Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley Bowman.
Hi Haley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I think I’ve always been a visual artist–or, I always wanted to be one, but it took me some time to discover this world. I’d say my first venture into visual storytelling was one of a journalistic nature; I might’ve been five or six when I hid my parents’ camcorder underneath the couch on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus. Honestly, though, there wasn’t much happening in Calverton, NY in terms of the arts–I was either reading fantasy books or drawing. At 11, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a working student for an accomplished equestrian, and that was my life until I was 18, when I had to take a break from competing because of injuries. I wasn’t really sure what to put all my energy into–the choices I saw in front of me were pretty traditional. It took me two college transfers to get into George Washington U., and while I was in D.C. I interned for a litigator and worked for a Senator in her Military and Foreign Affairs office. My last attempt at a traditional career was in finance, which is where I finally came to terms with the fact that my picture of success didn’t involve wearing a suit.
It took a year and a half for me to get my first non-paying job peripherally in the entertainment industry, and it was off Craigslist of all places. But that one non-paying job (eventually) started my whole career. From the moment I got on my first set, I knew I wanted to be in that environment and that I wanted to direct; this was the medium I had been looking for… I took any job I could while still learning the roles; I bounced from script supervising to ADing, to BTS photography, to wardrobe, finally to PD and directing. As a fantasy nerd, I love world-building and demonstrating the intentions behind a narrative in unsuspecting ways. It also helped that I was always drawing and painting on a larger scale than my dad’s house had room for; sets weren’t too daunting.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Within 24 hours of reaching LA from the east coast, someone T-boned me and totaled my car. I had like $1500 in my pocket and a 401k that I cashed out. Moving to an unfamiliar city with no connections, and no real idea of what the creative/entertainment industry is even made up of, meant I had to talk to everyone who bought a drink at whatever bar I was working at at the time. I would miss shifts for auditions, sketch writing classes at UCB & Second City, open mics, TFP photoshoots, sketchy Craigslist interviews, etc. Going freelance is seldom a smooth road… knowing your skills doesn’t mean you know how to capitalize on those strengths. You have to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks when you’re trying to break in.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a director and production designer, but I’m breaking into a more general definition of “designer” by coming out with wearables soon. I still work with artists, brands, production companies, etc. on things like stage design, events, commercials, music videos, series and network TV, and so on. I was stoked to have gotten into the ADG but I think I’m currently working on will be an exciting new direction. As far as something I’m most proud of if I had to choose one within the last year, it would be the Pussy Riot ft. iLoveMakonnen video I directed and production designed, “Plastic.” We had an insanely tight deadline from greenlight to shoot because VFX needed time on the back end, so I was still attempting to make the final shot list while looking through auditions, crewing up, making costume changes, giving notes on the 3D prints, etc. while on site trying to get all of the math correct for the 6x oversized set two days before shooting. That one was a feat and everyone involved was so talented.
How do you think about luck?
I have a tattoo on my forearm that says, “F*ck Luck”. They had to cut it out of a HomeGoods shoot once.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.haleybowman.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/byhaleybowman/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPoEABOt9I34G-MspqddrFvxMYAlQHvcq
Image Credits
Nahall Pouransari Stevie Carrillo Jei Vision
