Directing PictureAs an artist, I think a project like this can be very beneficial in terms of staying focused and surrounding yourself with the right people. When you’ve chosen a creative path, a lot of times it can feel like you’re speaking a different language, and you pretty much are. Most people don’t get it, and they might say it’s admirable or that they’re envious, but in reality they are certain that the train will eventually go off the rails, and then off a cliff. It can get lonely and difficult sometimes, so it’s nice to be a part of a group who can reinforce the mindset that has gotten us this far. I also feel like I have a lot to share. I love telling stories to people about the things that inspire me, so having an outlet to write some of those stories down and hopefully impact a larger amount of people is exciting.

Why I Love What I Do

I love movies, I love having my breath taken away by a scene or an ending, or even a piece of dialogue. How some of my favourite movies have made me feel is cemented in my gut and what drives me is to create something that makes an audience feel that. I love how collaborative film is. So many artists need to merge their talents in order to create a single piece of work. It can be incredibly powerful.

Also, it is very important to me to feel like I am in control of my life and my future. When I’m in a job, with a boss who has the ability to speak two simple words to cut off my flow of income, I am not in control. As a filmmaker, I don’t put the fate of my success in the hands of anybody but myself, and that’s the way I want it to be. It feels right, it feels honest.

Ideally ten years from now I’ll have made a few feature films, but I’m not sure. 10 years is a long time and a lot can happen. In my ideal world I’m in New York or London, and I’ve found the balance and ability to focus every day on the things that make me the most happy. I want my career to have flourished to a point where I am in control of my projects. I want to have learned everything I can to be the best filmmaker I can be, while continuing to learn more every day. I want Christine and I to have the life we’ve been dreaming about and courageously moving towards since the day we met. I want my films to have influence and integrity.

As somebody who has preached following your dreams for years, I want my career to reflect what it is that I believe about how crucial it is to live a life pursing what you love. I’ve always said that I am most excited for the day I’m invited to speak at my High School, that will be when I know I’ve made it.

 

Greg: I don’t put the fate of my success in the hands of anybody but myself
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Greg Melanson

It took me until I was around 17 or 18 years old to realize that the my future was in the arts. I had made small, for fun movies as a kid with a good friend of mine, and near the end of high school he proposed we should write a movie together. Something clicked, and after years of trying to decide between many things I had no interest in (engineering, trades, etc.), I decided I would be a filmmaker
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