“I wrote down ‘Plan A: make a movie’ and didn’t write a backup plan,” TIPster Morgan Dameron said. “I didn’t give myself a second option.”
Dameron didn’t need one, either. She is the awardwinning writer, director, and producer of Different Flowers, a feature film that tells the story of two sisters on a road trip through the Midwest after one of them runs away on her wedding day. Dameron raised the money for the film herself before premiering it to sold-out crowds at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, seeing it open at AMC theatres, and finally selling it to Showtime.
The Kansas City native began dreaming of making films at five years old. She made homemade movies as a child, took art classes at local film organizations, and was eventually awarded a full scholarship to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she graduated summa cum laude. She also experienced TIP in 2006, taking part in a study abroad course called France: Philosophic Quest.
In addition to her success with Different Flowers, Dameron has worked on hit films such as Star Trek into Darkness and Star Wars: The Force Awakens—there’s even a Star Wars character named after her! She also has directed commercials and cooking shows and served as executive assistant to director and producer J. J. Abrams. Dameron also received the Spirit of Kansas City Award from Kansas City Women in Film and Television for her work furthering the filmmaking community.