was accepted into Sundance. The Kids Are All Right was nominated for Oscars. Save the Date was ready to be sent out. When people asked if I was a first time director, the answer was no. The dominos fell from there. In the months that followed, I got my dream cast, producer Michael Roiff (Waitress) came on board, and financing showed up. When I look back, there's nothing I can think of that I would have done differently. There are a few takeaways here, but they're very simple. When you discover something you truly love, hold on to it. Don't forget about it. I hadn't directed anything of note back when I first read the script for Save the Date and literally right now you can turn on your tv and watch it. Focus on the work. Your instincts are what set you apart from every other filmmaker, so create any opportunity to sharpen them. This is what instills the confidence and trust in your collaborators to create the groundswell of energy needed to get your film off the ground. It can be tempting to get distracted by what I like to call "warp zone stories:" filmmakers who may make one short film and find themselves directing a feature for a studio. It does not make you a better filmmaker to waste your time lamenting over the fact that this hasn't happened to you yet. That hasn't been my path, and most likely it's not going to be yours. Make