Sofia Battles

Movie making is one of the sought after, and more challenging career choices in this day and age. To break through into the spotlight is stuff of dreams. 

Junior Cade Corcoran is a kid with such big, bright dreams. Ever since he was five years old, he has dreamed of becoming a world-renowned filmmaker.

 His dream job would be an auteur director. That is a director who directs their scripts.

The first movie that Corcoran ever saw was Toy Story. 

“I was obsessed with the plot structure [and animation],” said Corcoran.

  His favorite movie that he’s seen is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, which is a simplified version of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, a proposed cycle of the common template of all classic myths and heroic stories of today. It displays the path the protagonist must take in order to reach their final goal. 

To date, Corcoran has made six short films and one feature-length film, but he plans to make as many as he possibly can in the future. 

“I’ve got loads of feature film ideas [and] quite a few short films that I’m working on. I have a list on my phone of at least 50 movie ideas, and I’m really excited to do them if I get into the industry,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran mentions that there are many films that inspire him to pursue the path of filmmaking, but one movie, in particular, is a film he considers to have one of the most well-written scripts of all time. 

“[One of these films] is Back to the Future, a movie which has one of the tightest… scripts of all time. Every set up gets paid up in that film, no moment is wasted, and it has the perfect plot structure for every character,” said Corcoran.

He mentions another film that has had a lasting effect on him. 

“The Truman Show is another film that really inspires me. The color grading of the movie was extremely bright, which perfectly contrasts the dark and thrilling plot of the movie. It had a very lasting impact on me,” said Corcoran.

There are many people who inspire him as well, including directors Rob Reiner and Edgar Wright. 

“[Reiner] favors simplicity in his films, but within that style, the stories become extremely poignant. Movies like Stand by Me, Misery, and The Princess Bride, are all told in the simplest way possible, but because of it, the message of the stories becomes clear,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran compliments the techniques that Wright utilizes as a director. 

“Edgar Wright perfectly shows how implementing personal style into a great story can make the [movie] so much better,” said Corcoran.

However, Corcoran’s main inspiration is one that is particularly unconventional. 

“I think the people who inspire me the most are the people who tell me that ‘being a filmmaker is impossible’, and ‘you should try to do something more realistic’. I want to show them that they were wrong, and prove that my dream is possible to achieve,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran has big goals to accompany his big dreams. He plans to write and direct at least 17 [feature length] movies. He’d like to use his own life to tell as many stories as possible, and there are a few stories on his list that he feels that he truly needs to tell in the future. 

Even though it’s been his dream for years, Corcoran said that he’s still got a ways to go. 

“I’m still learning, of course, you’re always learning in every industry, but I am just trying to get better every time that I make a film,” said Corcoran. 

He describes what his ideal place would be at the height of his future career. 

“My dream is to someday become an influential filmmaker so that I can make just about any movie I want to,” said Corcoran.

Due to his job and current school load, Corcoran hasn’t been able to work on as many films as he would like to for the past couple of months. 

“I’m really hoping to get back into it now that my schedule is slowing down,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran says that despite the filmography, plot, and general effects of films, one key element is the most important. 

 “To me, it’s all about the characters. For years, I built my life off of characters whose struggles I relate to… characters are the heart of storytelling, and making movies is about telling stories, creating characters who express and represent my own inner struggles, and my hope is that these characters will connect with someone else,” said Corcoran.