Have you ever watched a film with an intriguing plotline, written a sample script, or worked with a camera and thought to yourself, I want to produce my own movie someday…? At some point, every successful filmmaker has had these exact thoughts. You’re not alone. Filmmaking is a dream, a chance to tell a story, to perform, and to bring ideas to life on the big screen.
However, with the industry being so heavily based in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, this dream can feel unachievable.
For Greg Poppa (Instagram), along with his creative team, Sugey Cruz (Instagram) and Austin Greene (Instagram), this dream became a reality. You don’t need the newest piece of technology or to be a professional scriptwriter. The only things you need are ambition and the right people around you. Roaming Shadows Productions (YouTube), Poppa and Cruz’s co-owned indie production group, has produced multiple projects and just recently screened their newest piece, Taffy, Rita, and The Rattlesnake, doing so all locally in Pennsylvania.
We sat down with the team to learn about their individual journeys, the things they’ve learned, and their advice for aspiring filmmakers.
Getting Started
Before Greg Poppa appeared on Abott Elementary or played in Netflix and Hulu’s reboot of Prison Break, he was in the same seat as you: a West Chester student making scrappy, low-budget short films and seeking any opportunity to get his foot into the industry.
The rest of the crew followed very similar paths. Austin Greene, actor and producer, started out doing improv comedy before blossoming into a lead actor in multiple independent films. Sugey Cruz, co-owner of Roaming Shadow Productions, started out as a theater and film minor and bounced between academic and creative paths, including a stint in law school, before returning to her passion for filmmaking.
The team couldn’t emphasize this enough: everyone starts somewhere. And wherever you start, the conditions don’t need to be perfect. Waiting for an opportunity to arise will only hold you back.
Austin Greene described the three of them as “loose cannons,” stating that they all started off with apprehension. But he said the process of finding your path is important, and when you do find that path, “all of the skills that you accumulate[d] in each of those individual domains… now [you] can put it all together and jam it all into this thing.”
Building Skills
“There is no specific niche or skill required for success”
So, how does one learn how to become a filmmaker?
For Greg, Sugey, and Austin, there was no formal path. They blended their own interests into their education and experimented beyond that.
Greg and Austin both credited their passion for music as a stepping stone in their journeys. Poppa had a minor in music at West Chester University, and he described that through this education, he was able to familiarize himself with the language of music. He explained that learning this language allowed him to have critical discussions with his composer, Richard Devon.
Again, there is no specific niche or skill required for success. Simply finding what makes you happy when expressing yourself creatively is enough. These skills are just extra tools to add to your toolkit and only help in developing your personal career path.
Sugey recommended that a great place to start is improv acting. Greg told us about his own experience starting out at The Actor’s Lab in Wayne, PA (Website). “Brian Fox does an amazing job of making people feel welcome no matter what level they’re at,” Greg said. “If you’re just curious… they have different levels for everyone.”
Networking and Community
Although these three were unique in their startups, they all stressed that their success was certainly not realized in isolation. Building a community is essential in any creative field. Whether it’s a creative rut or a lack of expertise in a certain area, having others to collaborate with is paramount.
Greg said a great place to start building your community is via Facebook, “[There are] a bunch of groups to find gigs if you’re trying to break in,” he said. He emphasized “You sort of start out with people who are at your level and then you try to work to the people who are above your level.”
It’s also smart to network not only in the digital landscape but also in the real world. Greg and Sugey mentioned the West Chester Film Festival (Website), dubbing it “one of the best in the area.” Greg recommended attending these events and trying your best to talk to and learn from others. “No matter how awkward it is, if you can go and do it, you can have really awesome conversations.”
Challenges Along the Way
“Every actor was doing the same stuff expecting different results.”
Austin Greene
The reality is, there is no easy or fixed path in the film industry. Whether it be monetary limitations, creative dissonance, or flat-out rejection, there are many setbacks in this field.
Although these setbacks are very real, it’s important to use failure as a tool for learning and growth, not as a catalyst for discouragement. Austin underlined the importance of perseverance in this field. He attributed his success not to talent, but rather to resilience. He stated that other actors “[would] get discouraged and they’d go away. And [he] was the last man standing.”
Austin also offered a piece of advice to help adapt to this mindset. He said, “There are so many orthodoxies about being an actor, and I started to recognize that every actor was doing the same stuff expecting different results.” He described how he began to break the traditional rules of being an actor, showing up to auditions wearing goofy hats, cracking jokes, all while rejecting the idea “that the creative life had to be so sterile and uncreative.”
How Can You Become a Filmmaker?
If you’re waiting to be let in, you’re already a little behind”
Dr. Camilo Díaz Pino
If you are unsure where to start, there are dozens of pathways here at West Chester University. Dr. Camilo Díaz Pino (Website), a professor in the Department of Communication and Media, shared some advice for aspiring students.
When asked about breaking into the industry, Dr. Díaz Pino pointed to three courses in particular: MDC 217 and 317, which cover hands-on technological and production skills, and MDC 251, which provides an introductory overview of media creation. He also highlighted the value of pairing these courses with Film (FLM) courses or a minor (Website), which are offered through the English Department.
MDC classes are geared toward the technical and creative process, while FLM courses dive into the analytical and historical side of cinema. “If you want to know what good filmmaking or videography is through the platform that you choose, being able to look at the history of analyzing that platform and it’s important messages is essential,” Dr. Díaz Pino said. He “absolutely recommends” the combination of these two disciplines, as understanding theory can bolster creative output.
He also shared his own experience in the industry and emphasized the importance of taking action. “If you’re waiting to be let in, you’re already a little behind,” Dr. Díaz Pino said. He recommended young filmmakers start to develop a portfolio as soon as possible. “It doesn’t matter if it’s good yet.” He stated that simply generating content allows you to find your creative voice and develop technical skills. He urged for young filmmakers to, “Get out there and make stuff.”
His advice aligned with the same message shared by the Roaming Shadows team: don’t be afraid to say yes to projects and make a community. This is an industry built on collaboration.
Create Without Limitations!
If you take away one thing from this team and Dr. Díaz Pino, it’s this: you can build a film career right here in Pennsylvania.
Roaming Shadows Productions is proof of that. They are actively developing multiple projects and just finished filming a short Western that takes place in the 1880s. They are submitting their work to numerous festivals, building an audience on YouTube, and doing it all in a local setting.
Dr. Díaz Pino echoed this sentiment, encouraging students to use their resources and environment to their advantage. There is no “right” time to start, so don’t wait for permission to begin. Mindlessly create, and keep going until you begin to resonate with it.
Whether you are writing scripts from your dorm room, filming projects in town, or collaborating with other students, opportunities are always present as long as you are willing to put yourself out there.
Don’t wait for the opportunity to come. Create it yourself.
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