Sheldon Woodson

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

I’m Sheldon Woodson—a retired military service member turned independent filmmaker, author, and founder of Woodson’s World Studios. I’m originally from Gary, Indiana, though these days I call Murrieta, California home. After my military career, I channeled my focus into storytelling, coining the term "Auteurpreneur" to capture how I operate: maintaining complete creative ownership over my stories while running the business side of my studio from concept to screen. Over the past few years, that journey has taken me from producing and directing my feature film The Model, The Mannequin, and Me—which I'm also adapting into a novel—to taking projects like URNS and A Clean Past onto the international festival circuit. Outside of filmmaking, I’m a family man first. I have two kids and eight grandkids—and I’m a creative at heart, whether I’m sitting at my piano, exploring new tech workflows, or relaxing at one of my favorite wineries in Temecula Valley.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

Living in Murrieta gives me the ultimate trifecta: the quiet of the valley, incredible local wineries right out my back door, and a prime spot tucked right between my two favorite cities—Los Angeles and San Diego. It’s the perfect mix of peaceful retreat and easy access to the action.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Woodson’s World Studios really started out of a desire for creative freedom. After retiring from the military, I poured my energy into storytelling—writing, directing, and producing. Very quickly, I saw how the traditional entertainment system often forces creators to choose between making art and making a living. That’s why I launched the studio under the banner of being an "Auteurpreneur." The whole idea was to build a self-sufficient creative engine where the storyteller is also the business owner.

At its core, Woodson’s World Studios is a multi-format storytelling company. We produce independent films—like our features Come Outside, Vessel, and The Model, The Mannequin, and Me and our short films URNS and A Clean Past—and we’re expanding into publishing by adapting our screenplays into novels. How we help our audience comes down to authenticity and empowerment. For moviegoers and readers, we offer original, compelling stories that take creative risks mainstream studios often shy away from. And for the creative community who follows our journey on Substack, Medium, and Notable Men, we pull back the curtain on independent filmmaking—sharing real-world strategies on everything from production and AI-assisted workflows to festival strategy and self-distribution, so they can take ownership of their own careers.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

First and foremost: bet on yourself and build your own table instead of waiting to be invited to someone else’s. When I transitioned from the military into running my own studio, I realized that passion alone isn't enough—you have to treat your passion like a real business from day one. Protect your ownership, know your numbers, and don’t be afraid to wear multiple hats in the beginning. We live in an incredible era where one person with a clear vision and the right tech stack can compete with legacy companies. Start small if you have to, finish what you start—whether that's a product, a service, or a proof-of-concept—and let your work speak for itself.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

In my line of work, our "customers" are the audience members in the theater seats and the fellow creatives who follow our journey. One moment I’ll never forget happened after a festival screening of one of our projects, Come Outside. An audience member wrote me afterward and said that the story lingered with them long after the credits rolled because it felt completely authentic—not like something engineered by a Hollywood committee. Hearing someone say that a story I wrote, directed, and produced under our own roof genuinely moved them was the ultimate validation. It reminded me why fighting for creative autonomy is worth every bit of the hustle.

Where do you see your company in the future?

Looking ahead, it’s all about scaling our vision without ever losing our independence. Right now, we’re taking projects like URNS and A Clean Past onto the international festival circuit—from Atlanta, Austin, and Culver City all the way to Berlin and France—and launching our publishing arm with the novel adaptation of The Model, The Mannequin, and Me. In the next few years, I see Woodson’s World Studios expanding that cross-media ecosystem: developing more original features, publishing more books, and structuring smart independent film financing so we can scale up our budgets while keeping 100% of our creative soul intact. I also want to grow our Substack, YouTube channel and educational footprint, turning the "Auteurpreneur" philosophy into a true community and resource for independent creators everywhere.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

Honestly, most people think filmmaking is either all red carpets and glamour, or that you’re a "starving artist" waiting around for a major studio executive to discover you. Neither is true! First, 90% of this industry is pure grit, logistics, and problem-solving—it requires the same kind of discipline and strategic planning I used in the military. Second, the idea that you have to wait for Hollywood to give you a green light is completely outdated. That’s the whole reason I championed the "Auteurpreneur" model at Woodson’s World Studios. Today, you don’t need a massive corporate machine behind you to make cinematic movies or publish books. If you understand both the craft and the business—and you aren't afraid to embrace new technology—you can build your own studio right where you are, keep ownership of your stories, and reach audiences from Atlanta to Berlin on your own terms.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

Honestly, the biggest struggle early on was learning how to wear every single hat without burning out or letting the business side suffocate the creative side. When you’re an independent filmmaker, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking your job stops once the script is written or the director yells "cut." In reality, that’s when the hardest part begins—suddenly you’re the editor, the festival strategist, the marketer, and the CFO trying to make the numbers make sense.

I overcame that by leaning heavily on my military background and defining my role as an "Auteurpreneur." In the military, you learn that discipline, systems, and adaptability win the day. Instead of getting overwhelmed by not having a massive crew, I embraced modern tools—integrating AI workflows, mastering post-production software like DaVinci Resolve, and creating repeatable systems for everything from festival submissions to book publishing. And whenever one avenue felt slow, I pivoted: if a feature project needed more momentum, I shot a tight proof-of-concept short like URNS and A Clean Past, or adapted a script into a novel so the story could still reach an audience. You deal with the struggle by refusing to sit still.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Hands down, I came up in the "Three Mikes" era—Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Mike Tyson. If you grew up in the '80s and '90s, those three owned the culture. On the music side, Michael Jackson was the blueprint for showmanship and cinematic storytelling; every time he dropped a video, the whole world stopped to watch. And on the athletic side, it was a one-two punch of Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson. Whether it was watching Jordan hit a game-winner in the fourth quarter or gathering around the TV waiting to see if a Tyson fight would even last 90 seconds, that era was pure electricity. They were all undisputed masters of their craft.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

I’ve got a few people I couldn't have done this without! First up is my wife, Vanessa, who has been my rock from day one—she was even the very first actor in my film, despite being completely reluctant to step into the spotlight! I also want to shout out actress Mya Richardson and actor Joshua Christian-Azali, both of whom have gone to bat with me on two separate films now, along with my incredible stills photographer, Jeanette Burton of Burton Photography.

I’m also endlessly grateful for Sophie and Eric O'Brien, who are always ready to jump in as actors or crew whenever the call goes out; Erron Ondatje Jr., who helped me get things off the ground at the very start of my filmmaking journey; and Vernvan and Ruth Hinson—friends who are really family—for always having my back on set and in life. Honestly, the list of people who have supported Woodson’s World Studios is so long I’d have to write another book just to thank everyone properly!

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

The best place to connect with me and see what we’re building next is through our Woodson’s World Studios Substack, where I write regularly about the realities of indie filmmaking, storytelling, and living the "Auteurpreneur" life. You can also check out our website at https://woodsonsworld.com/indiefilmproducer and follow along on social media on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/woodsons.world, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sheldon.woodson and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@WoodsonsWorldStudios for trailers, festival updates, and release dates.

If you happen to be in Atlanta, Berlin, or Southern California over the next couple of months, come catch our short film URNS on the festival circuit at the Atlanta Short Film Festival, ARFF Berlin, or the Culver City Film Festival—and keep an eye out for my upcoming novel adaptation of The Model, The Mannequin, and Me!