Author: America Young

America Young is currently working in Film, TV and Video Games, as a Director, 2nd unit director, stunt coordinator and stunt woman. To date, she has done over 45 video games. She has directed 6 entire web series, 13 shorts and 2 music videos. America is so excited that all her years of production experience and geek obsession culminated into directing her first feature, a pop-culture comedy called “The Concessionaires Must Die!”, executive produced by Stan Lee. now available on all VOD platforms! She is a proud founder on The Chimaera Project, a non-profit which gives opportunities to women in the media arts.

Cinderella’s mom dies. She meets her new stepmother. Stepmother takes a look at the girl and realizes the best way she can destroy this person is to play the long con. Rather than giving her a strong work ethic and marketable skills by making Cinderella clean the house top to bottom, Stepmother tells Cinderella that she is so beautiful she doesn’t need to develop her sense of humor, bother with studying books or be kind to others.  To keep her off balance, Stepmother showers her with back handed compliments about her looks and always makes sure to point others that…

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Advice from someone who has no training or clinical experience (and therefore no business telling you how to live your life) on how to live your life. Gossips feels sooooo good.  Like so good. Sometimes when I’m tired or feel drained, I have found that feeling anger or jealousy helps me feel alive or energetic again. A little surge of juice. So I found myself seeking out things that will make me feel this way.  Check out the Facebook page of someone I am in an argument with.  I gossip, I spread negativity because for that split second, I do…

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Advice from someone who has no training or clinical experience (and therefore no business telling you how to live your life) on how to live your life. ————– Social media has brought us all together in a way that I think no one anticipated. As an artist you have to deal with rejection on a regular basis.  Not just “you didn’t get the job” which would have helped your career, paid your bills and given your life stability, which most people have to deal with, which is pretty damn important.  But take that and add, “Your art, which is a…

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…That Are Actually Useful in Real Life. I have been working on movie sets of all sizes and budgets for ten years. During that time I have learned a few things that apply to production AND real life. Art imitates life and life imitates art and the making of art.  Or something deep and philosophical like that. Either way I was thrilled to find similarities between filmmaking and the rest of the world.  Made me feel less like a mystical, lawless carny and more like a relatable member of civilized society.  Which is nice sometimes. Usually though, I prefer to feel…

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So, I find myself waffling these days. And since waffling isn’t something I usually do, I thought I’d look into that.  You see I’ve been reading lots of blogs, posts and articles about needing more strong women roles.  And while you’d think that I agree with this based on my projects (www.girlsthefilm.com), I found that I’m not sure I agree with them. I realized it comes down to semantics.  Do they mean Strong Women Roles like STRONG WOMEN roles, like action heroes?  Or do they mean strong WOMEN ROLES, which might mean flawed, interesting and complex women.  Based on these…

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It’s a first meeting/date.  Most likely a blind date set up between someone who knows you both.  You are super nervous.  You’ve heard great things about this person and know it could lead to amazing things.  If you are smart, you do a little cyber stalking to be studied up on them, which, if they are awesome, only makes you more nervous. When you are dating someone you really want to impress and who holds the keys to your future happiness in their hands and they tell you that you are amazing, beautiful and everything they are looking for, it…

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There is a shocking lack of females in the above the line positions in Hollywood.  Directing, Director of Photography and so on.  Now, perhaps I am naïve, but I don’t believe that it is a conspiracy.  Yes, I am sure the old white boys club exists.  Sadly, it always will.  And that club has given us some amazing films.  However, it has been my direct experience that men have always welcomed me as a producer or director or stunt person.  It has been my experience that men have supported and helped me, never undermined or derided me. We woman are…

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I have been a filmmaker for a long time and a storyteller since I was kid.  This is what I love to do more than anything.  And some months, it’s what I love to do more than paying rent or eating, apparently.   It’s a passion and a love. The best thing I have ever done for my storytelling  education is work in film festivals.  I helped found one in Hollywood called the Feel Good Film Festival in 2007.  I worked on that film festival practically fulltime while also working on the LA Film Festival, and as a Panel Producer on…

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