Meet Sayre Crabtree | Film Producer & Screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sayre Crabtree and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sayre, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When it comes to taking risks, I start by reminding myself everything is inherently risky. Every time I get in my car or walk down the street, anything could go wrong. If I asked myself whether getting my daily coffee was worth the risk of potentially being robbed or worse, I’d say of course not. Yet here I am, sipping my coffee. Why? Because control is an illusion we create to reduce our anxieties (ironic, since that reality can actually lead to immense peace). Making your decisions based solely on natural survival needs keeps you just a step above mere existence, throwing you into a rinse and repeat cycle that lacks meaning. I don’t want to just survive; I want to live my life with purpose.

At 14, I felt lost and hopeless, lacking the passions and visions my peers had for their futures. I asked God to reveal His plan for me, shortly after, a random six-year-old girl squeezed my hand and told me I was going to make movies. It seemed absurd—I had no ties to the industry and no interest in film. Yet, every time I avoided it, life became incredibly challenging despite seemingly in control. Conversely, whenever I pursued film, I felt a profound sense of freedom and purpose riding the wave of fate and hard work.

I often reflect on Acts 5:38-39, which says, “if this plan or undertaking is of man, it will fail; But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Even the most logical and seemingly foolproof plans can fail if they aren’t aligned with your true purpose. Despite the absurdity, the dream of winning an Oscar and having my films seen by millions feels far more attainable to me than any other life I could have manufactured. My road is clear, and when I go off-roading from that path, the bumps remind me of where I truly belong — no matter how rational my reasoning was to hop off.

Taking risks isn’t about seeking shock value or fun dinner table stories for friends. It is not about following someone else’s journey or hoping to strike the lottery. It’s about pursuing risks that feel right to you, even if they seem outlandish to others. The more clear it seems to you versus how insane you sound to others is an indicator that your path is uniquely yours — as it should be. To take meaningful risks, you must know yourself. And I think that is what people struggle with the most right now: identity. Who are you outside of everyone else’s influence?

In my journey, the biggest risk I took was during the pandemic. As a sophomore at Chapman University, I was not ready to try to freelance amid a shut-down and knew no entertainment industry would take a gamble on hiring me in such a ‘back against the wall’ time in the industry. I decided to take two years off from school, working in the restaurant industry to save money. I fell in love with sales and people, two skills I now bring with me into my career. By 2022, I had a lucrative waitressing job in Florida, yet every fiber of my being yearned to make films. Despite the comfort, benefits, and financial stability, I chose to chase my passion. I went on a 40-day camping road trip across America, returned to Chapman, and have since graduated. Freelancing in the film industry for the past two years has been the rollercoaster I keep running back in line for like a little kid just barely passing the height restriction. There is nothing better than doing what you were made to do.

Taking risks has profoundly shaped my life and career — it has been the litmus test to deem me ready for my true calling. Each set back has only ignited more passion in me for film. The path to genuine fulfillment often requires stepping into the unknown and trusting in a vision that only you can see. Take that step. It isn’t any more of a risk than your last one.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a freelance producer and writer specializing in film. I have experience working with commercials, music videos, and influencer content as well. My most recent project called “She Was a Girl” is about to hit the film festival circuit. This short film is a suspenseful drama about a young girl trying to escape after being kidnapped by a poor Chinese family with a neurodivergent son, tasked with providing a grandson. The film hopes to not just raise awareness of human trafficking practices but also bring into discuss a universal question: what do you do in the face of oppression or adversity? Do you become the evil or do you continue to repeatedly fight against it? The reason this film means so much to me is because it does exactly what a film should do: it makes you feel and it makes you think. I believe every movie is a window into another lifetime you do not have time to live yourself, but in two hours, you grow to empathize and understand the way other people work and look at the world around them. Good or bad, a film allows you to put on someone else’s shoes for a brief moment then come back to your own life able to reject or accept new ways of thinking. There are billions of stories we could tell, and I think they are all worth telling to sharpen our own story of our own lives in comparison.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spot in Orange County is this weird public outdoor courtyard with a huge flatscreen TV that plays sports all day, cushioned seating everywhere, ping pong tables, and fountains. I go there when I want to sit in the sun and people-watch. As for LA, I love nature so if you go pretty North, there’s a ton of secluded mountains that are easily accessible and not too far of a drive. It is a great contrast to the city and reminds me of how small I am compared to nature.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could not have gotten where I am today without the mentors and peers I have had along the way. Every single person I have ever spoken to has made a profound impact on me in this industry. They have given me the ability to take and leave the parts of them that inspire me in my own path. Everyone at Chapman University, Emerson College, and freelancing with me now — their ambition, talent, and personalities have pushed me to become better each and every day.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sayrecrabtree/