Directing Magick: What It Feels Like to Bring a World to Life on Set
There’s a moment in every creative journey when the intangible becomes real… when a story you've held in your heart begins to breathe outside of you. Directing is where that moment lives for me. It’s the bridge between dream and embodiment, and somehow, it still feels like alchemy every single time.
Here’s what it’s like to direct through the lens of someone who still can’t quite believe this is real… but knows in her bones it is.
On set filming phase 2 of The Christmas Witch with Lux Wolett, Brooklyn Summer, Jocelyn Newhall, Jayde Martinez, and Zuri Miles at Blue Ridge High School.
What moment on set made you stop and think: “This is real. We’re doing it”?
There was one scene in particular, when Cerridwen, Brigid, and Morgan all connect and get cozy to watch a movie together… that gave me chills.
It’s also the moment where Morgan begins to subtly shift under the influence of the Myst, and the layered energy in the room was undeniable. These three ladies became their characters. Watching them settle into their roles so naturally, while holding space for that flicker of magic and tension, made something click in me. Their energy, their timing, their chemistry, it all aligned. And I remember thinking, This is it. This is the heartbeat of our story. I can’t wait for everyone to watch it unfold.
What do you see, feel, and hear as a director when you’re in the zone?
To be honest? It’s incredibly overwhelming at times. Directing is a symphony of constant movement… I’m answering what feels like a month’s worth of questions in just a few hours, all while moving from location to location, blocking scenes, solving problems, and making fast decisions that affect everything downstream.
But here’s the thing — the overwhelm doesn’t take away the magic. If anything, it stretches me. It reminds me that I can hold more than I thought I could. I feel deeply seen on set in a way I’m not entirely used to yet. There’s an unspoken acknowledgment that comes with being in the director’s chair… people look to you, they trust your vision, and that responsibility humbles me.
I wear a headset for most of the day, but only slide it over my ears when we’re rolling, so I can hear our talent clearly. And when I’m truly in the zone? The chaos falls away. All I see, feel, and hear is the story coming to life. It’s like stepping into a current that carries me, all I have to do is steer with my heart.
What surprised you about directing versus writing? What was harder? What was more magical?
For me, writing is actually more difficult than directing. Writing drops me deep into my own head, which can be both a gift and a trap. I need feedback to move through the fog sometimes, and thankfully, I have a family and circle of friends who haven’t grown tired of my “can you read this really quick?” texts.
But when I’m directing, the framework is already there. I have a blueprint to work with. I can cut or pivot scenes to enhance the pacing or emotion without losing the essence. For example, I can take a line originally written to be delivered at the doorway and move it inside the room, and just like that, the energy shifts. It’s fluid. Responsive. Alive.
Directing lets me witness the magick in real time. Writing feels like searching for the spark. Directing is fanning the flame.
How do you navigate leadership on set while protecting your sensitivity and intuition?
One word: Trust.
If you’re part of my cast or crew, you’re not just a name on a call sheet — you’re someone I trust to bring your brilliance to the project. I want you to shine in your lane. I believe in surrounding myself with people who are excellent at what they do, and then giving them the space to do it.
And because of that trust, I don’t have to mask my sensitivity. If I need a moment to step away, breathe, or reset, no one bats an eye. There’s a quiet respect that flows through our sets, and that’s not accidental; it’s part of the culture we’ve created. A space where intuition isn’t a liability. It’s a leadership tool.
How does filmmaking feel like magick to you?
Honestly? I still don’t understand how it’s not magick.
This all began as a thought… a spark of inspiration that became a story I wrote down and became my very first book. Then, with my mom, we adapted that book into a screenplay. That script became a map. And now? Now there’s a living, breathing world unfolding on screen — complete with people, places, and moments that never existed before we believed in them.
Filmmaking is the purest form of alchemy I know. It’s conjuring something from nothing. It’s transforming imagination into shared experience. It’s watching a dream become a tangible thing you can see, hear, and feel. And that’s not just art… that’s magick.
Directing may stretch me, but it never breaks me. It reminds me that vision is a gift. That collaboration is sacred. And that the stories we tell, the ones we fight to bring to life… are always worth it.
So if you ever wonder what directing feels like…
It feels like standing in the middle of a dream, wide awake, whispering “More light here, just like that…”
And watching the universe respond.
With a lens full of wonder and a story in my bones,
Dalea
🕯️ If you’re a parent, a partner, a dreamer, or just a human trying to keep it together while chasing your passions, this is your reminder that the chaos doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re living. And somewhere in the midst of it all… the story is still unfolding.
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