Q&A With Steph Greegor

Steph Greegor is a director, writer, and producer based in Columbus, Ohio. Vital will be co-producing her sophomore directorial effort, a short suspense/drama film called "Nellie", set for production in March 2016. We got a chance to ask her a few questions about "Nellie" and her love for filmmaking.

Greegor on the set of "Olsky"

Your first film, "Olsky", officially premiered last week. How did you get into filmmaking? Was there a particular event or time that you realized that filmmaking was what you wanted to do?

I think I've always been a filmmaker and an actress. My Mom always tells the story of how she'd look in her rearview mirror when I was just a toddler and I'd be making all these animated faces and moving my body. She said I always had a story playing in my head that I was acting out. Constantly. And she was right. That continued throughout my life and in high school I would write these stories in my head and then go in my parent's basement and rehearse the dialogue, acting out whole scenes, repeating them again and again until they were perfect. And that's exactly what making a movie is. Working with actors to get it just right.

After high school, I wanted to go to USC or UCLA. I wanted to be that girl...I wanted to go to L.A. to be an actress. I used to perform in the acapella group Sweet Adelines and we sang, danced and did skits. I loved being on stage. But there were family considerations that prevented that from happening at the time. I come from a family of nurses, cops, military, business folks, so I had no one really pushing that creative side of me. It was just, "Go to college and get a real degree." So, I did. But that creative energy never went away. It was just burning me up. So I went into journalism as a way to feed my creativity but also pay my bills.

And then a few years ago, I returned to movies as a screenwriter. Having been a writer all my life, it was a natural transition, just learning a new technique ad getting critical feedback. I really loved it; the brevity of it really fit my style, though writing a visual story is much more nuanced and difficult than you think. And I kept trying to get other people to make my movies when I finally realized, "Wait. Why don't I just make the movie?" I figured I knew the story and the characters better than anyone, I was a fast learner, I had exposure to producing, and I have a strong point of view...so I did it. I made Olsky. And I had that moment. That moment when it just all comes together and you go, "I should have been doing this all my life." 

I don't regret not doing it earlier in my life, because I don't believe in living with regrets. Everything happens as it should. But now that I'm aware, I will never, ever, let anyone tell me I can't do it, or shouldn't do it; I'm going to do it. And keep doing it. Because telling stories has always been my first love.

Greegor (center) at the premiere of "Olsky"

What is "Nellie" about?

The broader theme in Nellie is about having the courage to face down your demons and your fears, even if that fear is losing your own life to save another's. It's about not being apathetic towards another's painful situation. And how the best things can come from the most unexpected people. Good and bad lives simultaneously in all of us, and we must work to always bring the good to the forefront.

We see that play out on a granular level with our lead, John, a simple man who has been wrongly accused most of his life and doesn't have much to squeeze joy out of. On his normal walk home, he encounters a brutal crime and must decide if he will pass it by or if he will go in and do something about it. Ultimately, he does help, but it costs him, for better and worse.

Where did you get the inspiration to write "Nellie"?

I'm writing a short story book titled Little Book of Horrors that explores very dark themes and situations we encounter as human beings. One of the scariest things I've ever encountered is walking a dark road alone. As a child, I lived out in the country with my family and we had so many spooky things happens to us....it was crazy! So, I drew from that fear and started to develop John. It initially started out as a Twilight Zone type story, with a bit of supernatural flare, but as I wrote, the story unfolded in a much different way. I really love these characters.

What sparked your love for film? What films have been the most inspiring or influential to you and why?

I always loved getting lost in another world. My childhood was very lonely and when my parents got a divorce, I was sort of left to myself for quite a while. Watching movies and T.V. and reading books...those were places I could get lost in, where the characters seemed a little less lost than I was and always had a happy ending. I think I always loved film because it gave me hope for my own happy ending. That, somehow, if I just cleverly re-wrote the pages of my own life, I could have that, too. Film has always been a place where I could work out my life in 90 minutes or less. Be someone else. Escape. Or, let's be honest, imagine I could be a Jedi, because, Star Wars.

The American President has always been one of my favorite movies. Aaron Sorkin is brilliant and the dialogue he writes is so clever. I always watch the movies he writes and I just feel smarter for them. The Star Wars franchise and the Indiana Jones franchise were both always hugely influential for me. Those were the movies that were not only clever, but were just pure entertainment. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are just brilliant. They make big budget movies but with very simple story lines and I love that. Also, Point Break with Keanu Reeves. I loved that movie so much and I didn't know it until a few years ago, but Kathryn Bigelow directed that. I feel my style is more in tune with her style than anyone else. She makes no apologies for being a woman in a man's world and for directing typically male dominated topics. She's a huge influence.

Greegor on the set of "Olsky"

You recently launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for "Nellie". What do you plan on using the donations for?

Contributions go towards pre-production and production costs such as cast and crew fees, equipment rentals, location fees, and/or other production expenses. The most important thing to remember about contributions is that this money ends up going back into the local economy. We'll end up funding close to 80 jobs and sending up to $80,000 into the Ohio economy. That's a big deal to have independent films helping to support cast and crew locally and in the state. Film is more than art; it feeds into the local economy as well.

Support local filmmakers! 
Donate to "Nellie" on GoFundMe today!

All investors get an invitation to a PRIVATE PREMIERE of the film!

Britny Sanders
Marketing Coordinator
bsanders@vitalcompanies.com
(614) 294-1306

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