Meet Mégan Babbitt | Photographer | Filmmaker

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

Hi Mégan, why did you pursue a creative career?
Growing up I was lucky enough to be surrounded by many different forms of art. I think out of everything I felt a deeper connection to Film, Photography, and Music. So, naturally pursuing a career in the creative arts made sense. I can’t remember exactly but somewhere around the age of 8 years old I picked up my first camera and never seemed to put it back down. I don’t know what it was about having a camera in my hand, but I loved being able to take pictures and record EVERYTHING that was around me. There was something special about not only being able to live in the moment but to also capture it and hold onto the memory it created forever. I had also just started learning my first instrument and joined choir around the same time.

I would often find myself writing short stories, making films, creating photoshoots, writing song lyrics, and trying to make melodies on the piano. And if I wasn’t doing that I was watching an endless amount of films. Looking up behind the scenes and the making of videos. Or getting lost listening to every genre of music that spoke to me. I wanted nothing more than to create something meaningful. Something that conveyed the beauty, heart, and emotion I felt in everything around me. Film and Music allowed me to express myself in a way that I wasn’t able to before. It didn’t matter if it was through films or songs that already existed or if it was something I created myself. Getting to be part of the process of creativity one way or another is what I loved the most. From then on I knew that I’d never feel satisfied pursing anything else in my life. This was always my calling, my purpose.

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.
When I think about where I am now versus where I started, I can’t help but think about all the challenges I’ve had to overcome to get here. It certainly wasn’t an easy path. When I made the decision to pursue filmmaking I knew from the start it was going to come with challenges. Even though my family was supportive, not everyone else was. I can remember a number of teachers and career counselors from school and summer programs that would constantly tell me to have a backup plan because a career in the entertainment industry would be difficult to achieve. Luckily, that never deterred me because I was always certain that this is what I wanted to do.

As passionate as I was, I also often felt alone in my journey. There weren’t many people like me in the industry when I was growing up. I didn’t really have a role model to look up to or a path to follow from anyone before me. Everything I knew before I got into college was basically self taught. I spent a lot of time reading how to books, watching films, and getting lost on YouTube trying absorb whatever I could.(Shout out to Wong Fu Productions for being one of those inspirations!)

Eventually in high school I founded my own film program. I ran that for a few years while simultaneously getting the opportunity to become an instructor for the NAU broadcasting workshop right out of high school. I then had the incredibly opportunity to work with Paper Rocket Productions, a company from my hometown. The founders Jake and Deidre took me under their wings and gave an amazing foundation of support, that I am forever grateful for. Not long after that I became a Full Circle fellow through the Sundance Film Institute. I think during this time of my life I learned a lot about how important it was to build genuine connections with people. Everyone had their own stories and were unique in their owns way and I loved getting to see things through new perspectives.

By the end of my college education I had to start balancing the start to my film career while also maintaining a regular full time job. Most of the projects and sets I got to be on were out of state, so I found myself traveling quite often. Mostly back and forth to California. It became pretty clear that I wasn’t in the best location to be doing what I wanted. So eventually I made the decision to move to Los Angeles, which was an entirely new beginning for me. Although I moved to pursue film, my first job in the city brought me into the world of Fashion. And then the doors to the world of Music opened up for me as well. Two industries I never thought I’d get the chance to be fully involved in. Around this time I made a shift to focusing on Photography shooting for Film, Fashion, and Music. A reality I would have never thought possible.

Although being in LA had its positives there were still a number of difficulties that were yet to come. One of the most important things that I got out of living in Los Angeles that fought those moments was finding my community. The amazing and talented group of friends I met made such a difference in my life. They’ve become my biggest support system, they constantly push me to be a better version of myself , and we find inspiration in each other.

While there may not have been much representation when I was first starting out. There certainly is now. As I see more and more people like myself entering the industry I can’t help but be excited for what’s to come. Although I don’t think I’m at that place in my career yet, I hope to be a stepping stone for anyone else that also wishes to pursue this lifestyle. A small piece to making the path easier for those choosing to follow.

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 go to place to take anyone that visits is the beaches in Malibu. I love driving up the coast with the windows rolled down and the music on. Back home going on late night drives listening to music used to be one of my favorite things to do. So driving to Malibu with friends or family that come to visit gives me that same feeling. Watching the sunset also makes for a perfect way to end the day. A trip to the Getty or Getty Villa is also always included. Beautiful locations and equally great museums to visit. As for places to eat it’d have to be the pasta spot in Culver City and Korean BBQ in Koreatown. And of course no trip to LA would be complete without a visit to either Universal Studios or Disneyland!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Of all the people that have had a positive influence on my journey in life, my family deserves the biggest shoutout. I can’t thank my parents enough for letting me have their camcorder when I was younger. That was truly the start of it all. Since the beginning both my parents have proved time and time again that they will always be my biggest fans. Their constant support through every obstacle and milestone I’ve achieved has truly been a blessing. I want to thank them for never making me feel like my dreams were impossible. And of course I have to thank my sisters for being my backbone. They were my very first actresses. They’ve stood by my side from the very beginning and have had a hand in basically every single project I’ve ever done. Their support means the world to me. And to my brother, I want to thank him for always challenging my perspective on music and film and life in general.

Aside from my family there is quite a list of people I could name that have also had an impact on my life and my career. I’m a big believer in the idea that you meet people for a reason. And I want to thank those that have come into my life regardless of when, because their involvement has had an impact and a purpose. Whether it was when I was first starting out, or being part of my version of the “brat pack”, or someone that I’ve met more recently. Thank you for continuously challenging me to be better and pushing me to achieve more. And thank you for the continued encouragement and unconditional support.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ohitsmeegan

Other: https://instagram.com/aknm.creative