Directing a Music Video Entirely Remotely

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Look! I was able to direct a music video entirely remotely – practicing all safety protocols mandated by the various local governments – and I think it turned out pretty freaking good.

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Okay – so how did we do it, you ask?

I’m excited to share with you just how we were able to pull this off. It’s a bit detailed — which is telling, actually. It wasn’t an easy task.

Composer David Raiklen reached out to me via Alliance of Women Directors. He saw my reel and thought I could take his music and run with it to create an awesome video.

I came to the project with a vision of using this music to pull out the extreme emotion we’re all experiencing during this pandemic. But here’s the thing: we all agreed that we didn’t want this video to be defined by the pandemic. It’s happening around us, yet we’re all still living our lives within it.

I chose a team that I knew would be up for the challenge – and be willing to play, honestly. This piece would be experimental, and I knew we needed a team that could think outside the box.

Our cinematographer, Autumn Palen, worked with me on a Pioneers in Skirts screening event. Have you ever defined a person as “gung ho?” A person who is ready to jump all in? That’s Autumn! We needed someone willing to go the extra mile to make these shots work – and do it safely.

Our editor, Crystal Lentz, worked with me on Pioneers in Skirts as well, so we already had that rapport that editors have with their directors. She understood the underlying intent with my notes, and I knew what she could do – plus, we were both comfortable being honest with each other if something just frankly wasn’t working.

All four of us brainstormed shots we saw in our minds as we listened to the music:

  • nature
  • slow motion moments
  • close up of hands on instruments
  • landscapes and star-scapes
  • faces
  • faces wearing masks

And then we worked tirelessly to get those shot options for Crystal to meld together into the edit. Oh – and we had to get A LOT of people playing instruments and dancing, too!

Then the call for footage went out.

Over the course of one weekend, Autumn was to travel around Los Angeles grabbing all of the musicians (including David as our ‘conductor’), various driving shots, landscapes, oceans, you name it. I imagine it felt very ‘Mad Max’ driving around a deserted Los Angeles.

We were on multiple calls leading up to the shoot to make sure we got enough options in those limited shooting days:

  • play with foreground and background options
  • rack focus
  • slow motion
  • panning and tilting to the player and away
  • see them setting up and then breaking down
  • get their reactions while filming – close ups on their face, their hands

All with a long lens, mind you! We are social distancing…did I say this yet?

That means Autumn had to have a steady hand or the visual would become very shaky (a long lens would feel the camera movement a lot more). And, oh my gosh, ya’ll, the spreadsheets.

If I learned anything in the making of Pioneers in Skirts, it’s how important it is to keep everyone on the same page. For Lights in the Forest, I was constantly updating and re-arranging all of our discussions so that my vision was clear. I wasn’t going to be there physically, and we didn’t have the technology (nor money) to have me wirelessly view the footage. So, this was how I would be ‘in their ears,’ making sure we got the shot!

Side note: There has to be a bit of a “let’s see what happens” vibe – I had to give up some control. I can’t stand next to the camera in this situation, nor sit with the editor and just frame push back and forth. I had to give specific asks and know exactly what I wanted – then hope for the best!

What could I control? I went out to shoot some footage I knew we needed – when you watch the video, look out for my bell, my slow motion fan, my flickering light and my Mom’s rainbow shot!

Simultaneously, we made a call for footage within our personal contacts and on social media. (I wrote a blog post on how I directed people to shoot their videos at home. Click here to read.)

Then came time to edit! With a project like this, we had to set a schedule and work our hardest to stick to it – or we would be gathering footage and re-cutting for weeks! So, we halted all footage-gathering and gave Crystal a few days to work with what we had so far. Once the Editor’s cut was delivered, she and I worked together on a Director’s cut – creating a stronger journey with the footage, using the music to move us into a new story, slow us down, speed us up. Crystal did all of this wonderfully, but it’s normal for a director to then come in and step it up a notch! The collaboration is key here.

Giving edit notes and choosing shots remotely is TOUGH. I had to be incredibly clear in my ask and give very specific timecode notes, so Crystal knew exactly what I was asking. Doing this also avoided a huge amount of back and forth or share screen editing sessions. It really helped us to keep pushing forward.

