Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Harbin.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was a military kid, so I spent most of my childhood bouncing from one East Coast city to the next. I have a laundry list of places where I could be from. But I’ve since adopted Tennessee as my home state since that’s where my family eventually landed. I studied Theater and Broadcasting in my undergrad and initially thought I wanted to be an actor. I had a few bit parts here and there and auditioned for a bunch of cheesy local commercials. But I quickly discovered the real fun was behind the scenes and decided to apply to film school.
So I kept on moving – down to Florida State University for grad school. To this day, I think that was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned a ton about filmmaking there. And it plugged me into a tight-knit community of filmmakers and friends who gave me the push I needed to move out to L.A, where I’ve been working steadily for the past six years! I’m very active in the indie film scene out here and absolutely love collaborating with fellow artists and oddballs who like thinking outside the box.
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?
I doubt anyone could say they’ve faced zero struggles and it was smooth sailing the entire time. The truth is filmmaking isn’t easy, but it’s necessary! It can be hard to get people to believe in you and your vision for a project. People love to tell you that you can’t do something. But that doesn’t make it any less valuable a pursuit. In my six years out here in L.A, I’ve finally come around to the lesson that the best way to prove something can be done isn’t to convince someone you can. It’s to just go out there and do it. If it’s as good as you think it will be, you can’t argue with the finished product! And if it turns out terrible… well, at least you tried. It’s better than standing around just talking about it. Jazzed up? Cool, let’s go make something!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an indie filmmaker and jack of all trades. But lately, I’ve been focusing most on writing and directing. I’ve written and directed countless short films. My graduate thesis film DANTE was a festival favorite. It won me Best Director at the Broad Humor Film Festival in 2015, Best Student Short at the Central Florida Film Festival that same year, and Audience Choice Award at the Johnson City Film Festival in my old college town in Tennessee. In 2018, my short Going Home screened at the Laemmle NoHo Theatre in L.A. as part of the UCLA ExtensionFest and played internationally in the Gandhara Independent Film Festival in 2020. My comedy sketches have also been featured on Funny or Die, and I’ve produced and directed digital ads for major brands such as Not Your Father’s, Lucky Lager, and Tsingtao Beer.
I’m currently in development on my first feature film as well. I hope to shoot in the next year or so when this pesky pandemic gets under control. I’m looking forward to tackling all the new challenges that come along with a feature. It’s such a fun, stressful, rewarding, tiring, beautiful, complex, creative process. I can’t wait. In addition to film, last year I went full-time as a freelance Graphic Designer. I currently help businesses and marketing teams create kick-ass assets for social media, in-store, and print! And I really enjoy it. It’s another creative outlet and an amazingly fulfilling way to create when filmmaking isn’t as easily accessible.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Patience. Good work takes time. And it seems obvious, but practice! It’s how anyone gets better at anything. When I was first starting out, I thought maybe talent was something you had or you didn’t. But that’s just not true. Creative fields are a craft, like anything else. When I made my projects less about me and more about the work itself, I was able to learn from mistakes, try new things, and ultimately grow as an artist! When I simply put in the work over time, success can’t help but follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katieharbin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatk8t/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegreatk8t
- Other: https://vimeo.com/ktharbin
Image Credits:
Alvin McBean, Dustin LeBoeuf
