Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Warren.
Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I remember being 5 years old and writing “plays” because I thought that’s how movies were made. I had a love of so many different areas in film; horror fx makeup, stunts, and of course acting. I floated around those areas trying to decide which would be for me, and one by one started singling them out by the time I was 10. I didn’t think I’d be able to do stunts because I didn’t look like the women in the movies and had a fear of heights. Eventually, I’d learn that makeup fx was a highly competitive area, and didn’t think I could make it. I started to fall more in love with the idea of being someone different from film to film, so I stuck with acting overwriting. By the time I was 19, I was fairly clueless on how to even go about finding a manager or agent, but there were a couple of solid Yahoo Groups (this was back in 2001) that would post legit casting calls. I got some headshots made and a tiny resume with school and indie projects that I could feature, but I’d never get called in for audition.
By 2003 I was fed up and decided that if people can make straight-to-video horror films, surely, I could do the same and star in them. I later learned that one of the reasons I wasn’t getting called into auditions was because I was considered “too ethnically ambiguous”. So along with my (then boyfriend) ex-husband and a mutual friend of ours, we studied every one of our favorite horror films looking at shot composition and lighting. Listened to countless director commentaries (as they were new and all the rage lol), read every biography we could get our hands on, and of course, Lloyd Kauffman’s Make Your Own Damn Movie and set out to make our first feature… We had a complete casting call with auditions and callbacks, a couple of people were interested in donating their locations and resources for this horror comedy I had written inspired by Mike Mendez’s The Convent. We did a month of rehearsals on top of 3 months of pre-production all for it to slowly fall apart after the first weekend of filming.
As painful and difficult as that lesson was, I knew it was what I was meant to do. I started working as a production assistant on local (San Antonio and Austin) commercials, worked on a public access variety show. Through the public access show, I wrote and performed in comedy sketches, even played host for a couple of episodes when we tested a different format. I also got more into video editing and some camera work. By 2006, I moved to Lewisville after separating from my ex-husband and enrolled in the Art Institute of Dallas. Through AI I made some wonderful connections that got me work on union productions including NBC’s Chase, ABC’s Who Wants to be on a Japanese Game Show, and some commercial work. I ended up taking a 7-year hiatus in 2008 after re-marrying and choosing to put my focus into that marriage.
Even though I gave up on filmmaking, I still wrote and even made a short film (Run) operating as a one-woman crew. I’m still pretty proud of that short even though it’s a little rough. But I had amazingly talented actors, and it was great fun to shoot! It wouldn’t be until 2018 that I’d dive back in again and see what I could get into. I’ve had more success working in post-production as an editor and colorist, working with some Dallas filmmakers, but started getting more remote opportunities outside of Texas. At present, I’m the video director and editor for Gemiini Systems, a company that specializes in speech therapy and modeling videos for Autistic kiddos and children with other speech and developmental needs. With my own projects, I’m in the process of developing my first feature horror film called Good Night Text; about a cursed hand mirror that finds its way to cheating partners and puts them through a nightmarish hell before destroying their lives entirely.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest struggles have been surrounding my personal life. I’m a survivor of child and sexual abuse and haven’t had much stability in my life. Trying to find inner peace and healing while finding where I can fit in in a non-creative work environment has been incredibly challenging. But I’ve come a long way and found my path and have nothing stopping me now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My earlier work was basically a huge learning experience. I filled so many of the roles because I couldn’t afford to pay others, and trusted few to work with “sweat equity”. But with how my brain functions, stretching myself thin essentially made for less than polished final products, and honestly, they didn’t really have much heart. I’m very proud of my DIY/microbudget beginnings, I was one of few women pioneering endeavors that sought to change the landscape for women filmmakers in horror. But now, I’m more focused on my writing and carefully planning my first feature film. What’s important to me is telling stories that connect people and make them think as well as entertain them. I feel that no matter what genre, watching a movie should be an experience. While I enjoy films that are fun and take my mind off of the world around me, I really appreciate films that move and inspire me. Or that stick with me long after it’s over. And that’s something I hope to be able to share with audiences with my work.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My biggest and first cheerleader was Gonzoriffic’s Andrew Shearer. His passion and support meant so much to me over the years. I met him at the very start, in 2003, and he’s been supportive of my work ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: tiffanywarren.myportfolio.com/v-i-d-e-o
- Instagram: @vampirate1782
- Facebook: facebook.com/stupidideafilms
- Twitter: @vampirate1782
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtw8JK8ABDYE2dm5q76J_3w/featured
- Other: https://vimeo.com/rtwarren
Image Credits
Jason Bradford
Meri Ferrell
Michael Pope
Selig Polyscope
Andrew Shearer
Ray Dupanis