Then David and I worked together to make sure it was realistic (as much as it can be) for the music performers plus his conductor footage (a conductor should always be slightly ahead of the music because the musicians are following the conductor). We then sent it out for notes from friends – receiving wonderful feedback, including a few repetitive notes that we knew we needed to address.

(I wrote a blog post on how best to give & receive notes. Click here to read.)

We reworked the cut, then gathered more footage – asked a few people to re-record in hopes of being able to use their footage in another round of editing, and then we were picture locked! Post took about two weeks, then we all got on a Share Screen Zoom call together to finalize the piece, the credits and then upload. And here we are!


We were truly using our limitations to our advantage.

This piece was meant to be experimental in all sense of the word. As independent filmmakers, we do not have the same kind of budgets that major studio films have, so we are constantly rethinking our shots or pivoting to honor our story through the resources that we have access to – and it makes us better, stronger filmmakers. (Don’t get me wrong, money allows us to make bigger more immersive stories, and that’s my personal goal).

That’s why I feel at times that this pause in production, and the limitations we will soon face when we start back up again, isn’t going to hit the independent filmmakers as hard, because we are used to smaller crews. We strive in the unknown. Granted, if the expectation of talent and crew is for us to suddenly implement thousands of dollars’ worth of safety protocol (testing each person and checking their temperatures) or pricier production insurance to cover Covid related illnesses – then no, we’re screwed. But, if we can keep making movies but make them with a (quarantined) skeleton crew, then, well, we’ve been doing that all along – no huge change! Except for the isolation part…but you get my point.

The important thing is that there are options. It’s almost as if technology has been working up to this point all along. Some things we may not be able to do right now but that leads us to being creative, and I feel the audience will join us on that journey. I’m not worried. Maybe I should be. Call me naïve, but making this music video has helped me to see that a lot is possible, regardless of what the world may make us feel is possible!

Audience Reactions

I have found the most interesting part about showing this experimental piece to people is their interpretations of moments and shots. Some find that the video wrestles up a memory of travel, of longing. Some feel there is loneliness and then togetherness at the end. Some feel that it’s an ‘Ode to Quarantine’ and how we are all surviving it. To them I answer – Yes, you are right :)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Guiding people on how to film themselves

Sophia Schwinghammer

When we filmed “Lights in the Forest V-Raiklen,” I had to guide people to film their own videos. Read the suggestions we offered to get the best shots!

Filming during a pandemic introduces a lot of new challenges rarely have anyone of us had to face, but still, we wanted to make a music video about this experience! Since we couldn’t be together to film – and because we knew we needed a lot of different shots to keep up with the fast-paced music – we had to give very specific guidance for filming to assure we got enough options that could work for the piece. My producer and I reached out to people we knew around the U.S., Canada, and Australia to ask if they’d be willing to ‘press play’ on the music and record themselves doing anything – dancing, jiving, playing an instrument, interpretive, you name it.

I gave clear directions to each person about lighting, shot sizing (horizontal – not vertical like an Instagram story), and then asked for variations. To get their brains thinking outside the box, I described various things each person could do with their camera to assure we got moments to work with (most people were self-isolating with someone to hold the camera, so that helped out a lot).

Some suggestions I gave:

  • get different sizes of shots (close ups…wides); and make sure it’s shot in 16×9 (NOT 9×16 or Instagram story size – this is a toughie to get people out of this habit). We also tried really hard to get 1920×1080 but beggars can’t be choosers 🙂
  • play with angles — show us just your feet or just your hands, low angle, high angle
  • As for the locations – it was important that it not be in a crowded place – we are social distancing remember! But this also meant that they’d probably be shooting in their homes or front yard, so we asked people to actually clean up their spaces! (Or we made them do it again if they didn’t…) With a simple environment, our eyes will only focus on the person in the frame moving; and with such quick shot edits, we have to tell the viewer EXACTLY where to look in the frame right away.
  • To that end – we needed movement. If someone recorded themselves just sitting playing an instrument – oh no, that wasn’t good enough – get up and ROCK with us! Or jive to the music as you play!
  • And for the dancers – I suggested that they try using their phone as a dance partner – that footage actually turned out really cool!

