Meet Nancy Sheehan | Writer and Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Sheehan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, how do you think about risk?
As a woman in film, my entire professional existence is built off of risk. As is anyone’s, regardless of gender or primary position when coming into this business. You can be born in the industry or decide to one day step into it, but the challenge of lasting within such a competitive environment will be there waiting for you either way. So you could easily say that all professionals in entertainment took a risk in deciding on this career path.

People in this industry live off of Murphy’s Law as if it were written in the Bible. You can plan from A-Z down to the very last detail, and things still may decide to take a nosedive in the other direction just to spite you. That is what film is notorious for; one thing will always go wrong, and that wrong will go on to prove whether you will grow stronger in finding a way around things. So risk is something I have begun to think about as a test; it will show you who you are in the moment you decide to take it, and what you have left to learn in order to get to your end goal.

Risk has become all part of the game of survival in my work. Nothing worthwhile in entertainment comes out of anything without some sort of stakes; especially in the case of storytelling. If you write a story that has no thrill or fuel to leave audiences on the edge of their seats, it is like only seasoning meat with salt. It is bland, predictable, and overall unsuccessful no matter how well it is advertised. So one could easily say that in film and television, you really do not have a choice but to take risks. It is an inevitability that makes things all the more fun. Because with every risk you take, no two days in your work will ever be the same.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was drawn to the writing world when I was about fourteen years old. That was a very confusing time of my life; all people could talk or think about was the future and who they would turn out to be, and all I felt was behind and out of place in the present. I was simply not motivated towards anything, and I have a feeling I was a highly irritating student for that reason.

My teachers all said the same thing; I was smart, but I could not have cared less. I did not even care enough to submit my homework on time in classes, which went on to even annoy my family.
However, I was also a very active athlete; I played softball year round, volleyball in the fall, and was swimming in the winter.

But not even sports were giving me the thrill they once did. Which was scary, because for a lot of my life I thought I was going to grow up to be a professional athlete. So as everything else began to feel uncertain, the idea of writing stories was the only thing that made sense to me. Over the years, writing began to intertwine with my lifelong passion for film.

When I got around to actually study film and dramatic writing, I was a college transfer going into her sophomore year. Before I met my friends, I was really uncertain of my place. Not because of what I was studying; it was more so whether or not I was behind in my process in comparison to others around me. I was surrounded by various incredibly talented classmates that were on student sets every single weekend or up all night writing feature length scripts. When I looked at them, I looked back at myself and thought I was not doing as much despite having a few scripts in the works, a film or two under my belt, and a book series started.

As I went through my first couple of quarters (or in other colleges, semesters) all while doubting myself, I very quickly was taught my first lesson: no one’s path is the same, so there was no such thing as being ahead or behind. All I could do from there was embrace what I had done, what I was going to do, and what I still had left to learn.

Regardless of this lesson learned, I had pushed myself past my limit time and time again. The second I realized that SCAD’s film and television program was where I was meant to be, I did not want to waste any more time in my curriculum. That was the beginning of me becoming a stark contrast to the student I was in high school.
In college, I pushed myself to unhealthy levels to succeed academically and utilize my industry seasoned professors as much as I could, all so I was as prepared as possible for the big day of finding my own way into the industry. I definitely was too hard on myself on endless occasions, as I still notoriously am now. But it is all because I knew what I wanted and I was not going to stop until I got there.

As my second year of college came to a close, I was approached by my grandfather regarding an upcoming event he had been working on. My family has been involved in the world of dog shows since before I was born, all thanks to my grandfather. That year’s televised Westminster Dog Show was very quickly approaching, and he had mentioned to its television crew that he had a granddaughter studying film. That crew, who happened to be part of Fox Sports, asked if I would like to be a Production Assistant for that event. Very eagerly, I said yes, and was granted an internship of sorts.

That led to many other opportunities within the live television world, which I was at first hesitant about. One thing that is commonly said in the entertainment world is that any first step is a good one. I was trying to see it that way despite it being a change of plans in my mind. The uncertainty did not last long, as I fell in love with the idea of working in sports television the more I did so. With the dog shows came the NFL, and with the NFL came the NCAA. The more I worked, the more I would spend my breaks from school exploring a new place and sport from a televised perspective. And with that, I saw myself more vividly in time calling this lens of entertainment my home.
I am even actively working with Fox right now as the 2024 NFL season kicks off. All while I shadow the directors in live television that I have come to admire in hopes that one day I will be where they are.

