Meet Thomas R. Wood | Co-Founder & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thomas R. Wood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thomas, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always suffered from being too interested in too many things and, in my twenties, medicine was it. During and after college, I was working full time in organ transplant as a surgical coordinator. My job was something akin to being a line producer but in the operating room: running logistics, coordinating between surgeons and hospitals, helping to run and assist in operating rooms. I almost went to med school. At some point though, I realized I wasn’t happy. The work was fascinating and very satisfying in the day-to-day. I could get called 24 hours a day and suddenly have to take a team of surgeons in a private plane to god knows were and be up for the next fifteen hours procuring a heart for some patient. Not many people have stories about holding human hearts. I have. It was engaging, fun, exciting, and meaningful. But, I didn’t love it.

I had this realization that a lot of people I worked with really loved helping people. I liked helping people, but I didn’t love it. That sounds funny to say and, indeed, it’s a good line at parties, but it’s true for me. It just wasn’t enough. As far back as I can remember I had the need to make something, to be able to point to some external creative endeavor, and to be able to say, “that work, that’s me.” For me, for someone to appreciate that thing I made is to love me, and that’s what I wanted. One day, I helped a friend make a dumb music video and that day I quit what I was doing and went all in on creativity and never looked back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Over the years I’ve done documentaries, fashion photography, voiceover, screenwriting, and work with comedians. It led me to found Woodlette, our production company and that in turn has become a powerful vehicle for our creative ambitions. I’m writing. I’m directing. I’m behind the camera. We make million dollar ads that we’re really proud of, not only for the creative, but for the partnerships we’ve developed with our clients. We’ve also taken on startups and helped them define their brands from the ground up. It’s messy and crazy and very satisfying, not unlike parenting. Before the pandemic we had a show and two feature scripts in development, and that’s starting to come back as we peak our heads up over the epidemiological wall.

Longer term, I am body and soul engaged in a feature length script I’m writing about a young woman searching for a lost city of gold. It’s a story about family and obsession and has a healthy dose of classic adventure in it. I cannot wait to take it to the next stage. I’ve built up a language of filmmaking that is my own. It’s often dark and sad and funny, and always sincere. I’m proud of my work with actors, with so many amazing people, and I hope and believe they found me supportive and enabling in all the best ways.

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?
The best spot in the Los Angeles is a famous person’s house. I know, I know, god, I really, really know, how terrible that answer is, but it’s the correct one. Let me lay out the logic here: All around the world, amazing people move to LA to work and collaborate and compete with other amazing people. They then become more amazing and, ultimately, in many cases, famous. When you go to their house, they are amazing. They’ve done amazing things, are involved with other amazing people and, typically, have amazing stories. Often, other amazing, sometime famous, people, are also there. The result is the best and most truly LA experience. You’re hanging out with amazing people, talking about amazing things, having a really amazing time. You feel amazing and are yourself, often more amazing through the experience.

Of course, that isn’t accessible to everyone, but if you come to LA, and know anyone famous, try to go to their house. Or move here, like we all did, and make friends. Otherwise, my best tip is to go to the Comedy Store on Sunset. There’s almost no other place quite like it and you’re bound to see some of the best comics in the world not only performing, but hanging out after (this is a slightly pre-covid suggestion here but fingers crossed). If you’re smart, you’ll hang out too, ask them to be friends, and then get that invite back to their place.

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’m half of a team at Woodlette. My wife and business partner, Lindsey Wood, and I founded the company together in 2018 after years of informally working together. She was the agency producer while I was the filmmaker. For years, she’d been leaning on me for technical and creative insight while I leaned on her for polish, level headedness, and astoundingly good taste. In all things, she represents the bar that I have to overcome to feel assured things are working. Even now I’ve got a script I’ve spent a year on and though I’ve shown a few friends I won’t show her until I’m sure it’s ready. Other people, sure, but not yet her. People trust her, her judgment, her creative ideas, because they know she’s got their backs, and that she’ll always do what’s best for the team. She’s got my back, and I’m very grateful.

Website: www.woodlette.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-wood-9a6b6473/

Twitter: twitter.com/Modernwood

Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/thomasrwood

Image Credits
On my headshot, please credit: Mandee Johnson @Mandeephoto