It’s important to note – while this was all great guidance, we were actually pleasantly surprised of how many people took these ideas and literally ran with them! We had a dancer know we needed a stoic backdrop, so she danced across the frame next to a monument in Minneapolis. We wanted to see people in face masks, so a friend of mine and her sister headed out to the beach to dance in front of the ocean while wearing masks! There are so many more surprises we saw in the footage than we could have even imagined – which made this piece even stronger and more special. People were truly being creative!

How do I give film notes to a filmmaker?

Did a filmmaker ask you to give them notes on their film project? Or, did you ask others for notes on your film? Read on for advice on giving and receiving notes – it’s a skill!

I’ve asked a lot of people for feedback on my films, and it can be a very vulnerable experience. I mean, I’m asking someone to judge something I’ve worked very hard on, but I know it will only make the project better.

The real reason a filmmaker is asking for notes is to see if there is something glaringly bad/weird/strange that they or their team just didn’t notice because they’ve seen it so many times…They also want to know if their goals with the piece or the story are in fact coming across!

For example, when we hear something like “this shot bumped for me,” or “I was confused by this moment,” then we must take a look at that section. This is especially prevalent if this note is repeated about the same area of the film – time to open it back up to figure out what’s going on.

Insider secret – sometimes if a moment or a scene isn’t working, you may need to actually look at the scenes immediately before it to see if there’s a problem there. Maybe the payoff isn’t working because it isn’t set up well enough?

And, often people will give us filmmakers their own ideas on how to fix a problem. So we smile, take it in, and go back to our own drawing board. No disrespect to the note – I mean, we asked for it. It’s just that sometimes notes can be a reflection of what someone else would do with the footage, or maybe it’s just their personal take based on their past personal experiences (for example, I am very hyper aware to gender bias – so this is included in all of my feedback – it’s up to the filmmaker to decide if this is important to them, too…but, it better be…). The important thing is to use the notes process of filmmaking as just that – a process. It’s a stage of post-production you must plan for.

So, the secret to receiving notes is to hear all of those notes and ideas, and then take away what works best for you and your vision. Sometimes I like to ask people for feedback and tell them nothing about the piece, so I can get their honest first reaction. Other times, if I know this person is familiar with the piece, I will tell them my goals and ask if they feel it’s coming across (and then ask their suggestions for making it better).

credit: unsplash.com

Never take notes personally! I’ve received some very painful notes in the past: “I honestly don’t know what’s going on here” “It feels very claustrophobic” “I find the main character very self-serving” (the main character was me – don’t worry, we fixed that). Ouch, right? We’re putting ourselves out there, people! This is the thick skin part, and frankly, this is what sets us apart. We’re putting ourselves out there and willing to do it again and again. [Look out for a Blog post I’m currently writing on handling rejection…on a daily basis!]

Back to the art of giving notes — Just be honest. You can try that compliment sandwich (good note – constructive note – good note), but we all know what you are really doing…tell us what you like, what’s working for you. And, then tell us what bumped for you. Yes, “bumped.” Best word for this. Then tell us what questions you have while watching the film or you have after watching it. You can try to figure out our intention or try to figure out solutions, but wait for an actual notes call to do that. Oh! And always, always, include timecode or timing of where the moments are you are referencing. Do NOT leave it to us to figure out ‘that one shot that took too long.’ Oh no. Please don’t do that.

Then, we will take those notes and work through them. We will go to our team to ask their interpretation of the notes. Maybe we’ll even ask you to get on a notes call to specifically ask what you meant by certain things. When I’m on a notes call for a colleague, I usually ask questions of their intentions in order to offer suggestions or ideas for editing. Sometimes, just helping a filmmaker think outside the box or brainstorm can get them to come up with other solutions for a scene. But, do keep in mind, we will not normally be next to someone while they watch the film to explain our intent of certain scenes, stories, or shots, so we must rework a scene until it is truly saying what we want it to say.

And, I beg of you – refrain yourself from saying “make the movie you want to make!” Sure, but if the whole audience is dumbfounded while watching it, was that really the message I wanted to send? If so, then great, but it’s likely not.

Yep – there you have it! The art of giving & receiving notes. As always, you can “take ’em or leave ’em!”

Do you have any notes to add to this post? I promise to not take it personally…

Ashley Maria interviewed for Authority Magazine

Rising Star Ashley Maria: “I want to influence minds to want to achieve gender parity in our world”

11 min read Story was originally posted here in the Authority Magazine by Yitzi Weiner Sep 9, 2019.

