I was born in the small town of Camanche, California. Far from Hollywood, my childhood was spent running through fields, chasing lizards, and pretending I was a Jedi with my brothers and friends. At age nine, we moved to Idaho.
Creativity was always a big part of my life. I played with Legos, Army Men, GI Joes and composed Jedi battles between myself and my brothers.
I tried to be a cool jock for my friends, but I failed miserably. Instead of going to parties or doing whatever else I was supposed to do to be “cool,” I made board games at my home. Most of them were needlessly complicated or repeats of other games, but they were a helpful exercise, which amplified my curiosity in storytelling.
I dove into music, writing, acting and painting, head first. Once college threw itself into the mix, I was able to narrow my focus as a writer and actor exclusively. It wasn’t until years later that the desire to become a director grew stronger. I still had plenty to learn before I was up to that challenge. Despite the challenges of the university grind, I was growing as an artist every day.
Some mistakes followed, one of which was signing up for a local talent agency that charged five hundred dollars for the honor of joining. (Heads up, this is not appropriate in any sized market! If an agency asks this, just run away!) Over my two years with this agency, they ended up getting me four auditions total. I booked one of these projects and it was for a non-speaking part in a non-paid project.
The one good thing it did was deliver connections that introduced me to Platform, where I attended the best acting classes I could have ever asked for, taught by April Matson. Given an opportunity to study under her influence was like a dream come true. Soon, I landed several acting jobs she helped set up, and I didn’t even have to pay her ten percent. What a deal! She did not just teach acting, she taught the importance of storytelling and the tools on how to be a great storyteller.
Studying under Platform has led to vast improvements, both in my ability as a storyteller and in my daily life. Taking risks began to be more routine than an anomaly, which allowed me to create more opportunities for myself. Such as writing, producing and starring in The Day Hope Died and writing, directing, producing and starring in Third Strike.
In November of 2021, I was involved in a car accident that left me paralyzed and nearly dead. I needed to relearn how to do everything, even things that we take for granted such as speaking, breathing, and eating. Even with these obstacles in my way, fifteen short months later I wrote and directed a music video for the Goodyear Wimps, Sunday Morning. Six months after that, I wrote and directed the award-winning short film, A Strange Place to Meet. Since then I have hit the ground running writing multiple award-winning scripts and directing more award-winning short films. My goal is to write and direct a feature film by 2028.
CNN interview:
Shepherd Center interview:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DB_quDtMhgy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Liverpool Indie Awards:
https://www.liverpoolindieawards.com/dylan-wood/
Cannes World Film Festival:
Dylan Wood 