Student Highlight: Chadrick Whitmire

Student Highlight: Chadrick Whitmire

Get to know Writer, Filmmaker, and TAS Alumni: Chadrick Whitmire

Periodically The Actor’s Scene likes to reach out to students and chronicle their success in the industry. Case and point: Chadrick Whitmire. Here’s what Chadrick has to say…

Hi Chadrick! We would love to hear more about what you do:

I’m Chadrick Whitmire! I am a writer and filmmaker based in Flowery Branch, Georgia. 

The story goes all the way back to when I was three years old. I had always wanted to be an actor. As I grew up, I started doing theater in middle school. I did years of school plays, as well as community theater plays, once I started high school. I pretty much quit after graduation. Life took over and I thought it was a distant memory. However, after years of low self esteem and thinking I wasn’t good enough, I decided to make a change. I scheduled a class audit with The Actor’s Scene and took the beginner class, Acting Foundations. I really needed this in my life- to possibly prove something to myself. I took the class with Coach Kristi Taylor. I enjoyed every minute and appreciated the individual time she gave us in our classes.

What is a memory that you have from your time taking classes with Coach Kristi?

My biggest memory would have to be…the time I did one of my last monologues. She said I did amazing, and that was an awesome moment for me! She said I did great and had no notes for me.

So what made you decide to pursue filmmaking?

Once going out into the world of acting, I realized that it wasn’t for me. However, the classes took me back to what I loved. I learned that what I wanted to do was be behind the camera. In 2021, I began my journey into filmmaking. I wrote a short called Barnes Funeral Home and then decided it was time to take this seriously. I began casting the roles, and once everyone was onboard I took all of the cast and crew to Warm Springs. The drive was three hours, but the location was amazing. I had issues with it being my first film, but the experience was worth it. I had successfully made a 12 minute short film and completed it. I gained a lot of knowledge on that film set. 

I would say that it wasn’t too long after that I wrote another short film called Changing Malcolm. Changing Malcolm was a hit, so I went on to make more episodes. I couldn’t believe the response from everyone. People I didn’t even know wanted to be in my series. A while went by, and after making seven episodes we decided that we would just edit it as a feature and get it out that way. We ended up getting, Malcolm, our feature onto five different platforms. The top two we were happy to get were Tubi and Amazon. I can’t believe I pulled it off, and it’s actually a great movie!

Congratulations on the streaming releases! That’s awesome! What’s something that you learned about filmmaking from that experience, and what advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Honestly, I’d probably tell them to stay true to themselves. If you want it, go for it. One more thing: do something that has to do with your dream EVERYDAY. It’s a lifestyle and it’s NONSTOP!

Throughout the process I had doubts, of course. I wouldn’t say it was hard, but dealing with my own mental health put me in check. I write all of my films surrounding mental illness. Malcolm is a movie about a man struggling with his mental health. His name is Michael Russo, but when he kills he has turned into Malcolm. We were going to do a part 2, but decided to make just one and move onto something else. I can say I still don’t believe I have a feature film under my belt. If it weren’t for Coach Kristi Taylor giving me the boost of confidence I needed, none of this would have happened. I just want to thank her for believing in me. I remember taking her a brochure from Barnes Funeral Home. Coach Kristi Taylor never stopped believing that I could accomplish these goals I had set for myself. Even after the class, we stayed in contact and chat from time to time. 

That is amazing! So what is next for you? Do you have other projects in the works?

Now it’s 2024, and I have written a feature, made a feature, and have two more in the works. My next project is called Lattimore. It begins filming January 2024, and my other project will film late 2024. That film is untitled at the moment, but is in development. Even though it didn’t work out with being an actor, I found my passion in writing. I have been in this for 3 years now, and want to continue entertaining people. The biggest thing I got out of those acting classes was a sense of self worth. I am now part of something, and I will continue to do my work until my time here is done. I want to thank Coach Kristi once more and thank you all for reading.

Before we end, what would you say to someone who is doubting themselves in the early processes of filmmaking (or struggling to take a step towards their dream)?

I would tell them that you get what you put into it. Like before…you should be doing something focusing on your dream/career everyday. You just need to do what you can. I know this can be very overwhelming, but if it works, do something. Network, write, edit, write a story and make it into a short film. There are many things that can be done to make progress with your dream/career. I have heard so many excuses from people. Don’t make excuses, be a doer.

Mental health means a lot to me. I am a NAMI facilitator for support groups. I am also certified to do training as well. NAMI, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, has taught me to keep going in everything I want to do in life.

You can follow Chadrick!

Check out his:

IMDb

Instagram

Facebook

 

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New Year… New Goals

New Year… New Goals

Launch your acting career into 2024!

The new year has begun which means it’s time for new year’s resolutions, a daunting word that tends to leave most people overwhelmed or disappointed in themselves. “What’s the point of making a resolution if I’m just going to give it up in a week or two?” you might tell yourself or “There are too many resolutions to keep up with, it’s overwhelming.” I hear you.