Over the past 4 years of filming Pioneers in Skirts across the U.S., I was able to meet people who had the kind of influence I’ve come to hope my films will have on an audience. I want my movies to have meaning and impact. Starting with Pioneers in Skirts — I want it to influence minds to want to achieve gender parity in our world. I want people to feel open to talk about these issues and to understand what they can do right now to change them. I want all of this because I see what the world would look like if we didn’t, and I try to show this in the documentary. If we don’t do something now, then these cultural issues that affect women and girls will perpetuate generation after generation. We ALL can and must do something now.

As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ashley Maria. Ashley is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. Winner of the coveted Directors Guild of America (DGA) award, she was also featured by the DGA Women’s Steering Committee as a director who represents The Future of Women in Film. When she’s not running her own production, she is a directing instructor at UCLA. Very recently, Ashley was selected as a North American delegate to attend the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women — the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. Her first feature documentary, Pioneers in Skirts, is in post-production, set to be released in the Fall of 2019. The film follows her own journey to understand the bias and sexism women confront in their careers and what we ALL can do as a culture to evolve past it. If you can’t find Ashley on a film set or behind a computer screen, you can find her on the court playing competitive dodgeball! To learn more about Ashley, please visit www.ashley-maria.com.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Ashley! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born to a single mom who raised me on her own until, when I was about 10, she married a man who became the Dad I love.

Some of my favorite memories as a young child were reading Goosebumps books in the back of a clothing store while my Mom worked her evening job just so she could afford to pay for childcare during her day job. It never felt like sacrifice. She made it feel normal. I learned that we must work hard for what we want. This was a great example for me at a time when — as a young ambitious girl — I was starting to think of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was picturing myself in a business suit in the tallest corporate building.

Now I craft stories of those kinds of women from the comfort of my own home in jeans and a T-shirt.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have proof that I was grabbing my Mom’s camera at the age of 4! (this footage is in my documentary film “Pioneers in Skirts!). She was always filming our lives — and I was always borrowing her camera to film everything else.

I never really understood that filmmaking could actually be a career until I was in college. I stayed the course and, after obtaining my undergraduate degree in Communications from UNC-Chapel Hill, I decided to apply to one of the top film schools in the country — USC School of Cinematic Arts.

It was such an exciting day when I was notified of my acceptance! And, even though USC believed in me, I have to say that I truly wasn’t sure if I was a good storyteller because not everyone seemed to get my weird sense of humor. I cautiously stayed with my ‘weird’ and wrote and directed my first student film as a comedy-horror. “Friday Night Fright” went on to win the prestigious Directors Guild of America award, and from there, I had no doubts I could tell good stories and, in turn, jumped full force into directing.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I’ve had a lot of “Little Ashley would be freaking out right now” moments just being in Hollywood. Meeting Tom Hanks and working for him was one of the best! I was an intern during the filming of his movie Larry Crowne and got to be in the production office as they finalized details for the shoot.

Tom was both directing and starring in this movie, so he had to make all kinds of decisions, including the kind of camera used for a scene. One day, the crew brought in a body camera to be used on Tom for a scene where his character breaks down emotionally. So, I watched as he got into character and all I could think was “I’m watching Tom Hanks act right now!” Then he walked around the room, stumbling, and stumbled into a chair. I was then motioned to become the person to “dolly” him around the small production office (pushing him back and forth). I played it cool, but was totally screaming on the inside. I was part of a (pretend) scene with Tom Hanks!! Definitely one of my coolest film moments!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

During the early months of making Pioneers in Skirts, I was often finding myself a one-woman show. When the U.S. IEEE engineering organization gave me last minute permission to interview its members at an event, I grabbed the equipment I owned at the time and set up multiple interviews around the conference. Everything was going well, until my rather cheap tripod decided to unlock one of its legs, taking my expensive camera to the ground with it. The camera went down lens first, shattering the filter into a million pieces. I just stood there in awe. It all happened so fast, and I felt so hopeless! But, surrounding me, the engineers went into MacGyver-mode! As I was picking up my camera, engineers were looking at my tripod to figure out what went wrong and what needed to be done to fix it. I mean, the top inventors of our time were fixing my low-budget production equipment. The $20 filter was a lost cause but, wow — I felt so well-taken care of.

