TRUE INDIE: ‘I’ll Be There’ Writer-Producer Cindy McCreery Shares Her Indie Film Journey

Cindy McCreery is no stranger to the industry. A graduate of the Disney/ABC Feature Writing Fellowship program and active member of the WGA since 2003, she's sold dozens of projects to studios including Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM, and Nickelodeon, just to name a few.

Not only that, but she's also a Professor of Screenwriting, and the Associate Chair and Head of the Production and Screenwriting Programs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Out of the many projects she's been a part of, however, there was one so close to Cindy's heart that she became determined to make it herself, ensuring that her vision for the film would be kept intact.

Her new feature film, I'LL BE THERE, is based on her true story of being her brother's caregiver when he had cancer, set amidst the drama of Michael Jackson's passing. I had a chance to chat with Cindy about her journey of making an independent film versus a studio project, what she learned during the process, and what advice she has for new writers hoping to break into the industry.

Rebecca: What inspired the story behind I'LL BE THERE? What was the process like of revisiting such a personal experience while developing the script?

Cindy: The film was based on when I was my brother’s caregiver when he underwent bladder cancer surgery. It was also when Michael Jackson died, and the hospital was next door to the LA Coroner’s office so I was constantly surrounded by MJ mourners as well as the press covering his death. It was all ironic for me because Michael Jackson really was the soundtrack to my childhood. My brother and I were close when we were kids and then grew apart. I also am from a big mixed family. I moved away from everyone to be in LA and this time with him was not only stressful and scary, but also very nostalgic. So the MJ part of it all was very surreal for me. I didn’t really write the script with the intention of trying to sell it like all of my other projects; it was more therapeutic, I think.

One weekend about a year after that time period, it just hit me – what this story would be – and I wrote the first draft of the script over a couple of weeks. I shared it with my agent and manager who all liked the script, but it was such a departure from the family films I was currently working on professionally for studios. They shared it with folks who had ideas to change the story, but since it was so personal, I didn’t feel like I could rewrite the script to fit someone else’s idea of what the story was, so I put it aside and decided not to pursue trying to develop it or sell it to anyone else.

Rebecca: You’ve had quite a bit of success selling features and pilots. What inspired you to write and produce your own feature at this stage in your career?

Cindy: I never even thought about trying to make this film myself until my colleague at UT Austin, Andrew Shea, asked me if I had any scripts that I think would make a good independent film. He really understood the film and shared it with Barbara Morgan, who was the founder of the Austin Film Festival. Barbara and Andrew told me they believed in the script and wanted to partner up to make it. I really respect Barb and Andrew so much and thought, “why not?" It also gave me creative control over the material. I have sold dozens of projects but have not had many make it to the screen. I’ve been a WGA screenwriter, working constantly since 2003, and this was the first time in my career I felt in control, and it was so exciting.

[TRUE INDIE: Catching Up with Barbara Morgan, Executive Director - Austin Film Festival]

Rebecca: What were both the joys and challenges of writing and producing an independent film?

Cindy: The joy was being in creative control, of course, and doing it. Every single day of production was so exciting for me; to see every crew member, every decision, every moment centered around this story I wrote was just incredible. Of course, every step of the way was a challenge mainly because we had to raise the money and do it all ourselves. I have never produced a feature and here I was suddenly creating an LLC, Guild Signatories, etc. It was a huge learning curve, but also after working so many years in the industry, I felt like I had enough experience to do it.

[TRUE INDIE: I Got a Screenwriting Assignment! Now What? Navigating Contracts and Collaboration Agreements]

The most rewarding part of the entire process was working with a team of people who really understood the script and who really believed in it. Andrew, Barb, our cast, crew, and other producers really put their hearts into the project, which made it truly special. The folks who helped financed the film were so generous and I often found myself overwhelmed with emotion by their belief not only in the material but in all of us. 

We also raised some of the funding through a fiscal sponsor, and so many folks donated to the project. I had an old student of mine donate twenty dollars, which for a kid who just finished college is a lot of money, and he sent me a note that said, “You always have believed in me and I wanted you to know that I believe in you.”

Rebecca: What lessons did you take away from the experience? Do you plan on writing/producing another film, and if so, would you do anything differently?

Cindy: I learned so much about the nuts and bolts of producing that, of course, looking back I wish I had done some things differently. Just like anything in life, there were so many things I didn’t know that I didn’t know. I would love to do it again, however, I would not recommend filming outside in Texas in July, as that was brutal at times! There are a lot of things I would do differently now that I have gone through the experience, but I think that’s the case for everything in life.

Rebecca: Please share any specific advice you might have for writers looking to either break into selling features/pilots or produce their own films.

Cindy: I’ve been teaching screenwriting for almost twenty years now and there are three things I always tell my students.

1. Own your work. I don’t mean own it physically or financially – I mean own it emotionally. Believe in your work and trust your gut. If you want others to believe in your work, you must also believe in it and own it. I find a lot of young writers don’t have the confidence in their work that they should because the truth is, nobody can write your story the way you can write your story.

2. Just because someone says "no" doesn’t mean it’s over. Rejection never ends no matter what stage you’re at in your career. Just because one person doesn’t like it, doesn’t mean others won’t. Also, a script lives forever, and you never know what can happen. I wrote I'LL BE THERE in 2010 and never could I have imagined that in 2022 I’d be producing it and filming it in Austin, Texas! I’ve had other scripts that seemed like they were dead come back to life years later. No script that you write is a waste of time.

3. Give yourself the freedom to fail. Keep writing. Keep writing the stories you want to write. If it doesn’t happen with the first script, write another one. Rewrite it. Write another story after that. Who is to say what is success versus what is failure. Is it a failure to write something that doesn’t sell? You wrote it and that’s huge. Keep trying to get your scripts into the hands of folks who can make it happen, or, better yet, figure out a way to make it happen yourself.

[5 Filmmaker-Friendly Film Festivals for Indie Short Films]

Rebecca: What's next for I'LL BE THERE ? Where are you in the production process at the moment?

Cindy: We are submitting to film festivals, so fingers crossed. We are currently in post working on VFX, sound design, etc., We're also working with a music supervisor, composer, and trying to license a Michael Jackson song for the film. So lots of exciting movements.

Follow I'LL BE THERE on Instagram for updates! @illbetherethefilm