Author: Rachel Feldman

Rachel Feldman is the 2015 NYWIFT Ravenal Grantee for directors over 40 working on a 2nd feature - for LEDBETTER, an Athena List winner, about the remarkable Fair Pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. Rachel also won the 2015 WGA Drama Queens Award for spec pilot THE UNDERNEATH, optioned by Maria Bello’s Ground Seven Entertainment. She has directed movies and episodic television for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FOX, The CW, SYFY, LIFETIME, DISNEY CHANNEL and TEEN NICK and written movies for Lifetime and ABCFamily. An ardent activist for women directors, Feldman was a prime mover in the recent ACLU actions, has chaired the DGA Women’s Steering Committee, and has taught directing and screenwriting in the MFA program at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. She received her MFA in Directing from NYU, and her BA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College and Parsons School of Design. Her grad thesis film won Best Short at The New York and Chicago Film Festivals, later sold to HBO, Showtime and PBS. Feldman has received filmmaking grants from The AFI, The Jerome Foundation, Kodak, Technicolor, and Panavision’s “Filmmakers To Watch”.

We all do it. We write furiously and then desperately need people to see if those black marks on the page are actually words. Having been on the asking end, the reading end, the teaching end, and the consulting end, I have come away with some parameters writers might consider before asking friends and colleagues to read your script. My first piece of advice is not to ask people who don’t write themselves. An architect wouldn’t think to ask her mother what she thought of her blueprints, and neither should you expect a reasonable response from those who don’t understand…

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New York Times Magazine published Maureen Dowd’s phenomenal article “The Women Of Hollywood Speak Out” Sunday November 22, 2015. As a woman director and a longtime activist for women directors, I believe this piece of journalism marks a true demarcation line of past and future. The “GENDERQUAKE”, a term by feminist journalist Melissa Silverstein, has arrived! Before this exceptionally comprehensive article we made excuses for the unenlightened and the fearful but this piece of journalism changes things. There’s no turning back now – and it’s been a long time coming. I moved to Los Angeles in 1985 with a Masters…

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Dear Rachel, I have a Masters degree in directing from a top film school. I’ve directed three shorts that won major awards at important festivals, and am in development with two feature films. But I can’t get an agent or manager interested in representing me. I’ve seen guys with fewer credits than me getting scooped up. What’s up? Dear Unrepped, This is a real problem and a disgraceful syndrome. If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone. Although there’s a great deal of strong research substantiating abysmal employment statistics regarding women directors at the studios and networks, I…

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Dear Rachel,  I’m a new director having a hard time working with macho cinematographers who think they know better than me and want to boss me around. How do you deal with jerks like this? Thanks, Directress in distress —– Hello New Director, I’ll have to assume that someone other than yourself hired this Bozo. As is often the case when you are a director for hire you won’t have a say in who will be shooting your picture. When this happens you can be paired with people who come from different backgrounds and have varied perspectives. I’ve had my…

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Dear WomenCallAction,   I’m lost. I started out as an artist with clear convictions, now I don’t know who I am or what I believe anymore. I want to work so badly as a writer and a director that I find myself willing to bend in any direction and then hate myself later. One day I’m a weakling, willing to agree with anything or anybody – the next, I’m angry, pissing everybody off. I feel like a pretzel. ——- Dear Pretzel, I’m so sorry. Though you are not specific in the particulars of your angst, I feel you. And I…

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Dear Rachel, I’m a screenwriter and a few friends have asked if they can submit my scripts to their contacts in exchange for being attached as a producer. Of course, I want the connections, but I’m not sure these friends know anything about producing or if I want them attached to the future of my project. How do I handle this? Signed, TORN —— Dear Torn, Yes, this is a frequently troubling dilemma that everyone in the biz has experienced. On one hand we want to take advantage of opportunities, on the other, we’re not certain that the conditions are…

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Dear Rachel, I’ve been at this show biz thing for a while and don’t know whether to stay the course or shift gears while I’m young and can go into another field. The ups and downs are killing me, mostly the downs actually. Do you have any advice about how to create a long-term career? Signed, Dying on the Vine ————– Dear Ripe Fruit, I know, I know! First of all, it’s not just you. Whether you’re an actor, writer, director, producer – no matter what, the first thing you must assess is if the work you do is essential…

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Dear Rachel,
 I’ve recently left my full time job in order to dedicate myself to my filmmaking career, but I’m having a hard time figuring out my new freelance life. Any suggestions?
 Signed, Sleeping too late ——— Dear Sleepyhead, Welcome to your handmade life. It’s rewarding but has some challenges. Organization and discipline are key to making the freelance life work for anyone and getting up early and using your day effectively is the first step, one which you already self-diagnosed. In order for this kind of career to work you must treat your workday in the same you would…

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Rachel is a writer, director, film professor, wife and mother. She’s written and directed: movies, episodic television, shorts, and branded webisodes. She’s a member of the WGA and the DGA where she was Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. She’s happy to help you navigate the murky waters of a film career in Hollywood. Ask her anything. She’ll tell you the truth. This week: “Job Shadowing” Dear Rachel What do you think of shadowing to help build a directing career? I’ve been invited to observe on a network series but I have a good paying day job and am not…

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Rachel is a writer, director, film professor, wife and mother. She’s written and directed: movies, episodic television, shorts, and branded webisodes. She’s a member of the WGA and the DGA where she was Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. She’s happy to help you navigate the murky waters of a film career in Hollywood. Ask her anything. She’ll tell you the truth. This week: “Master of my Dreams” Dear Rachel,
 I’ve been accepted to a prestigious film program for a Masters Degree. Even though it’s crazy expensive, my parents think I should go for it. I’m not sure it’s worth…

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Rachel is a writer, director, film professor, wife and mother. She’s written and directed: movies, episodic television, shorts, and branded webisodes. She’s a member of the WGA and the DGA where she was Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. She’s happy to help you navigate the murky waters of a film career in Hollywood. Ask her anything. She’ll tell you the truth. “I’ve been up and down and over and out and I know just one thing: Each time I find myself layin’ flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race. Written by Dean Kay…

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