I’m afraid to tell you that before January of 2010 I wouldn’t have been able to refer one female DP. And, if you asked for an editor, I could have listed several talented folks… however, they would all happen to be male.
Don’t get me wrong. Talent is talent. And that is exactly what job requirements should be based on (following salary, scheduling, conflicts, drug habits etc.) “Girls! Girls! Girls!” was created in a moment of frustration. My career felt stale and I wanted to find an outlet to network and showcase my talent.
After researching several female entertainment organizations, there didn’t seem to be many opportunities besides expensive brunches and/or weekly meetings that I would have to pay out-of-pocket for. These gatherings were full of women like me, all feeling restless and just full of talk. No action. Jobs create other jobs. Brunch just leaves me $30 shy and bloated.
That’s not the help I was looking for.
It was at that moment I realized that I wouldn’t be where I was if it hadn’t been for a woman. No, not my Mother (although she is to be thanked for plenty), but a woman had helped me get that first meeting. A woman had introduced me to that manager. A woman had hired me for that job.
The common denominator in all of my successes – women.
Weird right? Since don’t all women hate each other?!
That’s when I thought, “Why not center a film around giving other women a chance to create?”
It felt like such an easy concept. 8 films with 8 directors, 8 cinematographers, 8 writers, 8 producers and 8 editors – all women. That’s 40 female filmmakers alone on one project.
Partnering up with two fellow actors and powerhouse producers, April Wade and America Young we began reaching out immediately. Female filmmakers were so easy to approach to come on board and participate because they were just as hungry as I was.
“Girls! Girls! Girls!” resonates differently for each individual. For one filmmaker it’s a way to sharpen their skills before they shoot their next feature. For another it’s because they wanted to prove themselves wrong about working with women. Still others become involved because they haven’t experienced the level of success in their career they felt they could. However, most were excited to just have an artistic outlet.
We are in post-production on two of the short films and are poised to shoot 4 more with 2 others in-development. It has been such an amazing, creative experience to work with these talented individuals. And, guess what? Women like women.
Note to Hollywood: Women want to work. Not just eat brunch.
JENN FEE
Girls! Girls! Girls!
For more information on this project, visit the Girls! Girls! Girls! website here.
Watch Jenn’s comedy pilot Hard to Swallow!
Hi Jenn~
Glad to read your piece and see some of your work.
I’m looking for a cinematographer for the web series I direct, “Mother Eve’s Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood” which you can check out on this site. Do you have any recommendations? Would be great to get a talented woman on our already female-heavy team.
Thanks,
Erica