How to Pitch Your Vision: Filmmaking Lessons from Andrew Kightlinger
Send a text How do you turn a technical camera launch into a soulful piece of science fiction? In this episode, director Andrew Kightlinger joins the Rumikay Talks podcast to break down the reality of a career in film. From his unique childhood education in Madagascar—where movies arrived in a traveling "Red Island Video Club" footlocker—to directing a feature for Sylvester Stallone, Andrew shares what it takes to survive and thrive in the industry. In this episode, we discuss: The "Sting" of Rejection: Why the "no’s" never stop hurting, but how to stop taking them personally. The Art of the Pitch: How Andrew landed the Fujifilm GFX launch by pitching emotional storytelling over technical specs. Vulnerability on Set: Why being a "benevolent director" and taking acting classes leads to more truthful performances. Grief as Inspiration: How the loss of his grandmother fueled the script for his latest sci-fi short. Atomic Habits: Why small steps and personal growth are essential for staying focused as a creative. ✨ Selected links from the episode: ✨ Andrew's IG: https://www.instagram.com/andrew.vhs OKAY at Slamdance: https://slamdance.com/26-lineup/ Slamdance Film Festival: February 19th–25th in Los Angeles (and virtually!) 🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring conversations and hit the notification bell so you don't miss out! https://rumikay.com/YouTube 👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review Rumikay Talks on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rumikay-talks/id1632585743 💬 We'd love to hear from you! What would you like to learn from working filmmakers? Send us a text!