Nicole Russin-McFarland is called the female Quentin Tarantino and we immediately know why. Her first film in production, The Eyes of Old Texas, is an animated movie never seen in Hollywood, part real, part cartoon, made around the globe. Like Tarantino she never went to film school and has a knowledge of film like someone teaching at a film school! Nicole is giving us access into how she makes her music and her exciting movie in the making called The Eyes of Old Texas and how she composes her film scores.

Check out the interview :

Tention Free : Let’s talk a bit about your work and what is the secret behind your success?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

I really love what I do with film and music. It’s never too late to begin. I always wanted to do this but took a major detour doing journalism for a little bit and writing for major publications so I could meet people and have an excuse to attend red carpets and parties. Everything I ever did to arrive at this point and do on a daily basis? It’s very passionate and I do not doubt that part of anyone’s success, when you look at people whose careers are around forever, is loving what you do.

Tention Free : What do you find most inspires you to comes in this field?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

I don’t have one person I can point to because as far as I’m concerned, there aren’t women out there doing work at the same rate and with passion like the top men in film and music. I’d like to be that person so women in the future, young or old or in between, can point to me as an example.

Tention Free : What inspires your creativity ?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

Everything. When you don’t worry about being inspired, you just are. I love listening to both standard classical artists and hip hop greats. I could go out and get mad over something dumb like a burned out pretzel and use that to write a moody theme I’ll eventually use later for a film score in the future. Everything!

Tention Free : Tell us about your work as a film music composer?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

I am forever grateful to my parents for having me begin studying music at a very young age. When I was 11, I began playing around the piano guessing notes from popular songs and film scores. I also began playing with making my own themes. Professionally, I did not get to do this until I was 27, right about to turn 28. I can play flute well, and badly, I can play the piano, recorder, percussion, and clarinet. I put most of my efforts into learning how to write more than rehearsing an instrument.

Tention Free : What motivates you to do your best work?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

Being remembered is quite possibly the greatest goal of mine — and to be remembered the way I envision it, how I told people to remember me, and for any talent I possess. I think about this more and more as I get older. And because I have diabetes, I always worry about the “what if?” aspect. I want to be sure that if anything happens, I put my art out for the world. You get better the more you do it professionally. Every great person had to grow from somewhere. I hope to use my art to change the world, both via film and my music. Really, I mean to actually change the world somehow. To inspire young people. To cause more people to go into film and take it seriously, including girls. To have stories that reach people about inequality or history, but to do it in a way that’s perceived as cool amongst mass audiences.

Tention Free : How can people find you and follow you online?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

My website,

officialnicole.com !

Or Twitter. I’m

@nrmcfarland

Tention Free : How’s your feelings when you becomes a film director/writer ?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

I was so happy when I started directing this animated movie and could across social media change my profession to movie director! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. Because journalism never really fit my personality as much as I tired, I never had this pure joy in looking at my social media information saying “journalist.” I’ve wanted to be a movie director since I was about 11 to 12 and compose the music in my movies. I did anything to meet people to get here and arrive to this. For me, hearing the job title aloud with my name attached to it is wonderful.

Tention Free : What are your plans & hopes for the future ?

Nicole Russin-McFarland :

To win a Best Director Academy Award at some point in my life! Very few people get that honor. Some people wait decades for it. I’ll wait as long as I have to wait. I’m fairly determined.