We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Pace. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.

Caroline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I guess one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken in my life has to be moving to New York City after only having lived in Middle Tennessee. I was born and raised in Franklin, TN (if you’ve seen the Hannah Montana movie – that’s it!) and I don’t think I ever considered a life where I didn’t end up in either New York or LA in the film/television industry one way or another. It was never a question of “if” and more a question of, or a beckoning of, “when”. My initial plans to move to the Big City after college were halted by the fact that I graduated in May of 2020 and I don’t think I need to explain that one further.
Despite the fact that I had never lived in a city with functioning public transit, I was so determined to move to New York because it was just where I needed to be. I can’t explain that hunch I had but I’m so happy that I signed my lease just days after my first Pfizer dose in April 2021 because it’s been the best risk I’ve ever taken.
Shortly after moving to New York, I booked my first Production Assistant job on an actual union production. In Tennessee I had worked extensively on live shows and even some Lifetime movies about a woman who goes home to her small town to find the true meaning of Christmas but this was the start of a whole new ballpark.
Since then, I’ve been able to be promoted to Production Secretary and have worked with the likes of Comedy Central, Hulu, Showtime, and NBCUniversal as well as step back and start writing and producing my own short-form content and being a creative director.

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

I’ve been making short films since I was around 11 years old. I had a flip camera and a dream. From there, I just never stopped grabbing cameras and forcing my friends in front of them and now, somehow, I’ve managed to establish a career out of it. There was never a definitive moment of “yes. this is what I will do for the rest of my life”. Just something my friends and I all knew I was going to keep doing til the end of my days. I think what sets myself apart from a lot of creatives is how much fun I have when I challenge myself. I’ve been extremely blessed in finding a lot of other like-minded and extremely talented friends in the same field and it’s basically enabled me to constantly push myself past my own limits. If I write something and have no idea how we could ever pull it off, my friends and I will just shoot it and tell ourselves “well now that we shot it, we HAVE to figure out how to turn a Volkswagen into a flying saucer in post” and somehow, we always do. Now that my friend Tyler and I are starting our own Production Company, we’re aiming to continue pushing ourselves outside of our own limits and be able to help bring other’s ideas to crazy, unimaginable lengths.
I also want to make funny and weird stuff. My friends and I have been veterans of the 48 Hour Film Festival and we’re always the crazy sock puppet movie that plays amongst a sea of depressing divorce and murder short films and I just love being apart of the project that makes everyone smile. And it works out because that sock puppet movie was only a few votes away from being screened at Cannes.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I think one of the best ways to grow a clientele is to start by looking around you and the genuine friendships and connections you’ve made. For example, when I first moved to New York I found a handyman who has become my go-to guy for every AC installation over the years and I’ve helped him with producing video content for his own business. I’ve been writing and shooting sketches recently with friends I’ve made from doing open-mic nights in Brooklyn Comedy Clubs and I’ve also been shooting photos and videos of those friends’ stand-up acts as well. I’ve been collaborating with creative direction and visuals with a photographer who happened to be one of the Producers of the first movie I worked on up here in New York. I think a lot of creatives get discouraged when they first start out because they don’t know how to find clientele when really all you need to do is see who you already have in your life and how you could in any way help them with your skills. From there, they will have friends and families say “hey! I loved that photo of your standup show. Who was your photographer? I need one for my gig next week” and it’s nonstop from there.
Not as important as taking advantage of what is already in front of you but I also think it’s important to make sure you’re memorable (in a good way, of course). I’m only half-joking when I say that I believe the only reason I’ve been consistently employed in film/television for the past 2 years is because not only am I good at my job- I’m an outgoing girl with hot pink hair. Kinda easy for people to remember me when it comes time to hire for the next project. Find what makes you unique and individual and CAPITALIZE! ON! IT!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I love this question because it’s something I’ve been reflecting on a lot recently, especially with the current WGA/SAG strike. I think a lot of non-creatives underestimate how much work actually goes into following your dreams – and the hardships can so often be romanticized that it almost invalidates how discouraging it can actually be. When I tell people I worked on Comedy Central they probably don’t immediately picture me in an office on a soundstage, typing up 17 different excel spreadsheets at once and sacrificing all of my evenings and free time in order to make sure their favorite goofy tv show is getting made. Getting into a creative field, especially in the beginning, can require a lot of sacrifices. A film set can average anywhere from 12 – 18 hour long days, starting at minimum wage. You’ll miss birthdays, weddings, and even your own life events in order to make sure you get another call sheet to put towards your DGA admission. In order to fully commit yourself to a lifestyle like this, you have to really love and have a passion for it. For all the all-nighters spent and stress-induced breakdowns, I’ve had fulfilling experiences, some of the best friendships a girl could ever ask for, and incredible lessons learned. So call me crazy but I’ll take the bad stuff all over again if it means doing what I get to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: carolinepace.com
• Instagram: @carolineepace
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-pace-9564181b7/
• Twitter: @carolineepace

Image Credits
Jesse Korman Peter Newsom