Meet Carson Lane Campman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carson Lane Campman.

So, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I had always loved watching movies, jumping off my nana’s armchair pretending to be Peter Pan and having dramatic swordfights with my little sister. Movies had always taken up a lot of my mind, but never as a potential goal – they were just dreams I could watch. Although my family moved across the country multiple times, it was after our final move to Los Angeles that the possibility of partaking in the entertainment industry was a reality.

When it was time to transfer into our new middle school, the year had already begun, and most elective classes were full. The school managed to squeeze me into a film class, though I couldn’t fathom what a film class even was. It was in this class that I met my first film teacher, Louis DeBarraicua, who opened this entirely new world to me. Suddenly, I learned that films are made by people, and if I work hard enough, I can be one of those people.

After that, my focus, motivation, and desire intensified with every new day. I began writing as much as I possibly could. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I would do everything in my power to be successful with my passions. I recognized that I have never felt such a connection or drive to any other potential profession and that that is a special feeling that I feel lucky to have found.

Today I am studying screenwriting and popular culture at California State University, Northridge, where I was recognized with the highest undergraduate screenwriting honor as a freshman. I have written two novels, a tv pilot and a couple of feature-length screenplays, which have gained some traction. We are currently working on producing my first feature, and I am very excited to see where else my aspirations take me in the coming years.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have always been a shy, quiet person. I found such comfort in writing partly because it was a way to speak my mind completely without having to physically speak up. Like a lot of quiet people, I struggle to be noticed and to give my work a chance to be found. An industry built on connections, like entertainment, is very daunting sometimes, but as I grow as a person and as a writer, networking is becoming more comfortable. I have found that as your experience broadens, your confidence grows, and your voice strengthens.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your story. Tell us more about your work.
I am a screenwriter and have written feature-length films, short films, and tv episodes. I am proud of my versatility, having written drama, comedy, Syfy, horror, and satire. I truly put all of my heart into my work, and I feel that it shines through in my writing. My main goal as a screenwriter is to change the narrative of all women not only on the screen, but behind it. It’s important to me that all of my work features strong women with brave aspirations who are empowered from the ways they act to the ways they dress. I feel it is my responsibility as one of the potential sculptors of future media content to be all inclusive, forward-thinking, and to increase representation where it needs it. I love film and television so much because I am able to connect with so much of it, and I believe everyone deserves to experience that.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck plays a much larger role than I would like it to! It can be discouraging to look at other successful young people in Hollywood and say “I want to do what they did”…except my dad isn’t Judd Apatow and my mom isn’t Uma Therman. It would be great to have personal connections to the biggest stars, streaming services, and studios in the business to get you off the ground, but not everyone is so lucky.

Michael Arndt, the writer of one of my favorite movies “Little Miss Sunshine,” said that screenwriting is like climbing a mountain blindfolded; you expect that trying to climb without seeing is the hardest part, but the real challenge is simply finding the mountain. I feel like that is also very true for entering Hollywood – you have to locate the mountain before you can even try to make it to the top.