Meet Trailblazer Sarah Megyesy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Megyesy.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.

 I’ve always been a goofy, easy-going person and in high school, I was a jock. Recently a friend from high school said to me, “I never thought the girl who came to school in sweatpants and Adidas sandals would grow up to be a documentary filmmaker.” And he’s right — it truly was a 180 degree flip from the high school jock to the queer artist that I am today. But while my childhood image disguised who I really am, I’ve always known that I’m not meant for a simple or typical life. Since the beginning, I’ve always been an artist, explorer, and storyteller. In my freshman year of high school, I thought that I wanted to be an actor. By my junior year, I realized I would prefer to go to school to learn how to make films. In 2011, I graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking and have been making films and videos ever since. In early 2019, I finished my first co-directed feature film about Denver’s homeless rights activists fighting the urban camping ban and creating Denver’s first tiny home village for the homeless. Currently, I am working on a film about the future of farming and industrial hemp.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Prior to making the jump into full-time freelance work in 2015, I spent a lot of time working on video & film projects in order to learn and get my name out there as a filmmaker in Denver. This was necessary for me and maybe necessary for other women. It gave me the chance to develop myself in a low-pressure way because I wasn’t dependent on it financially. During the first two years of full-time freelance work, I did not make a lot of money. Not because of a lack of work, I was getting plenty, but I didn’t know how to price myself correctly. It’s also a classic conundrum that the work that you care for and enjoy doing doesn’t typically pay as much as say a corporate client would. I’m continually trying to figure out the balance between making the amount of money I deserve to make and doing work I care about. My advice to other women is to make sure you are going after fair prices with confidence. Don’t be afraid to lose some clients if it means saving space for the work that is going to move your career forward.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Clementine Films/Spiral Bound Studios/Videos That Matter – what should we know?
I split my time working as a freelancer and as Creative Director for the non-profit Videos That Matter. As a freelancer I operate under the business title Clementine Film and the work includes anything from Kickstarter videos to music videos to documentaries to political videos. Videos That Matter’s mission is to create content in order to sparks conversations about topics of health and well-being. Currently, we are developing a documentary about mental health care. Spiral Bound Studios is an all gender-inclusive arts collective run by women.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Books: The Worst Hard Time, Just Kids, The Autobiography of Red
Podcasts: Death, Sex, and Money; S-Town; The Daily
Apps: Calm; Headspace

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahmegyesy.com
• Phone: 412-913-0945
• Email: megyesysarah@gmail.com
• Instagram: @buffymegyesy

Image Credit:
Kathleen Maloney (the image of me with camera); the other photos are my own.

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