Q&A: My directorial vision for Lost In Sunshine

Currently, we're applying to a grant in Venice that would serve as a workshop if we're part of the top 15, then serve as an initial source of mentored pre-production, should we advance to the top three. As an exercise for my video pitch, our LIS producer, Lorie Marsh, emailed these questions to me. I encourage this type of work, whether you're applying for a grant or not, but especially if you're a first-time-y, like me. ;) There's something about putting words on paper that helps solidify thoughts and brings forth more clarity. I copied the q&a-athon below so you can ask yourself these important questions, too, if you'd like. ;) J

What have you learned so far from your current directing experiences?  What do you want to bring to directing LIS?

What I’ve learned about directing so far is that you have to hire people that know more than you, especially if you’re a first-time-y.  Then you have to trust in those people you’ve chosen to help you bring your vision to life. It’s the most team-oriented sport I’ve ever played, and I believe wholeheartedly in my team.

Instead of encapsulating the story of LIS (which you'll be doing in your Look Book/Mood Boards), and which I'll be doing in the synopsis, etc. - use this video snippet to chat with "me" about your directing background and aspirations.

In the past, I’ve directed shorts, co-directed several documentaries and one feature, each of which I’ve learned a great deal – about story and execution, equally. You can have a communicative vision, but sometimes that vision doesn’t translate the way you hoped it would. A director has to be comfortable with the art of adapting, improvising, and finding new creative ways to fix things. Sometimes you might have to scrap your favorite scene or bit of dialog for the betterment of the entire movie. So instead of dwelling, if it’s not worth fighting for, I quickly get over it.

How do you want to grow on LIS? What challenges does it present to you? What are you inspired to capture/present to an audience...?

To me, LIS will be my master class. It’ll teach me better than what any class could, how to collaborate with other professionals on a broader scale, and make movie magic happen. It’ll also enable me to over-come fears, set positive examples for women in film, gain more confidence in my creative ability, and to be a more effective artist.

I’m inspired to capture a stagnated world and bring it to life for an audience. I want to demonstrate that you can live in a highly imperfect world, and still learn to reach deeply into the pockets of the universe and pull out something beautiful.

Why do you know that YOU must direct this, and not someone else?

I’m not one of ego, who thinks I’m the only one who could make this movie beautiful. But I do feel a loyal obligation to telling this story honestly, unapologeticly, and intimately.  You can’t worry about hurting people’s feelings when you’re telling this story, because LIS touches on a lot of taboos. You have to have lived some of these experiences to be able to recreate them, and I have. While it’s not autobiographical, it’s certainly personal.

Lost In Sunshine is a coming of age story about a girl who feels trapped inside of an unfulfilling marriage, job, and existence. When she meets newcomer, Bob, who’s a recovering gambler and self-help author, she sees a way out. So they leave Sunshine, thinking that they’ll find the answers to living a better life inside of one another. But what they learn is that they have to find themselves first.

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