So, the lesson here is — unless you’ll have a bunch of engineers around you all the time, buy the expensive and more-reliable tripod!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I will soon be premiering my first feature documentary I directed, Pioneers in Skirts. Its story follows my own journey to understand the real and unique challenges women confront in their careers today. In the film, we discuss sexism, gender bias, stereotypes and so much more while also providing solutions we ALL can implement now to change things in our culture and the workplace. I’m very excited for this movie to premiere because I know it will help to advance the conversation about these issues. It has already proven to reach across aisles to move us along. After test screenings, men tell us they are relieved to not be portrayed as the perpetrator, and they have actually lined up to ask what they could do to help our film make an impact in the workplace, schools, and the community around them. I’m so excited to bring this movie out into the world!

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I’m a huge proponent of diversity in the content that the entertainment industry creates. I have seen first hand how our culture itself is influenced by what we see on television or in movies. I’ve been affected myself and have even seen my own storytelling evolve as I’ve learned to analyze my own biases ingrained in my thinking. I believe that diverse stories lead to more empathy toward others. Media has the power to influence positive change by showing us how other people experience the world around them. We can be much more similar than we realize. It’s important to normalize diversity as well and this can only happen when there are more and more stories told by diverse people about diverse people.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

  1. Be curious about all the moving parts. As a director, you should understand what everyone on your team is doing and what they need to be successful at their job. I have worn many hats on my projects and am proud of knowing how to do a lot of the technical and creative roles in making a film. Then, when you have the money to hire an expert, you’ll appreciate them even more (and I know they appreciate the love)!
  2. Understand people want to do a good job so you have to show up for them. We didn’t have much money to make Pioneers in Skirts, so most of our crew worked for free or at a severely discounted rate, and I felt awful always. I was very appreciative, but then paralyzed with fear if I ever had to give a critique. I really struggled with this until I talked to Dr. Hope Hills, a leadership psychologist. She told me that people have agreed to help and want to do a good job. They can only do a good job if I show up and do my job. This helped me so much in working through that fear. I will take this mentality to my next project but hopefully that one will be better funded!
  3. When on set, don’t assume production will have anything you need! Bring your own water, food, sunscreen, band-aids, bug spray, you name it. Take this seriously. It has helped me on numerous occasions to have a bag of nearly everything within my reach when on location in the middle of nowhere!
  4. Make time to fall in love with movies again. And appreciate those that make you forget you’re watching a movie! Once you’re in the nitty-gritty of making movies, the magic will feel like it’s gone. So, carve space for you to watch movies and get lost in them. That’s why you’re here after all!
  5. Take your safety seriously. When you start out in this industry, it’s easy to work constantly because you feel that means you are a team player. It doesn’t. You’ll only burn out and maybe hurt yourself! Demand a full night’s sleep. Demand a day of doing nothing. Demand better pay. And keep in mind, that the person you are demanding these of may just be yourself!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I would suggest understanding what burn out looks like for you. I don’t really think there’s a way to avoid burn out honestly. We’re all here because we have passion and are obsessed. None of us have normal schedules. None of us can create some normal routine that is consistent week after week. No way. It’s about listening to your body when it’s telling you something is wrong. Can you afford to get away for a week? Can you shut everything off for just a day? Or can you look at your to-do list one at a time instead of the dreaded multi-tasking? I think thriving is listening to what your body and mind needs every day. Oh, and drink lots of water.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Over the past 4 years of filming Pioneers in Skirts across the U.S., I was able to meet people who had the kind of influence I’ve come to hope my films will have on an audience. I want my movies to have meaning and impact. Starting with Pioneers in Skirts — I want it to influence minds to want to achieve gender parity in our world. I want people to feel open to talk about these issues and to understand what they can do right now to change them. I want all of this because I see what the world would look like if we didn’t, and I try to show this in the documentary. If we don’t do something now, then these cultural issues that affect women and girls will perpetuate generation after generation. We ALL can and must do something now.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My mother Lea-Ann! She is the producer on Pioneers in Skirts and a constant champion for me in my career. She put her career on hold to jump in to make Pioneers in Skirts because she saw the need for this film to be made (and she saw how I could not possibly make it on my own). She and I have been a team for years now in pre-production, production and now post-production on this documentary. When we started, I was the one who had the education and the experience. But today, my Mom has advanced from getting on-the-job training in filmmaking to being a full-on producer and driving the ship as we reach distribution!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Wes Craven, a mentor of mine before he passed away, told me that “Nothing is ever normal, and it’s always a fight” in reference to getting a movie made. Never will we be in a perfect situation. There will always be challenges, so we need to stop playing the victim and join the fight!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Steve Martin! Ironically, The Jerk was the first DVD I ever owned, so I watched that on repeat. “Someone hates these cans!” My dad, Dave, introduced it to me. This is another reason I love movies. Our love for a certain movie may really have nothing to do with the movie itself, but have everything to do with the person who introduced it to us. So, that’s a double whammy for why I’d love to meet Steve Martin!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Authority Magazine

