Author: Jen Prince

I first learned about the rather new and rarified job ‘Sensitivity Reader’ through producer and development exec, Alexandra Creswick. She responded to the growing mandate for accuracy in representation in storytelling by becoming a Sensitivity Reader herself. I want Ms. In the Biz readers and filmmakers to know about how to start making this position a regular on your crew lists. Alexandra was kind enough to share her thoughts with us about sensitivity reading in an interview. What exactly is a Sensitivity Reader? Sensitivity Reading (sometimes also called “Expert Reading” or “Authenticity Reading”) is an emerging practice of doing a notes pass…

More than a year ago, #femalefilmmakerfriday began as a campaign to share images of female filmmakers on social media.  Directors shared photos working on set, both in response to the #TimesUp movement and as an effort to inspire the next generation of women.  “If she can see it, she can be it,” was a common refrain on the posts. The hashtag has continued, with some filmmakers committing to keep posting on Fridays to keep momentum and visibility up for the effort toward gender parity.  I participated and found it to be a community building exercise, growing my list of women…

Many indies find the filmmaking momentum they had churning during production grinds to a halt during post-production and leaves everyone asking, “Why is post-production taking so LONG?”  Take a deep breath if you’re months into this feeling and still don’t have a movie despite your best efforts to track and meet editing deadlines. There are a number of pitfalls to avoid, but sometimes on the low-budget level in particular, the film has a way of dictating its own timeline.  The technology gods wield their almighty power and won’t let the film online properly, crashes a drive or two, or Rick-rolls…

You do not need money or anyone’s permission to have your own indie development department and film slate.  No matter where you are in your filmmaking journey, you can start today, right now, to define what you would like to be working on if the stars aligned as well as what you expect out of your filmmaking partnerships. You have some ideas for films you’d like to make.  Or maybe you just know you passionately want to make films, but haven’t found the time and energy outside your day job to actually make one. Maybe you’ve made a couple shorts,…

Scheduling a film is an art in itself.  While creating a schedule on an indie might fall to a Line Producer or AD, you often need a good schedule before you are able to hire either of those people.  You need a schedule to draft your budget and you need a budget to raise your funds.  Learning to estimate the realistic scope of your project is such an important skill to build as a producer.  I prefer to create my own schedule rather than farm it out even though it takes a lot more time than I would like, because…

I am often asked to give producing notes as a script is heading toward a crowdfunding campaign or low-budget production. There are some pitfalls to avoid and considerations to be made for making your script more indie budget and schedule friendly. The first question I have when evaluating a script’s low-budget potential is how many cast members are in the cast list.  Final Draft has tools to make this really easy to identify, but you also may need to use your imagination to really answer the question.  If you ask the writer, they might not even be aware of how…

It’s easy to feel alone or overwhelmed by the grim statistics in the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film report.  When there are seemingly so few opportunities to go around, some are inclined toward jealousy or frustration with those who seem to have more or receive more recognition, while others allow self-doubt or rejection to throw them off their path.   It’s a challenge to remain convinced that your day, too, will come.  Mentorships, jobs, labs, fellowships, grants – they are all fiercely competitive and can leave filmmakers questioning if they will ever get the opportunities and…

As a micro-budget producer with films in distribution and on the festival circuit, I am often asked to go to coffee so someone can ‘pick my brain.’ If something I’ve experienced can help someone avoid a pitfall, nothing makes me happier.  I love it when I can connect dots and match-make other collaborators. Transparency and free sharing of information is critical to transforming our industry into a place where underrepresented groups can find success, support and move into positions of greater power. I am constantly toying with ideas for making these coffee talks reach a greater number of people, because,…

Recently in my zombie scrolling of Instagram during a late night breastfeeding session, I found myself watching a segment called “what’s in Drew Barrymore’s bag” and I have to admit that I actually found it illuminating. Ms. Barrymore pulled out each item and used it as a context to talk about her life and its day-to-day struggles and victories.  I rolled over and stared at my nightstand and took inventory.  Like a purse, our nightstands are both representations of our best and most ‘real talk’ selves.  There are the books we aim to read because they will help us achieve…

From time to time I see articles debating the worth of film school. It’s pricey. It’s competitive. It takes years and a lot of hard work with few guarantees of return. From where I stand, it was one of a few big life choices I have made that fundamentally altered my identity. I developed more as an artist and as a person. My goals changed. Some of my closest relationships were formed. My understanding of both how films are made and why I want to make them were cemented and challenged by film school. The question of worth has financial…

Festival season is underway.  Every season is, of course, festival season, but I find it really gets kicked off in earnest after everyone has their official rejection letter from Sundance.  Everyone has a different take on the festival circuit: what success means, which festivals are what tier (and what that means for your film and career), and which fests are worth attending.   I have highly subjective answers to those questions, formed over the course of my navigating the circuit.  What’s more useful to share, however, are perhaps some strategies for making the most of your festival run, wherever it takes…

When people find out I have had four kids in the last ten years and three features in the last three, they either shake their heads in confusion or marvel “I don’t know how you do it all.” Firstly, I suspect “having it all” means something different to each of us at this stage of feminism. I certainly don’t fit many of those paradigms and I cannot answer how to make a sustainable living making independent films, with or without kids. I am speaking specifically about how I manage my time in order to make films while raising kids. I…

Making a film in your hometown might be the rebirth to your filmmaking you didn’t know you were looking for.  I recently had the opportunity to direct a film in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, and it reignited my passion for what regional filmmaking brings to our culture and reciprocally to the artist. I have long approached indie filmmaking from a ‘resources first’ approach: write around what you have.  In taking stock of what I might have available to me to grow the next project, my eyes fell upon my hometown.  A filmmaking colleague had access to a location…

I’ve produced four micro-budget feature films.  Despite the limited resources, there are a few things that I believe keep people coming back to our sets.  Micro-budget is creative power – the power to assert your filmmaking values and collaborative hallmarks.  Micro-budget does not mean lack of professionalism or an excuse to be illegitimate in terms of your obligations to laws or industry standards.  It can be a lot more work with a lot less help, but it can also be (in my opinion) very rewarding work in ways that are perhaps more meaningful than money.  Aim to make your set…