The Other 50%

Sophia is an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker. We spoke about her current project, which is a gorgeous film called Little Stones. The film follows four women whose lives are dedicated to empowering survivors of gender based violence and eradicating the atrocities of domestic violence, human trafficking, extreme poverty and female genital mutilation. These women are therapists, activists, missionaries, and entrepreneurs. Their tools – art.

Brenda and Tracy have backgrounds in acting and theatre, moved from New York to Phoenix, AZ and started the initiative. Their mission is this:

“The Bridge Initiative: Women in Theatre incubates and celebrates professional female theatre artists, promoting gender parity across all theatrical disciplines.”

Suzanne is a film producer, author, speaker, teacher and inspiration. She started the Flash Forward Institute in the early 2000’s. She is the President of Snowfall Films. She wrote Independent Film Producing: The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking.

From humble beginnings in Canada, where she was told she could be a teacher, a nurse or a secretary, she quickly realized she was as smart as the men running things and might just have a go at that. At 29 she was the first female VP at a TV Network.

Melissa is the SVP of Physical Production at Starz. And like many in this town, she started out as an actor. It’s actually excellent training for life – as is waiting tables – which goes with pursuing acting. She worked her way up producing films until she went in house and rose to the top of the production ladder.

Naomi is a Writer/Actor/Producer and a Founder of The 51 Fund. She started writing plays as a way to create complex parts to play, but kept the writer identity to herself. Why do we do that?!

She is also a filmmaker who wrote, produced and starred in Imagine I’m Beautiful, and is currently in pre-production on her next film, Bite Me.

Anabella is a Producer and Director and she owns a production company with her husband called Vacation Theory. Her eyes were opened young to socio-economic differences and social justice issues. She realized early that real change happens with the people and what shapes people is the stories we tell and the art we consume. She wanted to be a part of the storytelling.

Heather is a Director. Her TV directing credits include Freakish, Madam Secretary, Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, and Saving Grace with Holly Hunter. Before transitioning to Director, she was a sought-after Script Supervisor for many years.  Think Six Feet Under, Carnivále, Huff, Monk, Being Mary Jane, etc., etc. Her initial training was in theatre. She is the real deal.

She says that script supervising is the best day job that leads to directing.  And how could it not be?  You’re sitting next to all the directors for the best master class you can have.

We talked about steeling your courage to throw your hat in the ring, balancing your life and family, and how TV directing is a G*dd*&$n spiritual practice.

Kate is an actor.  And a writer and producer. She recently created and produced the series called Dropping the Soap that can be seen on Amazon. Her other acting credits include Doubt, American Crime, Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy, The Mindy Project, The Mentalist…all the shows you love. She was in the scene where Denny got his heart transplant on Grey’s. Say no more.  I’m a fan.

She produced Dropping the Soap in part to get exposure doing comedy.  Which she did.  Jane Lynch is in it too by the way, along with a lot of other faces you will recognize.

She gives a lot of great advice about producing and about acting.  For acting – know your place and be a good guest.  If you are invited to a dinner party, bring a lovely bottle of wine, don’t lug in the entrée.  And when producing, ask. Have good material, and they will show up.

And all the real networking happens at school.

Charlie is an actor, writer, producer and director. She recently created, produced, directed and starred in a web series called The Charlie Orange Show. You can watch it here.  She plays three different characters in her woman-on-the-street hidden camera series.  She likes to push the envelope as far as she can and capture people’s honest reactions. This is all in service of seeking human connection and creating deeper empathy. 

Charlie just won Best Director at the London Independent Film Awards. Pretty rad.

And she majored in finance because it was easy. Go figure.

Lane is an actor, writer, producer and director. First, let me tell you she is in a play that you should go see – Welcome to your Alternative Reality.  Here’s the link. I went last weekend and loved it.  Theatre in LA is alive and well.

Lane just wrote, produced, directed and starred in a pilot called After Pluto.  Watch it here.

Here’s the thing: more and more women are now writing complex female characters for themselves and are producing the shows and putting them out there. I think it’s an incredible revolution.

Risk, fail, risk again.

Lane leaned in big time. And she is a delight.  And if you happen to cast for animation, have a listen to this voice!

And as I have oft suspected, there is something to marrying your college sweetheart.