Getting Back Into Directing: My Return to Filmmaking after 5 years

The Project That Brought Me Back

It had been five years since I last directed. Life took over—other work, shifting priorities, creative burnout. I didn’t step away with a declaration. I just… stopped. And stayed stopped.

Then, this script landed in my inbox.

A one-act short. Simple. Intimate. Written by a fellow actress I’d worked with on my last feature film, Cold Pressed. She, too, was making her way back into the industry after a hiatus. That parallel—two creatives rediscovering the work—was enough for me to say yes.

Shooting a Short in One Day

We shot the whole thing in one day.

Tight schedule. Minimal crew. Controlled chaos. But that’s where the good stuff lives.

The story was self-contained—just a conversation. The weight wasn’t in the plot; it was in what was being said. That meant the camera had to work harder, shaping how each line landed. Blocking became one of my favorite parts—because in a piece this sparse, the camera doesn’t just show the performance. It becomes part of it.

Directing Actors After a Hiatus

Directing again meant rolling up my sleeves and working closely with the actors—finding the motivations behind each line, digging into their choices. Subtle shifts in tone, posture, or silence changed everything. It wasn’t about big performances; it was about control and nuance.

And when we wrapped the final shot, something happened that I forgot I missed: everyone—cast, crew, extras—was happy. We had everything we needed. No pickups, no doubts. Just collective relief and pride.

That moment, shared by people from completely different worlds, is what reminds me why I love this. Filmmaking is collective. It’s alignment. It’s magic through collaboration.

Relearning the Directing Fundamentals

Being back in the chair meant brushing up on fundamentals. Shot planning. Drawing up a shot list that avoided endless, time-consuming setups. Thinking ahead so I could protect the schedule while still capturing what the scene needed.

I had to work smart. Design setups that could flex. Keep the coverage tight, but expressive. Plan transitions that wouldn’t eat half an hour just to recompose a frame. In short: trust the prep.

The Sound Issues We Didn’t Anticipate

We shot the film in an operating bar. We had access to a private section, but that didn’t mean silence. Not even close.

One major issue: sound bleed.

Even with the doors closed, we had to contend with the bar’s espresso machine, tray drops, background music, and—most frustrating—the pool table. Balls cracking on breaks and cues scraping across felt came through in the audio, clean and clear. Not ideal.

It’s something that caught us off guard and cost us a few takes. Lesson learned: when using a real location, don’t just scout for looks—scout for sound. Ask about shared walls, active hours, and exactly who’s on the other side of that thin partition.

Reigniting the Creative Flame

I’m not trying to say this short changed everything. But it did wake something back up.

Directing, for me, has never just been about control—it’s about momentum. Listening. Reacting. Trusting your gut and your people. And being okay when things don’t go perfectly, because the real art is in how you adapt.

This shoot reminded me of all that. It helped me shake off the rust. Reconnect with the craft. And most importantly, it helped me gear up for what’s next—I'm currently developing a new feature film called Braincell. This short was never just a one-off; it was the warm-up, the rep, the creative reset I needed to get back into the groove.

And now, I’m moving forward.