Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Sheehan.
Hi Nancy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The journey of discovering myself and my passions started in high school when I was around fourteen years old. My parents had been called in by one of my teachers due to my poor grades, which were not a new circumstance at the time. However, my teacher surprised all of us when she told my parents she was originally going to tell them that I was not a good student, but that had changed when she got a good look at the way I wrote for open-ended questions on a test. She made my strength in writing known to me that day, which encouraged me to take it up more seriously. I had never had something make me feel so passionate before that, and I have not stopped writing since then.
I mostly dabbled in book writing at first, but it very quickly shifted into screenwriting due to a prominent love of film that runs in my family. We all have the unusual ability to reference films like a second language, so it was always in the cards for film to be one of my working passions.
Fast forward about five years, I had just transferred to SCAD after my freshman year of college. My initial plans were to study writing in a more in-depth manner and understand the proper structure of storytelling in film. I had no clue then how much my life would change because of the people around me, and because of the endless opportunities that presented themselves as long as I worked hard for them. I changed my major, which was originally English, to Film and Television and then added a Dramatic Writing minor. As I became more acquainted with people, I had never felt more heard in my life. We all had so many different perspectives of the craft but were immensely passionate together. That feeling was so new to me.
As classes progressed, I found myself adding more and more tools onto my belt in the forms of producing, prop work, and directing. I did not take producing into serious consideration until my internship that presented itself to me towards the end of my sophomore year. My grandfather has been working within the realm of dog shows longer than I have been alive and was working on that year’s Westminster Dog Show alongside Fox Sports. He’d happened to mention to them that he has a granddaughter studying film, which was how I was offered the opportunity to be a runner for the production.
Those were two of the busiest weeks of my life and two of the best weeks as well. I fell into a very convenient exchange with professionals I quickly grew to admire and look up to and still stay in touch with today. The crew of Fox Sports had never worked on dog shows before, and I had never worked in live television before. And so, we went about teaching each other something new within this amazing experience. By the end of this filming period as well, I had gained an all-new passion in the art of live television. I have not looked back ever since, as it seemed to launch me into a whole new world.
From there, I began to balance schoolwork and projects with more opportunities from Fox Sports. I worked on the dog show last year and began my career in directing films and documentaries around the same time, and even began working on proper sport events in the NFL and NCAA. All while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in my studies.
As of now, I have worked within the NFL a few times on various football games and have even began working with CBS Sports in events such as NCAA basketball, the A10 Championship, and March Madness.
Within school, around the same time, I have produced SCAD’s upcoming sports desk proof of concept, Bee’s Knees, along with a few films. I have also just recently directed my own senior thesis, which is a historical romance story called “Apricity.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The main struggle of getting to where I am has to definitely be myself. I have faced various bumps in the road as I’ve grown into a creative professional, but those came and went. My battle with myself, however, has lasted for a while. My self-confidence has never been my strongest quality; it has certainly improved over the years due to how hard I work, but I still push myself over the edge because I convince myself I am not working as hard as I should be or should simply be better in some way. Giving myself the proper amount of credit for what I have done or what I am doing is something I am actively working on.
Aside from that, various things in my life have impacted my path from then to now. I am a child of divorce, which has been tough for me to sit back and watch happen to my parents for so long. It is one of those things I try not to let get too far into my head, but it always remains close by. But regardless of that, I have and always will have continuous support from my mother, my biggest fan. Which I will appreciate immensely for the rest of my life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As mentioned before, I dabble in quite a few things: Writing, Directing, Producing, Sports Television, and Prop making.
In terms of writing, which I am doing constantly, I specialize in very world-building based genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. But I never limit my imagination and have recently gotten more into writing historical pieces. I do not limit my works either, as I write screenplays, documentaries, books, and sometimes even music.
As of now, I am known amongst my peers as a very strong writer and director, but also as a reliable producer. The project I am most proud of as of right now was just completed very recently: my senior thesis, a short film that I wrote and directed called “Apricity.” I had never written anything close to a romance before this, and it turned out to be one of if not the strongest, stories I have ever written.
What sets me apart from others is the mere fact that I simply cannot limit myself to doing or pursuing one thing. I feel like life never stops teaching you very important lessons and values, even after your school years are long gone. If you were meant to stop learning after graduating, then you would go into the world knowing everything about it. That is simply not how it works, nor is it how it should work. I am so passionate and interested in a great many things, which has allowed me to master dividing my workload to take on multiple projects at a time. But it also allows me to pursue the various interests I have while discovering the world around me.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
There are not many things that come to mind as surprising about me, as people who know me know that I am very much an open book. Thinking within that category, it could perhaps be surprising to know that my journey in live television actually started at the end of a full-circle moment.
When I was nine months old, my cousin and I were featured as a Breeder Spotlight during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. On television, the two of us were being smothered in kisses by a flurry of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies. This was the very same dog show that I would end up interning on with Fox Sports almost twenty years later.
It defined my journey into film and television from the beginning, you could say. The fact that it started in such a manner confirms to me that I am on the right track, that working in film is something I am meant to do, and eagerly await what comes next for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancyksheehan/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557674012110
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-sheehan-559468254/
