asking me to be a part of it.
When I’m not writing and directing movies, I’m discussing them on platforms like Collider and Fanversation. I’ve loved entertainment journalism since I was in college, where I wrote for outlets such as Starry Constellation Magazine and BuzzFeed and hosted and produced podcasts for AfterBuzz TV.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entertainment is a hard industry, no matter who you are! You have to be persistent, have thick skin, and believe in the stories you want to tell. As a queer woman, it can be even more difficult to make your voice heard and convince people that there’s an audience for the kind of films and shows you want to make.
However, I have been extremely fortunate to find a wonderful community. My family isn’t in the business, but they’ve been supportive of my dreams since day one and do everything they can to help me thrive, from proofreading my scripts to flying 2,000 miles to come to my short film premiere. I got a great writing foundation at the University of Evansville and an amazing film education through Outfest’s various programs. In addition to the staff and mentors at Outfest, the peers I met through the organization have become great friends who are always sharing knowledge and opportunities. Despite the difficulties, I’m lucky to have many incredible people on my side helping me achieve my dreams.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a writer and director who specializes in telling female-driven LGBTQ+ stories. I’m most proud of telling stories that scare me but that I know could help someone – stories that I wish I had when I was younger. What sets me apart is my voice, as I write with a unique blend of comedy and drama. I’m best known for my directorial debut – a short film called Academic Super Squad – and co-written feature script I Love You, Margot Robbie. My feature directorial debut will be Dry Spell, which is set to premiere in early 2023.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/taylor_gates_
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/elphaba_anne
Image Credits
Lex Ryan, Doodles By Rye
