Every year Shameka Sawyer leads 5-10 aspiring filmmakers through all phases of creating a short film. Participants create a film in 6 months, even with day jobs and no prior experience — an alternative to years of full-time film school.

Shameka is everything you’d want in a coach:  confident, supportive, lighthearted, patient, and direct. Enjoy her stories from 6 seasons of filmmaking as she takes us through an impressive set of stages and skills — scriptwriting, casting actors, finding crew, scouting locations, rehearsing, planning shots, lighting, sound, directing actors, editing, music, distribution — and the crazy things that happen along the way.

Independent filmmaking is much more accessible today thanks to technology, opening up screens to diverse voices and topics. Films from this year’s participants tell stories of racism and domestic violence, as well as lighter ones about reinventing yourself or discovering super powers.

Hear too how Shameka reinvented herself by starting college at age 30, growing into the honors society at the Community College of Philadelphia and ultimately graduating from Penn — all while raising a family.

Big thanks to Mt Airy Nexus, where this episode was recorded. It’s a beautiful coworking space in the heart of Mt Airy, where you can sign up for a desk or office or conference room and join a friendly community.

Podcast website: https://nwphillypodcast.net

More about Shameka Sawyer and The 5 Shorts Project:

• The 5 Shorts Project — website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
• From teen mother to filmmaker and entrepreneur, S.L. Sawyer brings others along
• LinkedIn profile (“Although there aren't many of us, I'm an African American Woman in Film and Video Production.”)