We recently connected with DeAnna Charett and have shared our conversation below.

Hi DeAnna, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am very happy as an Actress, Producer, Locations Scout and an Assistant Locations Manager. It gives me the challenges I thrive for and at the same time I can see how my daily job is making a difference for me and others. Because of my military service connected disabilities, I have a problem maintaining a “regular job”. But with all my acting training & experience and my locations experience, I’ve used those skills to help with my coping skills and therapy for my disabilities. Not to mention, that in all these positions, I have the chance to challenge myself and encourage others.

DeAnna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I joined the U.S. Air Force in 1988 and stayed in on active duty until 1998 then I joined the Army Reserves and retired in 2009. I have always been involved in some type of filming, from videoing the Challenger on the back of a 747 in 1982 on a 8mm camera to now. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, I worked for FEMA in the Individual Assistance department dealing with South Louisiana. I was also a black belt in TaekwonDo and with the film industry kicking off in the south, I had posted a few martial arts pictures in a film site hoping to get involved in the industry. As luck would have it, in 2006 while working at FEMA, an acting agency, Landrum Arts, in Northwest Louisiana reached out to me asking if I was interested in being in a few films as a martial artist. When they explained that they were a military family and more of an extended family in the film industry I was open to listening to them. They explained what training I needed to be an actress, what a resume was, what headshots were, and how to go about getting the necessary training and headshots. I worked my way out of my job at FEMA in 2010 since almost all the victims of Katrina had be helped in one way or another and my services were no longer needed.

I worked on my training, my headshots and auditioning and in 2013, my best friend was working in locations on MTV’s Scream the Television Series. I found what she was doing as crew fascinating and would hang around when I could. She suggested that I join locations as a Production Assistant (PA) and I did just that. Even though the hours were long (about 14 hour days for locations), I really enjoyed the excitement, the challenge and the seeing how scenes were put together from a crew members point of view.

I found that I enjoyed working in locations almost as much as I enjoyed acting. Not to mention, working crew on a set is a similar structure to the military and I realized I missed that structure. It was an exciting challenge to be on either side of the camera. I saw how the acting and the crew work helped me with my PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), Anxiety and a few other obstacles I had from my service days. I can literally say that the film industry helped me from becoming one of the “22-A-Day” of the service members that commit suicide a day. This is why I am so passionate about the film industry, because I have seen what it has done not only for me but for other veterans as well.

It was only natural that I progress to the role of producing and start my own production company, Bad Habitz Productions, so that I could address issues faced by our veterans. I quickly realized that addressing the issues of our veterans was not just a “in front of the camera” need but that many veterans that would be in front of the camera felt more comfortable with other veterans being the crew members behind the camera. I noticed that in Louisiana that we had a shortage of crew, especially after Hurricane Katrina. With this knowledge and knowing how veterans work closely together in a camaraderie that is exceptional I decided to start my 501(c)3 non-profit, Bad Habitz Organization, to train veterans, free of cost to them, in the film industry using local professionals in the industry to be their instructors.

Once the veterans are trained in whatever area they want to try, then my production company will help them gain experience. From working on their own music videos, commercials, short films, etc. to working on a Bad Habitz Productions project. The mission of Bad Habitz Productions is to hire veterans to fill 60% of cast and crew positions on each production.

I am very proud of everything that I have accomplished since starting the production company in the midst of Covid in 2020. But my proudest moment has been to start my first feature film production, The Saint of Cairo. While its still in the pre-production stage, I have learned a lot on the production side and have more respect for the independent filmmakers as they work hard to get projects off the ground and are the last to get paid. Being an actor or crew, you get paid as you work, as a producer and a production company, I will get paid last. But that’s fine with me because I am doing what I love.

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?

What I have found, especially from banks, non-film investors and non-creatives, is that they don’t understand that being a production company, I don’t get paid like a regular small business does. I don’t sell items on day to day basis and I don’t have regular employees. My cast and crew are self-contracting on a as needed basis. Each time I have a production, I must hire a crew and audition actors. I may know some of my crew from my years of working in the industry here, but that is not a guarantee and then I depend on them to hire others that are also dependable. Actors audition for the roles and the casting is led by a casting director — the director and the producer taking an intermediately-sized role, depending on knowledge and need. Since the producer is usually the money person, casting decisions often come down to his/her call, but not all the time, depending on how many producers are involved.

As the producer I also need to find not only the investors but the distribution to sell the production to so that everyone gets paid and eventually I will get paid.

Getting non-creatives, banks and investors to understand that my Return On Investment takes time and is not an “overnight” action is hard. This is a “hurry up and wait” career field, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I started my production company, my goal was to do just documentaries on veterans and many of the issues they have with civilian life. I learned very quickly that it was not as easy as filming a veteran and asking them questions. There’s financing involved to get equipment, hiring the crew, feeding everyone and of course, transportation.

What I wanted to do was not only highlight the veterans and their issues but to give them the opportunity to work, helping other veterans. That’s what led me to my goal of hiring veterans to fill 60% of all my cast and crew positions in any of my productions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.badhabitzproductions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bad_habitz_productions_llc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadHabitzProductions/
• Linkedin: Www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-charett-5457aa202
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BadHabitzProdu1