Written by

Yitzi Weiner

A “Positive” Influencer, Founder & Editor of Authority Magazine, CEO of Thought Leader Incubator

Authority Magazine

Leadership Lessons from Authorities in Business, Film, Sports and Tech. Authority Mag is devoted primarily to sharing interesting feature interviews of people who are authorities in their industry. We use interviews to draw out stories that are both empowering and actionable.

Filmmaking is all in the family

SUNY Canton

In the news

Originally appearing in the SUNY Canton Magazine on November 20, 2017.

 

Lea-Ann W. Berst has never been one to shy away from taking risks.

It was a sense of adventure that led her to accept a once-in-a-lifetime assignment for computer giant Lenovo nearly 10 years ago. She was hired to lead a marketing effort for the company’s torch relay sponsorship that preceded the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

At the time, she was living in China with her husband and three children, and working with Lenovo would require an intense work schedule and extensive travel. But, her skills were perfectly suited for the project: prior to owning her own firm, she worked as a worldwide brand manager for IBM and had accumulated more than 15 years’ experience in global activation marketing.

Berst said the job was one of the most challenging of her career; however, also one of the most rewarding. It further fueled her global curiosity, something which she can trace back to her time at SUNY Canton while she was earning an associate degree in Business Management.

She recalled Professor Daniel G. Fay’s encouragement to stay informed about international news, primarily by reading the Wall Street Journal every day.

Berst said she echoes Fay’s advice when speaking to college students about global marketing.

“I start off by asking who has read the Wall Street Journal, and I’ll typically see zero hands go up. Then I’ll explain why they should read the front page of the Journal every day–it’s like a cheat-sheet for what’s going on in the world. It’s too bad they didn’t have a Professor Fay in their lives.”

She also remembers assistant-directing and producing a student play called “The Clumsy Custard Horror Show and Ice Cream Clone Review.” Oddly enough, it was an experience she would draw upon 30 years later when she teamed up with her daughter Ashley to make a documentary film.

SUNY Canton theater
Canton’s “The Clumsy Custard Horror Show and Ice Cream Clone Review.”  Lea-Ann is at far left.

Years in the making, “Pioneers in Skirts” seeks to answer the question of why women in the workforce experience burnout early on in their career, a phenomenon she was shocked to see her daughter experience.

“When Ashley started making films, she was frustrated about unexpected prejudicial experiences and didn’t know what to do about it,” she said. “I had experienced similar things in my career and couldn’t believe she was, too. So, when she decided to make a movie about the inequality she saw around her, I wanted to help her make this film a reality.”

“Pioneers” takes the viewer on a journey across the country to meet successful women who have found ways to overcome unique obstacles, such as UNC Chapel Hill’s Women’s Basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell, Focus Brands Group President Kat Cole, and famed film and television actor/director Joan Darling.

The film also features interviews with millennial women who share their perspective on the culture of today’s workplace, experts who study gender equity trends, and men committed to advocating for change.

 

Berst returned to campus with Ashley last year to host a special post-production test screening.

Ashley and Lea-Ann at the SUNY Canton screening.

Looking back on the journey, Berst said that because the movie is financed largely through grassroots efforts, the result is an honest, authentic story that will resonate with audiences, especially those who support women who dream big.

“Documentary filmmaking is a great medium to make a positive cultural impact and tell a good story as you do it. And this is a big story.”