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Kat Candler
Filmmaker, The Absence of Wings Productions

Kat Candler is a 26-year-old superstar - she's a writer, director and editor of short and feature length narrative films. How do you think Kat got that job?

What are some of your job responsibilities?
I'm a writer, director and editor of short and feature length narrative films. I'm also a director and editor of documentaries. Basically, I create a world from paper and put it onto a big screen, down to the color of a wall, to how a character walks, to a line that an actor delivers, to the pictures on the walls of a set. It's like building this little world from scratch.

How did you find your current job?
I created it. I took a few film classes and made some shorts trying to learn the craft and become better at it. I'm too impatient. I'm not one to sit around and wait for something to happen. I like to make things happen.

Did you learn any of your skills from school?
I majored in Creative Writing in college and learned a lot about how to tell a story there. I had wonderful teachers that really took their time with me as a student. In high school I learned a lot about organization and determination. I went to a college prep school and found quite a bit of competition. It was good though. I found myself trying to be better than anyone else and trying that much harder.

What would you tell a girl that was interested in doing what you do?
To just pick up a camera and start shooting.

What are some of your hobbies?
Indie rock music, travelling. I spent most of my waking hours making movies.

If you could talk to you when you were 12 years old, what advice would you give yourself?
To be innocent and playful. To revel in myself and my surroundings. To tell my mom and dad that I loved them more often. To truly believe that I was beautiful, no matter what the girls in the magazines looked like. To trust my instincts and know that I could do anything I set my mind to. To use my voice.