[1] McDougal taught junior high English in the northern suburbs of Chicago for five years, and then he went on to begin writing and directing a series of hour-long Christian dramas for film, video and television distribution in over 30 countries.

In 1998, McDougal finished production on the 35 mm feature, "The Prodigy", which opened at the Cineplex Odeon in Chicago and was released through Vanguard Video and Blockbuster June 5, 1999.

The series includes the films, "Through the Cracks", and "Crackdown" which won two Emmy awards and is currently distributed to African-American churches, schools, and institutions through Urban Ministries in Chicago.

During his tenure at Regent, McDougal's students produced scripts and movies including a film for Joel Freeman, former chaplain of the Washington Wizards titled “Return to Glory,” which received worldwide distribution.

McDougal currently lives in Northfield with his wife Nevila, and children Eddie, Emilia, and Ben where he is working on his newest feature film.