Author: Deborah Lee Smith

“Live a life of abundance, not scarcity.” You know when you hear a saying or quote that you like, but doesn’t quite make sense until it plays out in your everyday life? For me, this saying was one of those sentiments. Live a life of abundance? What the heck does that mean? If I don’t have anything in abundance, how can I possibly live a life like that? Everyone is talking a lot lately about how mindset is everything, and if you change your mind, you change your life. Ring a bell anyone? I recently finished filming a feature film…

In last month’s article I shared Part I of my interview with my Badass Development Executive friend. We talked about her background, the production company that she works for, their focus on different materials, and what the actual development process looks like. Today, we are going to jump back into a conversation about development and then talk about what tips my BDE has for budding writers. How many projects will you have in development at one time? At this point we have five that have already been pitched and are set up somewhere, one that is about to start production,…

Much like most newcomers, my amazing friend, who shall remain nameless, started with an understanding that there were only three jobs in Hollywood: writer, director and editor. She went to school for film production with the intention of being a director, moved to LA, PA’ed like crazy, worked in editing and script supervising, before discovering her true passion: finding and cultivating new voices for film and television. My brilliant friend is a development executive and after countless discussions with her about development, I knew I had to share her insight with our Ms. in the Biz community. Thus, my spotlight…

I was having a conversation with a director friend the other day and we started talking about art vs. business in filmmaking. He attended a very prestigious filmmaking school (that I’ll leave unnamed) and he said one of the biggest criticisms he had about his master’s program was the lack of a practical knowledge on indie filmmaking. He did attend classes in business, distribution, and marketing of films, but it was often focused on the studio system and their formula of mainstream stories + star names = big box office successes. Of course, it is widely understood that there is…

Confidence is a funny thing. It’s very “chicken or the egg.” There are so many phrases, especially in this industry, about how it is important to “be confident.” Truthfully though, it’s a difficult thing to gain if you don’t feel like you have accomplished anything to make you feel that confidence. “Fake it till you make it.” “Confidence is sexy.” All of these sentiments focus on how if you have confidence, it is easier to snowball that into bigger and better things. But what if you don’t have that initial snow to begin with? I know, I know, you are probably…

My first article for Ms. In the Biz was about taking a break from LA and my acting dream in order to control the crazy. I talked about the importance of figuring out what was holding you back from following your dreams, naming that craziness, and facing it head on. Now, two years later, my initial version of crazy is in check, I have learned many things, and I have done my darndest to share them with you all. I have discussed the ways in which the entertainment industry directly correlates to any other business, the importance of taking calculated…

Writers’ brains completely fascinate me. Not in a zombie eating way, but a building an admiration society way. I love sitting down with writers to learn about their background and process because it makes me fall in love with this craft more and more. To me, writers are the brain of this industry and the uber-talented, up-and-coming, writer Jenna Wycoff is no different. Straight out of school she dove into the writing world first as a literary agents’ assistant and then as the assistant to the executive producers of MTV’s Awkward, Chris Alberghini and Mike Chessler and she has continued…

Comic-Con is an event that has something for everyone. It has celebrity sightings for the fans, awesome cosplay for those creatively inclined, updates on your favourite shows, and underneath it all, a nebula of creative professionals who congregate at Comic-Con to discuss their latest projects, find business/creative partners, and maybe even meet someone who will change their life forever. I love Comic-Con for the panels. I love hearing from amazingly talented people who have made their dreams come true and through it all they’re really “just like us.” Every year there is a panel that stands out as my favorite…

They always say there is no map to success in this industry. You can’t just go to school, work for X amount of years and expect to be earning X amount of money by 30. But come on the uncertainty is what makes it fun! Right….right? While there is no roadmap to success, there are patterns that bleed little tiny bits of advice about how to book work. Heck, there are entire classes devoted to those patterns but instead of suggesting you enroll in a class, I have compiled some advice from super-bookers in this industry. These incredible folks have…

Summer is the season for pool parties, casual BBQs, and many other events disguised as networking opportunities. Some people don’t like to use the word networking and instead say “relationship building,” but despite the terminology the and goal is the same: to develop a genuine relationship with someone that could turn into friendship or future collaboration. People who know me since I moved to LA as an actor think that I am a networking queen. The truth, I am a shy and introverted person who has learned how to “turn it on” in public situations. What am I turning on?…

Hollywood is a living organism. To survive in our world, it is constantly evolving to keep up with new trends and technology. This was never more apparent then at the Digital Hollywood Conference held at the Skirball Center from May 3-6th. This four day conference was filled with panels and guest speakers that covered everything from innovative transmedia to virtual reality and how VR will play a huge part in the future of Hollywood. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend a few of the sessions but every panel I did attend gave me new insight and a new appreciation…

“Action women have a home at Artemis.” Ms. August McLaughlin, creator of the empowering brand Girl Boner, opened the Artemis Film Festival 2016 gala with those words. It’s difficult to find people and places in Hollywood that truly “get” what you do, but Artemis has proven to truly “get” female action heroes. This film festival is a home for the amazing actresses and stunt women who bring to life the action heroes on our screen. This festival is a celebration of the accomplishments of these women I have the pleasure of attending the “Ass-Kickin’ All Stars of Stunts” panel discussion…

I had the pleasure of attending the Rel/Event Series Part: 1 in November and Part: 2 a few weeks ago at The Globe Theater in Downtown LA. This expansive space was a mix of old world Hollywood and modern LA innovation which made it the perfect space for the Rel/Event Series. What is the Rel/Event series you may ask? On the surface it looks like a red carpet event all about mingling with amazing panelists such as Alan Wenkus and Patrice Avery but it is also about the other attendees you meet. It is the place to meet other like-minded…

If you talk to anyone in the entertainment industry the start of their journey and where they end up is rarely the same. Heck, if you talk to anyone in any industry, their career has evolved as their needs and interests fluctuated. Nicky Hawthorne is an actress turned casting professional turned writer and writing is where she is settled… for now. Get ready for an interview filled with knowledge about the industry both in front of and behind the camera. If you are anything like me, I am sure that by the end, you will be waiting anxiously to learn…