From Instagram Experiments to Book Adaptations: Hannah Lehmann's “Thousand Tiny Steps”

In an industry obsessed with overnight success, Sydney-based director Hannah Lehmann measures her career in quieter victories -- the kind built from what she calls "a thousand tiny steps".

While others chase viral moments, Hannah has become a case study in sustainable creativity, proving that consistent progress trumps instant recognition.

"This industry makes you think success happens overnight," she says. "But it’s really a thousand tiny steps. A great casting session, a script page that finally clicks, even just surviving a brutal edit – those are the wins that actually matter."

Her approach was evident early on when she created ‘The Out There’ -- a series of one-minute Instagram episodes at a time when the platform didn’t support episodic content.

"I made one-minute episodes because I believed in the format, even if no one was doing it yet," she recalls. "Every upload was an experiment in how to tell a complete story in 60 seconds."

That willingness to experiment led to her breakthrough digital series ‘Two Sides’, which earned an Australian Directors’ Guild award and a Streamy Award.

"Those early projects taught me that small, consistent victories create more sustainable careers than chasing one big break," she notes.

Hannah’s philosophy extends to her commercial work, where she balances brand demands with emotional storytelling.

Her campaign for ‘ACON’ focused on real stories about cervical cancer screening, while projects for ‘Amex’ and ‘Vogue’ required a more polished approach.

"With ads, the win might be sneaking genuine humanity into 15 seconds," she explains. "Each project has different constraints, but the common thread is finding emotional truth within those boundaries."

Her adaptability has made her a sought-after director for brands including eBay and Vivo, with a 2022 nomination for Best New Director at the Shot Awards cementing her commercial credentials.

Alongside commercial work, Hannah has steadily developed her narrative voice.

She is currently writing her debut feature ‘Candy Flip’ and adapting two bestselling books -- one for iGeneration Studios and another for Leone Films.

But it’s ‘Mirrorball’, her semi-autobiographical TV series, that represents her most personal project yet.

"It’s about taking tiny, terrifying steps," she says of the writing process. "First you write what hurts, then you build the world around it."

Supported by Screen Australia,  ‘Mirrorball’ exemplifies how her small-wins approach applies to long-form storytelling. Hannah breaks even daunting tasks into manageable pieces.

"I don’t think ‘write a script’," she says. "I think ‘nail this dialogue scene by noon’."

Her selection as a Cannes Catalyst Delegate for 2024 -- following her 2019 Screen Australia Talent LA delegation -- underscores her steady rise.

"Nothing inspires me more than when I get rejected," she admits. "It’s proof I’m pushing far enough."

"I used to think success was a finish line," she reflects. "Now I know it’s just loving the act of moving forward."

Beyond ‘Mirrorball’, she is developing a comedy series with and has two features in active development. As she juggles commercials and creative work, Hannah still measures progress the only way she trusts -- one small, defiant step at a time.

"Focus on what only you can make," she advises. "The small projects where you find your voice matter more than chasing trends."