As mentioned before, this path was a big change of plans early on for me. I had been a creative writer since the beginning, so working in the narrative side of entertainment seemed to always be in the cards for me. But even before that, I was an athlete looking to prosper professionally in either softball or swimming. So as I grew more mature in age and experience, my journey in sports television felt more like getting a piece of my old self back than going down an unexpected or even wrong path. So another thing I learned along the way was that even the most surprising steps forward can get you right where you are meant to be.

The main thing I want people to understand about me and even about themselves in reading my story is simple: they are called growing pains for a reason. The journey into the real professional world, regardless of what your individual route is or how many backroads you need to take, is anything but easy and painless. You are navigating the world around you, learning about yourself, and how you need to adapt in order to get to where you want to be. You can beat yourself up and say you are behind all you would like, but the world will continue to spin around you. Nothing else stops when you feel out of place, so the only thing you can do is work towards finding your place. And that work, while strenuous, could not be more worthwhile. So as long as you work hard towards doing what you love, you will get there.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I absolutely love this question! Now that I have recently graduated from SCAD and moved back to New Jersey, I’ve given a lot of thought about how I’d approach a trip back to my home away from home with my friends.

I’ve always wanted to be in one of those girl groups I would see along Broughton Street going to brunch together, and think the Paris Market Cafe would be a perfect breakfast spot. It is the most adorable little spot with delicious food to match, which you can either sit and dine on or carry with you as you look around at all of the trinkets they are selling from small businesses.

I grew up in a family that has always been passionate about antiquity, so the various antique and thrift spots scattered all along Savannah would also be obvious destinations. There is one specific spot on 41st street, near The Gallery Espresso cafe, called Wright Square Vintage & Retro Mall. It’s a very fun little store that you can wander around with a coffee in hand, as it has a multitude of different things for anyone to browse.

I’d love to also spend an afternoon on River Street. I used to live just down the street and would enjoy revisiting as a tourist this time. We could go to the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District along with other lovely art galleries there. The river is also a prominent place to sit in on some live music or general entertainment. There is also a vast selection of seafood restaurants to choose from, but I think I would most like to bring my friends to the River House restaurant for a lovely dinner full of Southern charm. If it’s a nice cool evening too, we’d be able to sit outside with a view of the river.

If we’re feeling adventurous, dropping a lure in the water at the Tybee Pier and Pavilion on the beach is always an option that keeps you on your toes. The last time I was there, I was lucky enough to actively participate in some shark fishing. Tybee is a lovely beach as a whole, so I think we would simply have to plan an all-around beach day. There are some nice beach bars and shops on the island as well if we want to walk around.

There is also a wide variety of general tours to choose from. Savannah is the most haunted city in the country, so if you are into the paranormal like I am, I would highly recommend going to a speakeasy or one of the ghost tours like Ghosts and Gravestones or the Hearse Tours. But if you are not really into the spooky aspect of Savannah, there is also a very informative Trolley Tour that Savannah is well-known for. It grants tourists an inside look of Savannah’s history, taking you on a trip of how the city came to be what it is today.

Finally, I have always wanted to check out more of the Tanger Outlets. I have visited a couple of times with my friends, but have not quite been able to see everything. I’ve bounced around various malls and outlets with my friends up north, so I know they’d enjoy exploring what Savannah’s shops have to offer. Especially since a lot of our favorite shops are there to at least browse at, like Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, etc.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family. I have been so blessed to have their support in my highest and lowest moments, as well as their acceptance and support in the dreams that I am actively working towards on a daily basis. My specific shoutouts are as follows:

Thank you so much to my mother, Susan Spies, the one who pushed me to be great before I even knew what greatness could mean for me. Thank you to my grandfather, Kuno Spies, the one who kept faith in the potential he saw in me and gave me my start in film. And thank you to my grandmother, Nancy Spies. Or Nancy 1, as I have grown to call her since she is the incredible woman I have been named after. She has helped me keep alive the legacy of strong women in our family.

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Image Credits
Cole Mihalich, Gianna Russo