Today we’d like to introduce you to Stella MacQueen.
Hi Stella, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always wanted to be a writer. When I was 10, I would stay up all night rereading all the books I had until I could practically rewrite them myself. Charlotte’s Web was my favourite. I found an escape in these stories, and was fascinated with the idea that people get to create stories for a living. I knew right then and there that writing would be what I do for the rest of my life. I had no idea how lucky I would be in the future to have the opportunity to go to such a wonderful college that supports my passion and pushes me to write. Throughout middle school and high school, I felt myself steering away from writing as my peers were exploring maths and sciences. I often got told that writing was not a “real job” and that I should focus on other subjects that were more typical in college. This was very discouraging, as I did not find passion or see myself in these other subjects. I felt very lost. This was until I took a film class in high school. Most people took this class as an “easy A,” but I finally found a class that I felt connected to. I had a wonderful teacher, Melissa Shaddick, who introduced me to the thing that I will hopefully spend the rest of my life doing. She was a great teacher and helped me discover my interest in filmmaking. She told me about SCAD, which led me to attend this school for college. I originally was majoring in Film and Television as I loved the high school class, and I knew I wanted to tell stories. In my last quarter of my freshman year, I took my first screenwriting class with Professor Sandra Daley. Little did I know that this class would completely change my perspective on filmmaking. Professor Daley opened my eyes to the world of writing for film, and I fell head over heels. I changed my major to Dramatic Writing and started taking other writing classes that supported my creative passions. I am now a sophomore Dramatic Writing student who has written and directed a few short films, written many plays, directed two music videos, and written a SCADPro commercial. 10 year old Stella would be very happy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been a few challenges along the way, as every creative must face a few. My main challenge was doubting my career path before going to college. I went to a very science and math focused high school. They did offer a few art classes, but pushed students to take the more “academically advanced” classes. When it came time to apply to universities, I remember having a few of my classmates doubt my choice as the acceptance rates were higher for art colleges, and the requirements seemed easier. I tried to remind myself that I was choosing something that I knew I was passionate about, and that’s what mattered in the long run.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I currently work at Courage Inc., a production company located in Toronto. This experience has completely submerged me into the real world of the film industry. I have learned so much from being surrounded by professionals and conversing with clients. I started at this company in November. I met Clair Galea while working on a commercial shoot in the summer. I told her about my passion for film and all my work at SCAD, so she invited me to work as a Production Coordinator at Courage over my winter break. This was an amazing experience as I shadowed her in client meetings, pitch proposals, post-production editing sessions and more. I was able to be in a room with some of the top producers and directors in Canada, and learn through my own experiences. As I got familiar with the flow of the company, I was asked to produce my own post-production projects with clients and editors. It was intimidating at first, but I had such a supportive group of people around me who believed in my work ethic. I have now been invited back to work full-time this summer, and my responsibilities have grown to a more professional level. I will now be a junior producer, assistant editor, and production coordinator. I’ll also be producing small projects, adapts, and camera assisting on professional shoots. I feel beyond lucky to have Clair as my mentor, as she pushes me outside my comfort level to equip me with all the tools and knowledge I will need in the industry. She believes in me, encourages me and is always in my corner. I feel extremely lucky to have such a talented female producer in my life!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years, I think that Hollywood will unfortunately lean towards AI when it comes to writing scripts. They will choose convenience over real, hard work. This scares me as I believe in the importance of real writers who create real stories. We all see the world through a different lens, and that’s what makes scripts unique and interesting. I love to write, and I want to be able to have directors and producers find my scripts and love them because of my view on the world and my experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stellamacqueen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmbystellamacqueen/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-macqueen-18a730339/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stellamacqueen/videos
- Other: https://blcklst.com/profile/stellamacqueen
