To my dear friends who’ve been part of the StoryAtlas community,
I’ve missed you! I remember fondly the tremendous a-ha moments that were experienced in our studio, and the genuine warmth that accompanied all the learning. I’m truly proud of what we accomplished together and wish it could’ve lasted longer and grown into something a bit bigger. What I loved most about the studio was the sense that people were rooting for each other, and making the effort to improve, no matter what level the actor had attained thus far. I also loved the experimental nature of the teaching – trying brand new techniques as well as some time-tested ones.
So what happened? If so many good vibes were being experienced, why did I quit?
In short, I burned out. Then, the pandemic came along and made already complicated logistics even more overwhelming. My instincts were to retreat into a new layer of learning for my own career – watching and re-watching classic films, reading plays from antiquity, growing into a more authentic man, and researching topics important for my own creativity. And indeed, those efforts have shown results. Since our last class, I’ve written two original screenplays and completed a significant revision on a third script. I developed a television series intended as a vehicle for Patricia Velasquez and Rex Lee. Although that project did not materialize on a streaming network as I hoped, it felt empowering to know I could develop a show that resonated with a number of people, even if we didn’t get the final, “Yes.” (Yet).
I can honestly say that although teaching means a lot to me, creating films, series, and plays means even more.
And yet, lately I’ve been wondering if there’s a way to be of service to the creative seekers – like all of you – that I love and respect. Maybe there’s a way to walk and chew gum.
So far, I’ve come up with two ideas. First of all, I will be releasing some content on the Fatelink YouTube channel that dives into the creative process and how I believe it can be harnessed for spiritual, moral, and psychological growth. Upcoming shows include an exploration of the “Fool” archetype, a rundown of five key takeaways from Aristotle’s “Poetics” as well as an exercise I’ve recently developed to help artists identify their ideal audience. Best yet – that type of instruction is totally free for you.
Also, since I love classic films so much, why not share it? On January 30th, we’ll host our first livestream on Patreon that does a deep dive into a classic film. In this case, we’ll look at Edward Yang’s YI YI, one of the best films to ever come out of Taiwan, in my opinion. There is a modest fee to become a Patreon member and participate in the livestream – it costs $3.50 a month – but that membership will grant you access to a library of storytelling videos as well as first look at a checklist of 400 classic films and the ideal audience exercise I described. I realize this livestream is probably not as exciting as an in-person reunion, but it could be a great way to see and interact with some of the faces that made StoryAtlas so special.
In the future, if this modest launch on Patreon goes well, I’ll consider adding a higher membership tier for which actors can receive coaching on their monologues – essentially an online class. But the last thing I want is to burn out again, so I’ll have to take it step by step, one day at a time.
Whether these offerings interest you or not, I want to thank you for being part of the StoryAtlas community and look forward to all the great work that I know you can accomplish.
Much love,
Hunter
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Hunter Lee Hughes is an award-winning actor-filmmaker living and working in Los Angeles. His first venture into content creation was the acclaimed multi-media one-man show Fate of the Monarchs. He went on to write the play The Sermons of John Bradley, the dark comedy short film Winner Takes All, the comedy web television series Dumbass Filmmakers!, the feature film Guys Reading Poems and the original play Nathaniel Quinn, Filmmaker. He also spent five years as the writer’s assistant to legendary screenwriter Mardik Martin and eight years as a story analyst for Paramount Classics/Vantage. He’s currently preparing his second feature film for a shoot in June 2024.