This author has found herself asking those very questions in the past…

Setting goals can be even more difficult when you have chosen the life of a creative. As creatives it is our responsibility to keep ourselves organized and driven.  Oftentimes we creatives will work on more than one project simultaneously and have several different jobs to juggle meaning goal setting is actually an incredibly helpful activity for us. That’s why I could think of no one better to talk to about this than TAS’s own Media Director, Molly Pass, a creative who tackles multiple jobs/projects at once with an unending positive attitude.

TAS is a big part of your life, but it’s not all you do. What exactly are all of your jobs and titles within those jobs? 

I am an acting and vocal coach at The Actor’s Scene as well as the Media Director for the school, managing all of our social media accounts! In addition to that I am an actor, as well as the CEO of Moon Trip Productions LLC; an independent video production company. I will also take odd jobs on occasion, like holiday pet-sitting or random short-term gigs like that.

-Wowza! You are a busy bee! What other activities do you engage in when you aren’t working?

I LOVE reading, watching movies or TV shows (my favorite show right now is Reservation Dogs on Hulu), working out, and spending time in nature!

-So what does an average day and/or week look like for you?

Every day is a little different, but I generally wake up, make the bed, and start getting ready for the day with a coffee or juice. I like to get my at-home workout out of the way first thing in the morning so I often start with my social media work/emails/random remote working tasks. In the middle of the day I grab lunch and will often have my “me time” in the early afternoon, since I’m usually coaching or editing videos in the evenings. A few times a week I may be shooting content days or events, which look a little different every time! But whether it’s posting on Instagram from my home office, doing an on-site content day, or working at the school, I genuinely love my many jobs.

-With all that going on, what are things you do to keep yourself organized and/or sane?

Google Calendar is my best friend ever. I’ve got a color-coded system for each job as well as my appointments which helps with time management as well as invoicing when the time comes. I even have a color for hanging out with my friends. Using Google Keep for taking digital notes and making lists is really helpful too! I also love using physical planners and to-do lists. My favorite productive stationary is actually from a small business called All Things Lilly Ann. I use their hourly notepads all the time to help me with time-blocking and staying on track! (All Things Lilly Ann)

Amazing! I’ve started using Google Calendar more as well and my how it has helped me stay more organized which is one of my goals for the year. Speaking of goals how important/helpful is goal setting to you?

Goal setting is SO important! I think we always need to be aware of where we presently are and where that is in relation to what we want for our future. By setting goals and creating tangible steps to achieve them we are investing in ourselves and our futures!

-I totally agree! However, I think we both can agree it isn’t that simple. What struggles do you face when it comes to completing goals? 

Procrastination is a BEAST especially when it comes to editing. I do find that my personal projects tend to fall on the back burner when I’m in a particularly busy season which happens to the best of us! In addition to that I think that every artist (whether they want to admit it or not) has some level of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is where you feel like you’re faking your skills and that you’re less talented than the other people you encounter in your field. This is a LIE (and a common feeling in every field)! You’re in your profession or hobby for a reason, and when we beat ourselves up, our work actually does suffer for it. Imposter syndrome gets better the more you do and overcome, but it can be an inhibitor of getting goals accomplished. 

-Woof, do I feel that. So what are things you do to help you stick to your goals?

I’m a super visual person and I LOVE vision boards because of that. I make vision boards on Pinterest/Google Docs and print them out! I’ve got work-related mood boards in my office and fashion/makeup/personal life mood boards in my bedroom and bathroom. I also think having an accountability partner and not being afraid to delegate tasks are super important tips. We weren’t created to go through life alone, and I believe that you have people who care about you and want to help you succeed… Let them in!

Yes! I love a good accountability partner! Such a helpful tool to have. Okay, final question: what goals do you have for 2024?

Some of my goals for 2024 include:

– Launching some exciting Moon Trip offerings… (Stay tuned on www.moontrip.space)

– Growing my hair out! I am very impatient so shoutout to my amazing stylist Chloe who is keeping me to my hair goals!

– Creating one personal project a month. Even if it’s just a short-form video or a self portrait photoshoot. I’d love to create something just for the sake of creating at least once a month

These are amazing! Thank you so much Molly for sharing with us! If you need some help narrowing your goals for the year check out our Career Coaching page HERE.

Get in touch with TAS Front Desk today to be paired with a professional coach to talk about your next moves as an actor, singer, or creator. We would love to get you on track today! 

The deadline to sign up for Spring Classes is January 27th. If you want to sign up for our main classes, without having to wait until August, make sure you register or sign up for your FREE Audit today! 

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

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About The Author

Kirsten Krehbiel

Kirsten Krehbiel is an Atlanta based actress, director, and writer who enjoys bringing people new truths through the art of storytelling. She has a love of acting both on camera and on stage, having been lucky enough to be a part of incredible productions in both worlds. Kirsten joined the TAS team in 2020 as a coach, a job she loves because it lets her watch first hand as students grow and gain self confidence as actors. When she is not creating or coaching, you can find Kirsten hanging out with her grumpy cat on their back porch. 

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