Glass Elevator
In 2015 Jen created Glass Elevator, the free international skill-sharing, networking & jobs resource for professional women in film & television. It shuttered in 2021. In that time Glass Elevator had over 5,000 members, hosted over 300 classes & events & shared over 700 jobs with the members. Glass Elevator was named Best in LA by LA Weekly, part of the Sundance Women's Initiative Resource and featured in Forbes.
Want to get in touch? If your audience includes historically excluded groups or attendees are not charged a fee, Jen may offer alternative arrangements. Otherwise, she has an hourly rate for public and guest speaking. Reach out to learn more.
Q & A for New Filmmakers
Until 2021 I offered consults to filmmakers by the hour. After realizing I was no longer close enough to the experiences of those asking questions to be of much practical use I stopped.
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However I know many filmmakers have lots of questions so I've placed answers to some of the most asked questions here.
How did you get your movies made?
This is by far the number one question I am asked. In the beforetimes I answered it in a pinned post on my Twitter account. You can find that archived here.
What do I do next?
The answer to this, like most things, is that depends. The best common answer I've found is be specific. Be specific about where you are now and where you're trying to get to. Be specific about your strengths, weaknesses, tools and resources. You can always change your mind but until you're super specific about those questions, progress is impossible.
How do I find good representation?
I'm sorry to tell you but the only answer I know is make good work and put yourself out there. Over & over & over again.
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Bad representation is worse than no representation and reps cannot sell things that only exist in your mind. So focus on the work.
Generally,
I highly recommend taking everyone's advice, including mine, with a hefty dose of salt. You must always do what's best for you. Lean into your strengths and shore up your weaknesses.
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I also find that the best, most practical advice comes from filmmakers just one or two years ahead of me. Everything is constantly changing - you, the industry, the world, etc. Lots of advice has time, location, race, gender, etc application limits.
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Personally, I don't take any career advice from anyone whose career I don't covet. And I don't take creative advice from anyone I'm not working for or with.
Finally,
We all only have one life. One. Do with yours what is best for you. No one can do what you can do, say what you can say or make what you can make. Please do your best because we need it.
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Good luck!
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Jen