267 - Director Traci Hays - Going From Crew To Director, Finding A Mentor, and Learning To Prove Yourself Again and Again
May 10, 2022
Hello, Hello!
In this episode, we have a conversation with Director Traci Hays. We talk about her latest feature film ‘Tangled’ streaming on Passionflix now, how she overcame childhood health and learning issues to pursue filmmaking, the benefits of career coaching, overcoming barriers as a female in the film industry, the role women play in holding other women back, how to find a mentor, and so much more. Enjoy!
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More on Traci Hays
IG: @traci.s.hays
https://m.facebook.com/tracishays
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3490382/
Traci Hays is a DGA nominated director. Her work has earned
multiple awards, including Best Director and Best Picture, along
with being an award-winning Production Designer.
Hays recently directed Disconnected, a short film thriller, as part
of the Women's Weekend Film Challenge. With a diverse all-female
cast and crew, she lead the film to garner a win for Best Director
at the Independent Short Awards and Best Thriller at the Top Short
Film Festival.
Before this, Traci directed the short film
'Frederick' starring James Morrison (Fox's 24). The film
premiered at Dances with Films at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los
Angeles. The film has won 20 awards, including Best Director at the
LA Film Awards and Best Picture at the New York Film Awards.
With her proven track record, Hays secured a partnership with Tosca
Musk's production company, Passionflix, where she directed the film
Dry Spell, written by New York Times Bestselling Author Vi
Keeland.
Hays graduated cum laude from Chapman University, earning her BFA
in Film Production. She was awarded a coveted apprenticeship with
legendary director Randal Kleiser (Grease) to oversee her senior
thesis, an 1800s-period film Lions Among Men, starring Dayo Okeniyi
(NBC's Shades of Blue). The film was recognized by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a finalist for the DGA Student
Film Awards. She continued to develop her directing sensibilities
under the mentorship of John Badham (Saturday Night Fever), Martha
Coolidge (Real Genius), and Lawrence Paull (Back to the
Future).
Hays is also an accomplished production designer, having worked on
various feature films, television, and commercials with companies
such as Universal Studios, Hulu, BET, and many more.