About me – Nathalie
In 2008, I quit my job and flew from Paris to Los Angeles to work on what I wanted to become, a full-time director-editor. In the process I started writing my scripts as well, because it was just easier that way, so I became a director-editor-writer. I didn’t know anything about the “Business“, I didn’t know anything about the rules, and I learned. I wrote, shot and edited a lot the first year. And I learned. I sent some of the movies to festivals, and I learned [oh yes. It was painful mostly]. I got selected sometimes and guess what? Yes, I learned.
At the end of 2010 I started mentorless.com to share with my community what I was learning and discovering on a daily basis. In the last two years, mentorles has pushed me to discover much more than what I would if I didn’t have the site. Thanks to it I also met with many incredible people. Those two elements only made the hundreds of hours spent on it worth it.
At the end of 2011 I left Los Angeles to become a nomad for an undetermined amount of time. I am based in France (if you want to write me a letter) but I go wherever my projects and work lead me to.
About Mentorless
mentorless.com is a website for independent storytellers and filmmakers who want to stay tune with tips and tools on how to write, shoot, edit and produce a video, a short movie, a feature film, but also how to stay creative. It offers interviews, making-of, tutorials, tips and tools to be inspired and evolve as a story maker, a filmmaker and an independent creative. If you love films, transmedia, post-production, tv shows and anything related to storytelling and entertainment, this is it.
Mentorless is conceived as a sharing platform and doesn’t pretend to detain all the answers. It is an opportunity to start conversations with other movie-makers and movie-lovers.
Mentorless was awarded best website of the week in August 2012 by Script Mag.
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June 22, 2012 at 3:40 pm ·
Wonderful! My girlfriend sent me this site and I’m looking to reading more. Good luck on your inspiring journey!
June 23, 2012 at 12:27 am ·
thanks, and thank you for stopping by!
October 11, 2012 at 8:36 am ·
I could use a T-Shirt with that MENTORLESS logo on it.
It’s a shame that in the past you could find a mentor who would help elevate your work and your business connections to higher levels. Now “paying your dues” doesn’t ‘pay off’, only consistently ‘doing’ does…provided that what you do creates real value for your audience.
October 11, 2012 at 9:16 am ·
The concept of mentor is also interesting to me because in France we don’t have this mentoring concept where you would contact someone you don’t know and ask them to be your mentor. We are still educated with this romantic idea that a mentor arrives through an organic relationship and an older person sees a bit of himself in you and takes you under his wings. Alas that also means that mentorship is mostly limited to man to man based relationship. And I spent years in america not knowing I could have ‘mentors’. So, mentorless.
December 24, 2012 at 8:01 pm ·
Hi MENTORLESS,
I agree with your assessment of how finding a mentor is organic. I’ve never known it to work by cold calling someone. I do think that there are some extraordinary individuals out there who still pay it forward, however the very nature of mentorship has been changing as people live longer lives. To extend one’s artistry and name mentors would teach younger pupils to carry on in the ways of the mentor even after the mentor is long gone…to leave a legacy. Now that we’re all living longer those same gate keepers live long enough to not be as concerned with having others continue on their legacy. In such an environment a lot of up and comers are being used and discarded by would be mentors. This is not to say that success happens in a vacuum. Help is needed, but we have to understand that the rules have changed. The very people who’s help you seek to break in, require to see you can do the work at their level. Once you have done that, though, you don’t need those people to ‘break in’. Doing the work gets you in. To be more specific doing the work as good as, or better than the current ‘best’ gets you in. Doing it consistently is how you build a career at the top of your profession.
December 31, 2012 at 11:49 am ·
Hi Frank,
thanks for your comment! I think you’re making a very good point, and people staying longer and longer in powerful positions has and is changing mentorship. Ultimately, as you said it, working, working and moving forward are two components that matter the most. Having a mentor makes your life easier, helps you save time and grow faster (or differently) but if you don’t work and move forward, having a mentor won’t be enough.
December 23, 2012 at 11:08 pm ·
Fantastic site. It deserves a bigger audience. There’s a lot to learn on here as a writer and a film maker.
December 24, 2012 at 1:53 am ·
Thanks Timothy!
April 30, 2013 at 5:00 pm ·
Great site. I too have been mentorless in most of my artistic career. It’s rough and glad to see a site for those of us struggling to keep the dream alive
On a side note, I too am a nomad and envious of your dual country life style. France is the only other country I could see myself living.
Keep up the great site!
May 1, 2013 at 12:19 am ·
Thanks Michael, it’s nice to have other creative minds stop by and share their experience as well!
I really enjoyed your website, we overlapped in L.A. for a few years apparently.
Hope to see you around!
nathalie