In Our Voice
FACES Breaking-In Series: Meghan Dineen “How to Never Apply For A Job”
To the filmmakers who are still applying, what if we told you there was a more efficient way to obtain your first job? For the last eight years, FACES board member Meghan Dineen has worked for companies like GIGANTIC! and SYFY without having to hand in an application. Her secret was her ability to network. […]
Continue Reading
Breaking-In Series: Julia Leffler “PerSister”
Encouragement is the best motivator, especially if you are a female filmmaker. When trying to break in, moments of self-doubt are bound to happen. It is crucial, during those moments, that you surround yourself with your fellow industry sisters. These women can inspire you to believe in yourself and persevere. FACES board member, Julia Leffler, […]
Continue Reading
Breaking In Series: Nicki Manchisi “The Artist Within”
There comes a moment in a filmmaker’s life, when she truly recognizes herself as an artist. The cause might be different for each individual, but the effect is always the same. No matter what happens after that, she will always be an artist. Such was the case for new FACES Board member Nicki Manchisi when […]
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: Ep 108 “Microaggressions”
Rachel and Connie interview our Founder/ Executive Director, Brittany Rostron, about the cumulative damage of sexual microaggressions, what can be done to overcome them, and what it’s like to have an enormous photo splashed all over the cover an international newspaper.
Watch Video
FACES Talk: Ep 107 “Rainbow Notes”
Connie and Rachel interview Jules Rico of the WHCS radio show, “Rainbow Notes”. The trio discuss the most compelling TV shows addressing LGBTQ+ issues, Ms. Rico’s “make-it-happen” mentality, and who has the best face for radio.
Continue Reading
Lady Parts: Ep 110 “Sh*t Gets Real”
In this last episode of the first season, Katrina realizes non-union actors are hardly viewed as people…but do you hear the people sing? Tune in to find out!
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Episode 109 “You’re Never Fully Dressed”
https://youtu.be/kFYdXDfFxus?list=PL0pHwCsVGIXDSmkPZHQxoN-6AgtjXRT4- In this episode Katrina has a pretty typical day at work filled with cat calls and being told to “smile.”
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 108 “Horror Show”
In this episode, Katey meets with an agent and discovers that not all women are on the same team.
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 107 “Part of the Problem”
https://youtu.be/HE6UZQMu4_U?list=PL0pHwCsVGIXDSmkPZHQxoN-6AgtjXRT4- In this episode, Emma and Izzy discuss their “types” over drinks.
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 106 “Unlikeable”
In this episode, Katie gets some notes about her personality… not her character.
Watch Video
FACES Talk: Ep 106 “Nevertheless She Auditioned”
Thanks to magic created by our Director/Editor Delia Barth, you can tune in to watch Amanda Bruton interview with herself…er, we mean FACES Talk co-host Connie Bumbaloni.
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 105 “The Gatekeepers”
A proactive decision for Katrina turns into another audition room let down.
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 104 “The Hot One & The Cute One”
Piyali and Jeanne keep bumping into each other at auditions for different, but equally one-dimensional roles.
Watch Video
Sparkman On: Judging A Book By Its Resume
To piggyback off of my last post about networking, let me talk about its sneaky friend that can sink into your mindset: judgment. While navigating our industry where “it’s all about who you know,” I found myself seeing people only for their resumes.
Continue Reading
Lady Parts: Ep 103 “What A Kant”
When it comes to female roles, an onion has more layers than the nameless girl Brittany’s been cast to play.
Watch Video
Lady Parts: Ep 102 “Prop Comedy”
Blaire discovers the magical, wonderful world of improv…with its warts and all.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Tara McHugh “Waiting for the Right [Spider] Man”
After racking up some fairly impressive entry-level production credits on several commercial shoots and reality TV shows, Tara McHugh took a giant leap of faith and left the business (and NYC) to save money while waiting for a bigger opportunity to come her way…and it paid off.
Continue Reading
Lady Parts: Ep 101 “Rape Joke”
When Katrina is cast in a new play, she quickly realizes (though nobody else seems to) that some things just shouldn’t be left to improv…like rape.
