Pop-Culturalist.com

A true breakout star in every sense, Shane Hartline has emerged as one of the most exciting storytellers of his generation. In addition to his work on camera, Shane also writes, produces, and directs. The ability to step into any role on set has made him a standout throughout his career.

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Shane about juggling multiple hats and his two new films.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Shane: The first time I picked up a video camera, my mom figured out quickly that it was a good babysitter. [laughs] Around ten, I picked up my first VHS camera. I haven’t stopped making little movies since then. It evolved from a VHS camera to YouTube and then on to TikTok. Now I’m making my own feature and short films. I found out quickly that I really, really enjoyed filmmaking and creating things at such a young age.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Shane: It was what I was watching at a young age. I was watching Nickelodeon, Adam Sandler movies, and Jim Carrey. I was really influenced by the things I was watching.

PC: In addition to acting, you’re also an editor, writer, producer, and director. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Shane: It’s really made me appreciate the whole process. I’ve been fortunate to do everything, especially on our new film, The Haunting of Grady Farm. It’s a low-budget film. I ended up wearing a lot more hats than I anticipated. On the other end, I’ve made a short film on a full budget. At this point, I’ve learned the value of the crew.

The Haunting of Grady Farms

PC: Tell us about The Haunting of Grady Farm and how it came to fruition.
Shane: It started as a project among friends. We were seeing other people in the business making and selling movies. It really inspired us to get together and make something with whatever means possible. We started writing it, and then a few months later we shot it. We realized quickly that a low-budget feature is a very daunting task and it’s going to require a lot more work than we were anticipating. Here we are, four years later, and we sold it. It’s really awesome.

The character that I play in Haunting of Grady Farm is very much me. We wrote most of these characters to be versions of ourselves. That’s why the chemistry between the characters feels really authentic. That’s the response we’re getting. A funny review that we got recently was “It’s The Blair Witch Project but with better acting.” I really like that review. It was cool.

PC: Like you were saying, you wore a lot of different hats for this project. At what point did you realize you were going to do that?
Shane: It was a day-by-day basis. We went into this movie thinking we knew what we were doing, but we had no idea. But it was really cool. It’s very much guerilla filmmaking and a mix of doing things the right way. We did have some very talented people working with us that have made films. But I didn’t know that I would end up being the AD until I got to set. That’s a very hard thing to put on a producer and lead actor, but it was an amazing experience. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Cookie

PC: You also have another project that’s near and dear to your heart. Tell us about Cookie.
Shane: I’ve had a neurological condition called spasmodic dysphonia since I was five. For many years, it weighed on me: “Don’t tell anybody about this. You don’t want anybody to find out about this”—for the fear of judgment and the insecurities that you create in your own brain. But a year and a half ago, I came up with the idea to loosely write my story but do it through the voice of the character that has a more severe case of the condition. A story like this hasn’t been done yet.

I took it upon myself with the blessing of the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association Facebook support groups. I did the daunting task again of raising money, but this time, it was much more successful. I was able to raise fifty thousand to shoot Cookie. It was a dream come true. I’m excited for people to see it very soon. It’s been raising great awareness for the condition. It’s something that I’m getting people coming to me on a daily basis who are saying, “We never know about this. We never know you had this.” That’s the reason I made it.

PC: When a project hits this close to home, does that add more pressure?
Shane: Definitely. This isn’t just my story; it’s the story of everybody with the condition. I spoke to a lot of people with the condition. I did that for the first time ever. I wasn’t nervous about asking for their blessing, but I wanted the struggle to be felt. That stress is what people with this condition feel.

PC: What was the biggest takeaway from working on this project?
Shane: I learned the value of a full crew and how important it is and how much easier it does make the process. It’s still hard work, don’t get me wrong, but it does make the process a lot easier and quicker. I have a mild case of this condition. But for the first time ever, I have interacted and spoken with many people with severe cases. I learned a little more in-depth the pain and the struggle that come with having this condition on a daily basis and the toll it takes on people’s lives. It takes their chops away, and it takes away certain chances of certain dreams they may have. I really want to be the person that inspires people, hopefully with similar or same conditions, to be able to go after the things they want to do. Also, I hope it opens the mind of the entertainment business to be more inclusive of people with different kinds of voices.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Shane: Lately, I’ve been hooked on Nailed It! on Netflix.

PC: Favorite movie?
Shane: It’s a tie between Jurassic Park and Interstellar. I love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

PC: Favorite book?
Shane: There’s one I’m really into, called Love Wins, right now. It’s about religion and breaking down Christianity into what it really is about and how it got lost in translation a bit. But that’s what I’m really into right now.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Shane: I’m partial because I was in the Rock of Ages movie, but the musical Rock of Ages.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Shane: Blue October.

To keep up with Shane, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch The Haunting of Grady Farm today.