Meet Rebecca Demeter | Writer and Director

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

Hi Rebecca, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was 5, I fell in love with movies, starting with The Wizard of Oz. I grew up during the Disney boom of the late 80s and early 90s, and watched those movies endlessly. As I grew older, all I wanted to do was create more magical worlds others could fall into like I did. I remember being completely enraptured by the characters and stories. When I was a teenager, I watched The Matrix and knew that I wanted to be the person pulling all the strings to make it all happen. I didn’t know the word “director” then, but I knew that’s who I wanted to be. But during high school, I thought I should have a serious and stable job, and did the healthcare thing. I tried a few different careers. I went to college and got a degree in biology, because I had planned on going to pharmacy school. When that didn’t pan out, I got an associate’s in medical assisting, and worked in a primary care doctor’s office for a year and a half, and then worked in an orthopedic office for 6 months. I was profoundly, deeply unhappy during this time.
Movies were my only solace in a world of gray. That was when I truly felt alive. Eventually, I knew I had to pursue an artistic and creative career being a filmmaker, or I would regret it for the rest of my life. I knew it would be the hardest thing I had ever done, but I also knew that nothing else in life could compare to it.
Some days I wish I could have a different career that’s more reliable, 9-5, and that I wouldn’t have to fight for every day. But that makes all the difference. Fighting for what I love, because nothing else makes me happy and fulfilled in the same way.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
The journey of how I got to where I am today wasn’t easy in any way, any day. I’ve never gone to film school, took any filmmaking classes, or been on a set until I moved to LA. Back in my hometown of Chicago, one of my friends’ friends was a wonderful guy named Adam who had moved to LA a few years before I did. My friend connected us, and I met Adam shortly after I moved to LA. He gave me a list of producers, unit production managers, assistant directors, and other industry professionals he had worked with. I reached out to every single person on that list. Some didn’t respond, but the ones that did asked me to be a production assistant or runner. I showed up each day and worked as hard as I could with the best possible attitude.
I slowly grew a network and lots of connections that got me to where I am today. I moved from unpaid to paid jobs, and small student films to short films and music videos. This took about a year, but I finally started get jobs in movies and union TV shows, and got staffed on bigger projects.
Finally I used my connections and network to start making my own short films a few years ago. I had a lot of experience at that point, and knew that I was ready to take this huge step forward. I’m so proud of my short films The Valtozas, Happiness is an Illusion, and Hey Alexa.
You can find more information about them on my website: www.rebeccademeter.com
My latest short film is currently in post-production. It’s called Heart Problems, and it’s about a mom and daughter’s long night in the emergency room after the mom has a possible heart attack. I had amazing actors and a wonderful crew to help me bring my vision to life.
I learned so many lessons along the way. Mainly to show up on time, with a good attitude and ready to do whatever was asked of me. I also talked to pretty much anyone who would talk to me. Lots of wonderful people recommended me to other people who hired me for jobs. Hollywood is a town that runs on who you know, and small chats I had with people would lead to long term work and even better opportunities. I’m extremely blessed and grateful for everything that’s come my way so far, and can’t wait to see what’s next.

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.
One of the best things to me about Southern California is the breadth of places to see in just an hour or two drive (depending on traffic of course!). I would start by doing a little tour of downtown Los Angeles. We would go to the Broad, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Last Bookstore, and go see the murals in the Arts District. We’d head over to Little Tokyo and get the Crème brûlée crepe at Millet Crepe. We’d finish off the day with some amazing cocktails at Death & Co.
The next day I would take them hiking at the Eaton Canyon Nature Reserve, and hopefully see the beautiful waterfall at the end of the trail. From there we would go to the Huntington Gardens, and then grab some delicious pastries at I Like Pie. I would finish off the day going to a screening of an awesome movie at Vidiots.
The following day we would drive to Malibu and go to the Getty there. We would have a late lunch at Sparrow Café, and shop for souvenirs at the Malibu Pier. After that we’d climb to the top of Point Dume and enjoy a beautiful sunset. I think that would be a perfect way to end a fun trip.

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 would like to dedicate my Shoutout to my parents. They’re wonderful, loving, and encouraging in my pursuit of becoming a filmmaker. I’m sure it was quite a surprise for their daughter to move across the country and work towards a career with no prior experience or training. But I’m grateful that they made so many sacrifices that put me in that path. My parents immigrated to the US in the early 1990s. My dad came out first to get the paperwork and visas together for my mom, myself, and my younger brother. Two years later, we were reunited. I can’t imagine how difficult that time period was for my parents, and I’m glad someone took video of that special moment in the airport when they finally met again.
It hasn’t been an easy road towards becoming a writer and director, and I’m very blessed in having parents that are endlessly kind, generous, and understanding.

Website: www.rebeccademeter.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebecca.demeter/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-demeter/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=660045165

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@reddy272/featured