Watch Video
FACES Talk: Ep 105 “Lady Parts”
FACES is proud to present the first FACES Talk episode of the year, featuring Katrina Day, the creator of the hit web series Lady Parts! Rachel Arac and Connie “Big Ballz” Bumbaloni interview Katrina and what they find out about casting calls for women may or may not shock you.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Katrina Day “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make A Web Series…Ade”
Brooklyn-based writer, actor, and content creator Katrina Day turned her frustration with sexism in the entertainment world into a successful blog and web series called Lady Parts.
Continue Reading
Sparkman On: Taking the ‘Work’ Out of Networking (Mostly)
Networking. It’s a word that used to fill my soul with intimidation and anxiety. And I would stare into the dark abyss of terror as my brain beat me up.
Continue Reading
Breaking In Series: Patty Carey-Perazzo “Art Imitates Her Life”
Recent FACES panelist Patty Carey-Perazzo has been the location manager on some of NYC’s top film sets including The Greatest Showman, Doctor Strange and Ted 2. Recognizing the dramatic potential of balancing this exciting career with the challenges of parenthood, Patty developed the idea for a TV series inspired by her own life.
Continue Reading
Aubrey Smyth’s “Little Leading Ladies”
Earlier in the week, our Breaking In Series featured Aubrey Smyth, chronicling how she went from a student at Pratt Institute to a marketable Commercial Director running her own production company.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Aubrey Smyth “Leading Lady Finds Her Voice”
Aubrey Smyth is a Commercial Director who has truly embodied the New York City hustle. Her passion for directing began when she attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. After graduation, she was commissioned to direct and produce videos for Pratt. Aubrey recognized the opportunity to start her own production company and seized it.
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: Ep 104 “Sexual Harassment 101”
Check out the video Connie mentions: WATERSHED…… Inspired by her work with FACES, Rachel has decided to go back to school to study law pertaining to women’s advocacy and sexual misconduct. And boy, has she got a lot to share.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Stephanie Wise “When One Store Closes, A New Career Opens”
If you’ve ever watched The Blacklist, you’ve seen Stephanie Wise’s work showcased on canvasses that include James Spader’s face. She’s been the Key Make-up Artist for the NBC television show since its premiere in 2013.
Continue Reading
PTB: Holiday Party Season Is Upon Us
Tis the season of the holiday party! A great time for networking, but also an easy way to ruin your professional reputation along with your relationships with important industry contacts.
Watch Video
Our FACES Project: “Watershed”
Please take a moment to listen to these incredible Female ACEs speak out on the critically important issue of sexual misconduct. If you think it’s an important message, please share.
Watch Video
Sparkman On: When Size Doesn’t Matter
As PAs, we are often asked to perform tasks that could easily be mistaken for something small and unimportant. For example, we might be asked to get extra printer ink for the Honeywagon.
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: “Giving Is In This Season!”
Connie wants to remind you how important it is to give this holiday season, so important that she’s shopping in a discount store to save money so she can donate more to FACES.
Watch Video
Breaking In: Dana Zolli “Outside the Box”
Second Assistant Director (AD) Dana Zolli sat on our FACE the Experts panel in September and spoke about her work on such projects as Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, FX’s The Americans, and NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: Ep 103 “Confidence”
A key focus of the FACES mission is to help women increase their confidence. Being confident in yourself and what you have to offer is ESSENTIAL when it comes to applying for jobs, negotiating your pay rate, promoting your script or film, the list goes on and on…
Watch Video
Sparkman On: Being the Best BG Actor You Can Be
Seldom does a day go by on a NYC film set when someone passing by doesn’t approach the PAs and ask if they can be an extra. Hanging out on a movie set with famous actors? Sounds glamorous, right?
Continue Reading
Breaking In Series: Tiffani Gray “Waiting for the Click”
In addition to being the FACES Treasurer, Tiffani Gray is a Production Manager of Original Programming at AMC Networks. But she didn’t start out on that track. Not that track, not that field, not even that industry. In fact, she spent years in the totally wrong profession before realizing her calling. Before something finally clicked.
