We were lucky to catch up with Melissa McNerney recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

As a producer, every project I take on presents challenges and a series of “firsts”. I like to say no matter how much experience you have as a producer (or in most jobs for that matter), each new project is loaded with scenarios and challenges never faced before – it’s your skillset that will get you through each time.

On a recent project, one of the harder pills I had to swallow was discovering along the way that not everyone will always be aligned with my way of moving a project across the finish line. In a perfect world, each decision made on set would be fully signed off on by all impacted parties but we don’t often have that luxury. I’ve had to come to terms with knowing and believing I am always doing the best I can, often under very difficult circumstances, and that my best will never represent being “all knowing” – I am evolving just as much as a person as I am as a filmmaker and creativity is certainly not about perfectionism.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you introduce yourself and your company to our readers.

Producing is the power move I didn’t know I needed to make as an actor, but with courage and trust, I made the move and the doors continue to open at a pace that amazes me. I started my training as a performer at a very young and went on to study, work and live in New York for ten years as a young adult. Acting was my entry point into the business and remains a huge part of my ever-expanding vocations. In 2015, I relocated from New York to Florida and was confronted by the decrease in opportunities to work as an actor, forcing me to diversify what I was offering to my industry (and ultimately, myself). The qualifications of a strong producer are key personality trains you are born with and learn to hone the more time you spend on set. My work as an actor exposed me to the inter-workings of production and created relationships with people who saw in me a skillset that was untapped.

WinniePeg Productions was born in 2019 and comes with a heritage story I love sharing. Though I’m often asked and contacted about being a Canadian-based production company, “Winnie” (with an “ie”) and “Peg” are the nicknames of my maternal grandmother and great grandmother. Never having met them, I feel connected to them though this creation of mine and their legacies live on as the namesakes of my company. If I was to endeavor in expanding as a story-teller, it would have been remiss to create a company without a meaning behind the name. Even the marbled design in the background of the WinniePeg logo is a watercolor painted by my grandmother.

WinniePeg Productions is a full-service production company with a specialization in films and branded content. We bid, develop and execute digital content, partnering with some of the top creative agencies in the US, along with many globally recognized brands and talent. Our branded content services include: creative development, project management, casting, location scouting, crew sourcing, client-facing engagement, post-production oversight, complete with accounting and payroll services. Feature and short film producing services include budget development, production management, strategic partnerships, and more.

Leading a woman-owner production company continues to feed and fuel me as an entrepreneur and artist. I owe. in part, the empowerment that snowballs from each successful project to the clients and executive producers who put their faith in me to get the job done. My work as a producer continues to inform my work as an actor which is something my agents respect and appreciate. I am proud of how the path continues to unfold and encourage those just getting their start in producing to get in touch! Mentorship and honest conversations are invaluable to help find your place in this business. My door is always open for those conversations.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I have learned to describe producing as project management and acting as being a small business owner. And they truly are those things, but describing them in that way does two things for someone unfamiliar or even unsupportive of working in these professions: One, it makes a relatable connection to more familiar lines of work. Two, it invites an opportunity for a creative person carrying those titles to explain their work as a business rather than an artistic endeavor or hobby. The more I express what I do creatively as a business, the more understanding and respect I receive.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Though there is often overlap in my work as an actor and producer, what I read to influence and inspire me in both lines of work differs. The further into my career I go as an actor, the more I understand how important psychology and spirituality (loosely) are as tools for character development. Understanding trauma, healing modalities and the energy in the physical body have helped me learn how to find a way into another human being. There are dozens of authors whose books have become great tools for me: Stephen Cope, Michael Singer, Deepak Chopra. And of course there are some fantastic memoirs written by some of today’s greatest actors who’s performances and life stories have left a mark on me, particularly Viola Davis’ memoir FINDING ME.

As a producer, I like to read about leadership, values, community and finding your purpose. I love Brene Brown’s work on leadership, bravery and vulnerability, Elizabeth Gilbert’s perspective on creativity in BIG MAGIC, and the powerful tools of don Miguel Ruiz’ THE FOUR AGREEMENTS.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.winniepegproductions.com
• Instagram: @winniepegproductions
• Other: www.melissamcnerney.com and @melisslovesthis are my actor website and IG handles

Image Credits
Headshot: Chris Jackson