Meet Carly Miller | Writer/Director

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

Hi Carly, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
As a writer/director, I believe you should make it a habit to become a voracious reader. I’ve done this and it’s improved my writing dramatically! Reading not only expands your knowledge and opens you up to new and exciting ideas for your scripts, it also teaches you good storytelling.

Skilled authors capture your interest and never lose it. They exhibit mastery over the written word, an extensive vocabulary, and a solid grasp of narrative structure. They also express their thoughts succinctly (an underrated skill!). The more you read, the more you learn!

Next? Watch excellent movies and reflect on why they’re great. Talk about them with friends, read critical analyses, study the dialogue, the directing style, the pacing, and clarify for yourself why these films work so well, then apply that same critical lens to your own material. Ask yourself: can I make this better? Can I punch it up? Can I say the same thing, but with brevity?

I’ll throw in some more helpful habits.

Surround yourself with collaborators whose character you admire. When you’re working on set, fighting long hours and stressful conditions, morale matters. Seek out people with integrity and positive attitudes.

Exercise, get enough sleep, and eat well so you can approach your work with clear-headedness and focus.

Talk to folks from diverse backgrounds and walks of life, so you broaden your perspective. If you catch yourself living in an echo chamber, get out of it — or your writing will reflect a narrow view.

Lastly, go to coffee shops and restaurants and listen to the way people talk. Use this inspiration to write naturalistic dialogue.

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 got my start in the entertainment business by attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts. I transferred from junior college into the production program, where I took several classes which deeply influenced my understanding of cinema, all taught by Dr. Drew Capser. I benefited from his meticulous analyses, particularly of the works of Hitchock and Spielberg. He taught me the difference between an “OK” film and a masterpiece.

While there are many qualities that elevate a film to greatness, I believe the most important one is the screenplay. Is the dialogue good? Are the characters fleshed out? Does the pacing work? Are there any plot holes? Is the tone consistent? Does the ending actually SAY something? These questions keep me up at night! My insistence on excellent writing sets me apart from others. I won’t settle for mediocrity or tropes, for overused lines, beats, and predictable endings. When I make a film, I aim not just to entertain people (and that’s a big deal to me, by the way), but to make them think and ponder the complexities and mysteries of human existence. A great movie should achieve the same depth as a great piece of literature.

My mom also significantly influenced my love of cinema. She adores classic movies and showed them to me and my siblings when we were kids. I’ve always been smitten with Hollywood’s Golden Age, especially the works of Billy Wilder, Hitchcock, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Frank Capra, George Cukor, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and so many more.

I’ve also achieved success by being persistent! Since college, I’ve written, directed, and produced five shorts and co-produced a feature. Additionally, I’ve written two features and two TV pilots (unproduced).

I shoot and edit corporate videos for my day job, meaning I’m almost always working with cameras and visual media. All I can say is, stay busy! Work as PA, offer to bring craft services or co-produce if your friend needs help. Slog through those crappy first drafts then revise them continually. Make it a lifelong practice to improve your craft, even when you’re not getting paid or receiving any recognition. In time, your efforts will pay off! Persistence and work ethic are far more valuable than raw talent.

Also, cultivate community. When I show up at film festivals or screenings or work on set — I talk to people! I can’t stress this enough: people are your best resource. Ask friends and acquaintances what they’re working on, engage with them, offer to help on their projects if it makes sense for you. Not every interaction is about what you can get out of it, it’s about what you can offer others. Be a sounding board for their ideas and provide constructive feedback. The arts are beautifully collaborative. We’re not playing a zero sum game. We’re running this race together and should help one another along the way.

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?
There’s SO much to see in Los Angeles! I love hiking, so I’d take a friend to Griffith Park, hit the trail, and show them views of the city.

I’d also day trip to Malibu to grab some lunch and enjoy the rugged coastline. Both the Getty and the Getty Villa are worth a look, along with the Huntington Library in Pasadena and Descanso Gardens in Montrose, especially in springtime. It’d be cool to walk around the Silver Lake Reservoir then dine at a low key restaurant in Los Feliz.

A trip to LA also isn’t complete without a drive through Hollywood and the iconic Sunset Strip.

If I’m feeling really fancy, I might cruise into the Sunset Tower Bar for dinner and drinks. And of course…sprinkled between all of this would be trips to Blue Bottle, Unincorporated or Intelligentsia for perfectly made lattes.

Right now, I’m living in Toluca Lake, so I’ll throw in the Smokehouse restaurant as an honorable mention. It’s one of the best steakhouses in LA and just a fun place to have dinner and enjoy the old Hollywood aesthetic.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m dedicating my Shoutout to my co-writer/co-director and dear friend Sonora Rowan! She’s been my ride-or-die creative partner ever since we collaborated on a short film back in 2016. I invited her to help with some “BTS stuff” for a passion project. Once she arrived on set, she proceeded to help with…absolutely everything!

She’s a jack of all trades who does it all: writing, directing, producing, and production design. She’s also simply a WONDERFUL human! We’ve made four short films together and co-founded our production company, Eagle and Child Productions. In 2021, we produced a proof-of-concept, ROGUE: THE WESTERN, which picked up twelve awards on the festival circuit. Currently, we’re in the development stages on our first feature, a horror/dark comedy called LA PAZ.

Without Sonora’s sharp creative instincts, hilarious sense of humor, witty dialogue, resourcefulness on set, and close friendship over the years, I wouldn’t be half the artist I am today! I’m so excited for our future endeavors!

Website: eagleandchildproductions.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-miller-2b309120/