Meet Paige Compton: Film Director / Writer

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

Hi Paige, how do you think about risk?
I am ALL about taking risks. Big ones. Risks that make people around me think I am crazy. One doesn’t become great by playing it safe. As they say, the greater the risk… the greater the reward. In those inevitable times that the risk doesn’t work out and you fail… count your blessings, you have just learned more about your goal and yourself then you ever would have if you had succeeded at it.

This is how I have lived my entire life. I don’t take random risks. I take calculated (as much as I can calculate it) risks. I usually know which risk to take by tapping into my intuition and letting that inner voice guide me. I call it my premeditated reckless abandon. Life is entirely too short to wait on the sidelines for something safe to come around. Take the leap… you’ll either land it or you’ll clear it from your path so you can focus on the next risky move.

It’s a scary way to live but god… it’s exciting and so rewarding.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I direct film/TV/music videos. I absolutely love it. It’s all I do. It’s all I ever want to do. My path to finally arriving at only directing has been a real round-a-bout way of getting here. But I wouldn’t change my experiences for the world. I do feel like I still have a long way to go. Many more things to make and many more stories to tell.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I grew up in CA but in NorCal at the very top of the Central Valley. Then I spent all of my twenties on the East Coast. I moved to LA in 2018 when I started my Masters Program at AFI and then Covid hit. I really haven’t been to a lot of places. I still have soooo much of the city left to explore. With that being said, I do have a few places I am familiar with. I would take them to Dockweiler State Beach for a bonfire. Out to Joshua Tree for a spiritual experience. To The Friend Bar for some local music and drinks. Then most likely to Magic Mountain for some rollercoasters. A few local hikes cuz they are highly underrated. There’s this cool speakeasy downtown with a bomb mixologist and a live jazz trio… Cole’s… they claim to have invented the French Dip Sandwhich. Haha! Then honestly I would be in on the exploration with them. I still have so much more to see and experience.

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?
I want to recognize teachers. We have all some great teachers, coaches and mentors in our lives. Personally I have had four “turning-point teachers” in my life. These are people that went above and beyond the required duties to really inspire their students. First up is my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Lockwood. She inspired a love of art, history, and storytelling in me. Gave me a whole new perspective on what was possible in life. Next up in my High School JROTC Instructor Lieutenant Colonel Gose. He took me under his wing and built up my talents for leadership. Then on to my undergrad at the Art Institute of Washington with my professor Paul Awad. It was apparent he has a passion for teaching students and when he believes in a students potential and they are working hard to improve he will continue to challenge them to better themselves. Professor Awad is the one who challenged me to try directing film and I never looked back. The last and most recent professor I want to highlight is Rob Spera. A directing professor at AFI that took everything I thought I knew and showed me I didn’t. He challenged me to become a true and vulnerable artist and leader.

Website: https://vimeo.com/paigecompton

Instagram: @dudette.director

Image Credits
Bia Catbagan