Continue Reading
Sparkman On: Loving Thy Bogies
Bogie (noun): One who should not be in a film production’s shot but has walked into it either accidentally… or otherwise.
Continue Reading
Breaking In Series: Jennifer Truelove “When Preparation Meets A Van Driver”
As one of our all-star speakers from September’s FACE the Experts panel, 1st AD Jennifer Truelove was able to use her vast experience on TV shows such as Younger and 30 Rock and features such as Moonrise Kingdom and Rachel Getting Married to offer invaluable insights
Continue Reading
Sparkman On: Post Production Blues
When I booked my first crew job on a major feature film, to say I was ecstatic is an understatement. I was high on life and wanted to know every single person on that crew.
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: Ep 102 “Paneling & Partying”
Rachel and Connie recap the blast they had at the FACES Panel and Launch Party.
Watch Video
Sparkman On: Major F*ck Ups
Every single person in our industry has f*cked up. Badly. Comically badly. In this line of work, it comes with the territory. And I love that. But I’ve learned that when we inevitably mess up, what matters most is that we take responsibility, problem solve, and learn from it best we can.
Continue Reading
PTB: Prepping for Industry Event-Part 2
Milton offers tips on how to prepare to network at an event such as an industry party where you will NOT know in advance the names of the entertainment professionals who will be in attendance.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Elaine Del Valle “More Than A Great Smile”
Elaine Del Valle is a multifaceted and driven leader in the entertainment industry. She is not only a Latina actress but a casting director, producer, writer, and director who wrote the award-winning play Brownsville Bred as well as co-wrote, produced, and directed her web series Reasons Y I’m Single.
Continue Reading
PTB: Prepping for Industry Event-Part 1
Milton helps Tabor prepare to network at an industry event such as an expert panel where you know in advance the names of the entertainment professionals who will be in attendance.
Watch Video
Sparkman On: Advice Overload
What never ceases to amaze me about our industry is how many unique and inspiring people you meet. Every single person has the most incredible stories, whether it be from their time on set, or how they got their first job (check out FACES “Breaking In” Series for some of them!).
Continue Reading
FACES Talk: Ep 101 “We Need to Talk”
Recent stats on the number of women in the entertainment industry (or lack there of) are giving Rachel and Connie a severe case of agita. And they’re ready to tell you all about it (the stats AND the agita).
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Ashley Van Buren “Flowers For The Win”
Vice Chairman of our Board of Directors, Ashely Van Buren, has 11 years of industry experience under her belt. She has worked in feature film development and production in New York with projects such as Oblivion and The Smurfs.
Continue Reading
Our FACES: Meet Ashley Van Buren
Time to meet one of FACES’ kickass board members, Ashley Van Buren in the latest from Our FACES Project. Here is a woman who exemplifies what it means to be a #FemaleACE. She locks her cell phone in her mailbox during periods of the day so she can get more work done. Enough said.
Watch Video
Sparkman On: Why PAs Are Important AF
A looottt of people complain that being a PA (aka Production Assistant, aka lowest woman on the production totem pole) is the worst job ever. I’ve heard people brag that they’ve never PA’d. I’ve heard crew members laugh as they warn PAs that their job sucks. I’ve even heard someone compare PAing to slavery.
Continue Reading
Puppets Talking Business: Create a Career Profile
Milton (Monkey & Businessman) guides Tabor (Tiger & Aspiring Entertainment Professional) in creating a career profile to help him decide what different entertainment industry jobs he might be best suited to pursue.
Watch Video
VIDEO: “Call It FACES”
We created our name with the intent to be clear on mission, but perhaps not the mission to be clear. The full name is a mouthful, so we go by the acronym, FACES. The women of our community are called Female ACEs.
Watch Video
Breaking In Series: Sparkman Clark
My name is Sparkman. Seriously. It’s not my last name. That’s Clark. So first name Sparkman, last name Clark. (That’s the rundown I give the baristas at Starbucks.) I currently work on a 30+ million budget feature film as the Director’s Assistant.
Continue Reading