Advice For Those Just Starting Out

Filmmaking In Your 20’s Vs 30’s – Adam Davis

Filmcourage

Published

May 8, 2025

[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]

Film Courage: Are you harder on yourself now or easier on yourself when it comes to goals for projects? You seem driven.

Adam Davis, Screenwriter/Filmmaker: Yeah, I think I’m easier on myself now a little bit because so many things have not happened in the way that I wanted, especially in my 20s and even through my 30s. I was okay, this has to happen. I’d have my dream cast. I would have I’m going to take it to this big spot or this or that. A lot of that stuff just didn’t work out.

Having a lot of that failure and rejection I would say hardened me a little bit to that but also made me more realistic.

I really just came out with, I want to be able to do this full-time at some point, but even if I can’t, I’m still doing it. I’m still able to write. I can still make movies. That in and of itself is a blessing.

Carter Shimp as Rick Malone in Curse Of The Sin Eater

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I want to be able to do this full-time at some point, but even if I can’t, I’m still doing it. I’m still able to write. I can still make movies. That in and of itself is a blessing.

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When I get rejections, which still happen, I try not to look at them as a devastating thing. I don’t beat myself up so much. I just try to learn from it and move forward.

Film Courage: I was watching a comedy which came up on the side of YouTube called Smart Alec, about a guy who was a PA and screenwriter and his journey of meeting all these eccentric characters in LA who said “I’m going to fund your movie.” As silly and cheesy and fun as it is, it was an interesting look at how the industry works with so many people leading him on with different promises. You had the…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).

About:

Armed with a diverse creative palette and a passion for character-centric storytelling, Writer/Director Adam Davis has created numerous short and feature film projects. Credit highlights include the feature Broken Ceiling (nominated for Best Feature at the 2016 Pasadena International Film Festival and available on streaming platforms) and No Touching—starring Zoë Bell (The Hateful Eight), Heidi Moneymaker (Captain America: Civil War), Jake Busey (From Dusk till Dawn: The Series) and Doug Jones (The Shape of Water). No Touching won the Silver Audience Award at the 2016 Fantasia Film Festival and has amassed over 1 million views on YouTube. Adam was also a finalist in the 2022 Screencraft Horror Competition.

Adam’s most recent projects are Curse of the Sin Eater, a horror feature film he co-wrote and co-produced which was released this year and Orum, a horror short film he wrote, produced and directed starring horror icons Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) and Kristina Klebe (Halloween) which was nominated for Best Horror Short and Best Supporting Actor at the Nightmares Film Festival 2024.