1. Have you always wanted to make films?
Anderson-Moore:
I didn’t always know specifically I wanted to make films because I didn’t really understand what the heck filmmaking was. Like everybody else, I saw the actor on the screen and assumed they pranced around saying lines, and that was that. But I was always interested in storytelling. When I got to college and mingled with film majors, I realized film was the ultimate storytelling medium and I was hooked. Of course, film is a highly competitive business, not to mention a male-dominated one. But maybe that challenge is part of the appeal too.
2. When did you get interested in rock climbing?
Anderson-Moore: I’m pretty sure I first tied into a rope when I was 4 or 5 years old. None of the indoor wall stuff, but bona fide rock. My dad was a mountain man who gave up nearly 20 years of his life to climbing. As his only daughter, he taught me how to climb. And more importantly, he raised me on epic stories of climbing adventures, which is what really inspired me to climb.
3. Tell me about your new movie that combines your passion for storytelling and rock climbing.
Anderson-Moore: The working title is “Portrait of the American Climber.” It’s the story of America’s last great pioneers—rock climbers. It’s about what happens when little boys or girls dream about adventure, and look into their backyards to see what they can explore. And it’s about people who exit society, give up their jobs and risk their lives to live out of backpacks and rock climb full-time, some for their entire lives. The story is told by climbers from three different decades.
I, along with a three-person crew, just got back from a 30-day filming trip from California to New York in a 1976 Volkswagen van. It was a pretty wild journey and a lot of amazing people shared their stories with us. You can see some of our clips and our blog at www.rockadventuremovie.com. We’re hoping, if we get a lucky break, that our film will be finished in the next one or two years.
4. As a woman finding success in filmmaking, what advice do you have for recent grads?
Anderson-Moore: I know a lot of people graduate, panic and rush into whatever money-making job they can get. Especially for people in the arts, where you might need years to make a living at what you do, it’s very tempting to get a job that pays the bills and tell yourself that you’ll have time to pursue your real career on the weekends. I’m not saying my path is the best, because I’m still figuring it out. I have made a lot of sacrifices to keep focused on my art. But I am on my way to what I want to become. So my advice is to stay calm. Do what you must to pay the bills, but don’t forget why you went to college.
5. Why did you choose to attend UC San Diego?
Anderson-Moore: I chose UC San Diego because I got in, simple as that. But I think UCSD is the most underrated UC campus. Cal and UCLA get all the limelight, but UCSD is where new things are happening. It’s only a matter of time before people recognize UC San Diego and its hardworking students and graduates. Who knows, maybe I will be the first woman ever to win an Oscar for directing, and UCSD will get some credit. I may be getting ahead of myself (I have yet to finish this first film) but a girl can dream.
Favorite place in the world: I lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil and loved it. But I also love Indiana on a summer night when the lightning bugs are out.
Favorite place at UC San Diego: The Old Student Center, chomping on a sandwich from the co-op or sipping a beer from Porter’s Pub.
Favorite climbing locale: It’s hard to beat sleeping under the stars after a day of climbing in the desert at Joshua Tree National Park.
Favorite food: The borscht at “Pomegranate” in North Park is pretty killer.
Favorite movie: I don’t know about favorite but, if you live in San Diego, you should check out “Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story.” It’s riveting. It’s about the stolen tank in Clairemont.
Favorite UC San Diego class: Intro to 16mm and Film History Theater Memory.
Favorite college memory: Sprinting to catch the last shuttle to Hillcrest on any given school night, just barely making it and laughing with the familiar faces on the bus all the way home.
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After studying movies, television and theater at UC San Diego, and graduating in 2007, Oakley Anderson-Moore is now a determined filmmaker who is travelling the country to make a documentary about one of her passions—rock climbing. She is a gifted storyteller who’s won awards for her short fiction films. While at UCSD, she wrote plays, produced a weekly political television show, and worked as a theatre and film critic for the UCSD Guardian. In this interview, she talks about her current film and she offers advice for recent UCSD alumni.