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Ruling of the Heart

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Spanky Ward

October 2, 2021 By Spencer Skeen Leave a Comment

Spanky Ward currently lives in Holladay, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I’ve written the feature films Riot (Dolph Lundgren), Ruling of the Heart, and Christmas Break-In (Danny Glover, Denise Richards). I’ve also written, produced, and directed the feature films Hello, I Love You and The Santa Box, as well as over seventy short films and commercials.

I also recently self-published my first children’s book called Charlie’s Long Journey, available on Amazon.com.

I have other films, novels, and children’s books in the works.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I’ve always loved TV, movies—anything that sparks my imagination, but writing didn’t hit me until college. I started out with commercials, then movies and now novels and children’s books. I’m excited to explore more forms of writing in the future.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Definitely writing, producing and directing my movie The Santa Box. It was my first bigger budget film, and it has already won five awards and just sold to the UK, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, with more territories on the way.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

If you feel that God’s given you a talent, then develop it and use it to its fullest potential, no matter how difficult things get or the size or number of roadblocks in your way.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

If you have the talent needed to succeed, then never give up.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The anticipation of seeing an audience react to my work.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

That my goal in life is to tell great stories that are entertaining for everyone.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I’ve had a chance to make some heartfelt family friendly movies over the years.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.facebook.com/spankyward

Filed Under: Member Spotlight Tagged With: Charlie's Long Journey, children's book, Christmas Break-In, developing talents, Director, feature films, Latter-day Saint Publishing and Media Association, LDSPMA, LDSPMA Member Spotlight, Producer, Riot, Ruling of the Heart, short films, Spanky Ward, The Santa Box, Writer

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