Meet Jenny Waldo | Filmmaker

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

Hi Jenny, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I had the insane good fortune to spend an afternoon with the acclaimed screenwriter and author William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) when I was just starting out as a filmmaker. Among various nuggets of advice, the one that haunted me was his edict that if you want to be a writer, you had to write 3 hours a day, every day. Even if it was garbage. Especially because most of it would be garbage! It’s a standard in the writing world to be told by writers that you have to write every day. But over 20 years later, I have yet to write 3 hours a day every day, or even just every day. But I can write 10 hours a day. I can write all day for two days on a weekend. And so much of my “writing” time is simply thinking, which I do best when I’m doing other things like driving, or showering, or cooking. I’ve managed to be quite productive as a writer, and validated as a writer through competitions etc, without heeding this edict. But it haunted me. I always felt like I was doing it wrong, this writing thing, and I was somehow a fraud. At a recent film festival, I mentioned this edict to a panel of accomplished screenwriters and one of them quipped “Didn’t Goldman also famously say that ‘Nobody knows anything’ in this business?” before agreeing that writing is personal. All that matters is getting it done. So I was finally able to let go of this conventional wisdom in the writing world!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a filmmaker, first and foremost. I produce, I write, I direct. Sometimes I edit. I’ve performed every role in making a film because what’s most important is getting a project done, in my mind, by I also know that there are some roles (like lighting and sound) for which I am not the best choice! At the heart of filmmaking is storytelling, but I’m a very visual person. I started my creative journey as a dancer and also as a photographer. Writing came later because I struggled with reading and writing, and the only way that I found through those struggles was to 1 – fall in love with the written word as a reader and 2 – be methodical about how I approached writing until my ideas came out clearly. Being in a creative field, though, is generally a roller coaster. Sometimes it’s an internal roller coaster of feeling like you’ve accomplished something amazing, while other times you feel like you suck. Sometimes it’s external – being validated by being picked for a festival or job, while other times it feels like you’re constantly being overlooked for someone else. That roller coaster doesn’t go away with more experience, it just gets familiar. You don’t fret as much during the lows because you’ve been there before and you know things will turn around eventually. But the highs are still exciting, especially as you grow because those highs become bigger and bigger. But each project is a new challenge, there is no formula. So much changes over time in the industry – technology, the economy, culture. So the only way to overcome these challenges is to keep going. The only way to overcome a low is to keep going. Keep making stuff. Keep putting yourself out there. Maybe you rethink how you’re going about it, or try something new, but if you quit, then that’s it. So keep going! I’m not sure there’s anything that sets me apart. Like many, I am interested in making films and telling stories about how people live their lives, in all the various ways that life is lived, and connect with people over shared experiences, new discoveries. I like working collaboratively with my cast and crew and I truly feel like we’re making something together, and there’s something magical about that. I’m also a teacher, and I love teaching filmmaking and inspiring others. I love helping other filmmakers as a teacher, producer, or as a consultant. I feel very lucky to be where I am and grateful for all the support I’ve received, and excited to keep going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spot in the city is the Menil Collection. I love sitting on the grass by the oak trees and seeing the art, and I love that the gallery is free. For a weekend visit, I would probably spend a lot of time going to different restaurants – Houston is a foodie town! One of my favorite spots is in the suburbs where I live, but it’s not a chain, it’s called Japaniero’s and it’s an Asian/Latin fusion restaurant. I also think going to Brazos Bend State Park is pretty incredible, walking by all those alligators and seeing the abundant wildlife, it’s not to be missed for people visiting this area, even though it’s farther outside Houston. I find the nature spots in Houston surprising and unexpected. Memorial Park, Hermann Park. I’ve never been to Evelyn’s Park, but really want to go. It looks so cute and tucked away. I’d make sure to book a tour of the Buffalo Bayou Cistern, because that place is so cool. Since I went to a Quaker high school back in Washington, DC, where I grew up, I would go for Quaker Meeting at the Live Oak Friends house in the Heights, which has a James Turrell installation in its ceiling, for an hour of reflection and community. It’s been too long since I last went.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been involved with an benefitted from so many programs and organizations in the Houston area, but especially Houston Community College’s Filmmaking program, Houston Cinema Arts Society, Southwest Alternate Media Project, Houston Arts Alliance. Nationally, the crowdfunding platform Seed&Spark has been an inspiration, a place of mentorship, and a champion for my films and so many others, as well as the non-profit From the Heart Productions, which fiscally sponsored my films and many others.

Website: https://www.jennywaldo.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-waldo-b8473b4/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennywaldo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.waldo.7/

Other: https://www.acidtestfilm.com