We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julia Knox a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

2024 has been an amazing year so far because all of the things I produced in 2023 are being released and they’re doing well! I feel like I can finally consider myself an indie-filmmaker. I have created shorts, a pilot, and now I am working on developing my first feature. Often when I see a friend I haven’t seen in a long time they say to me, “You’ve been very busy! Love to see the hustle!” When in reality, the filmmaking process takes time. So often when people are congratulating you on one thing, that was two projects ago. It’s such a wonderful feeling always moving forward and creating bigger and better things. That’s exactly how I learned what it is I do- by doing!

As an actor that became an actor-writer-producer, I feel I have strengths and weaknesses. The skills I lacked was just a matter of learning and gaining experience. I embrace being a “multi-hyphenate” because when I first moved to LA I needed stronger materials to showcase my work. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me, I made my own. By doing, I was able to expand the scale in which I created projects from one-scene reels to now working on a feature and actually feeling like I have the skills and tools I need to actually make that happen!

There’s no shortcut in this industry. There’s no fast-track to success and making it overnight. Knowing what I know now, I would say if you wanted to try and “speed up” your learning process, go out and meet as many people as you possibly can. Go to events geared toward what you’re trying to do and toward everything else adjacent to your professional goals. Take classes, get a library card and read, watch video essays on YouTube on what makes you light up as a creative.

The skills that I found to be most essential is being organized and networking. Those go hand in hand. I learned that it’s really important to be prepared with as much of a repertoire as possible because if you happen to meet the right person, you also want to make sure it’s the right time, too. The “right time” is determined by you. Be able to show people what you can do, not just tell them.

The obstacle I have faced most as filmmaker is working with a limited budget. As a creative, I can’t help but have the most grandiose ideas and when I go to a line-producer with my idea, they make reality set in really fast. Having a great idea is exciting, but you have to be able to put those ideas on a shelf until you’ve earned it (or until you have up enough money to do it anyway).
Another obstacle I have faced is doubt. When you have a project that you work on for a long time, whether it’s in the script, development, pre-production, and even after I’ve completed filming it sometimes, you have been sitting with it for so long that it gets to the point you ask yourself, “Is this even good?” or, “Is this worth it?” Not only do you start doubting the project, but you start doubting yourself. It’s a slippery slope, especially in today’s world of the internet and how quickly people can judge and share their opinions. I just have to remind myself of the reason I wanted to tell the story in the first place and remind myself of my purpose and why I do it: because I love it, I love telling stories. I truly can’t imagine doing anything else in this world than creating and crafting stories for people to enjoy and feel something.

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

Hi! My name is Julia Knox and I am a filmmaker based in Los Angeles! I am a storyteller and innovator known for creating projects that present fresh perspectives and develop new production practices. I am most proud of my most recent projects, Barefoot and Gringo Latino! Barefoot is a short film that I wrote, produced, and starred in and it just finished its festival run. Gringo Latino is a pilot that I produced and starred in along side Eric Delgado. Gringo Latino just premiered at LALIFF! What sets me apart from others is that I am able to spearhead projects with conservative budgets and make them look professional in a unique, stylistic, and personal way. I push the boundaries and challenge what people think indie-filmmakers are capable of.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As an independent filmmaker, anything can happen! Good and bad.

Barefoot is the story of a woman that goes to the OBGYN and the doctor can’t get to her vagina because her feet are so ugly.

This was my first real short film I made and it was important to me to do everything right. On the creative side- I needed a good script, good casting, and a good crew to bring it to life in the most interesting way. Thank you to my co-director Kasey Orthmann and cinematographer Darmon Moore! On the production side- insurance, permits, and location!
It was essential that for the location that I used a real OBGYN office. I spent over a month emailing every doctor in Los Angeles and surrounding areas asking to use their office. And I had to shoot this by a specific date because I was about to get foot surgery to correct my bunions (which meant cutting off my lead actress). After getting rejections and no responses with a looming deadline, I was about ready to give up. But then I finally got an email back from a doctor that said, “I found your email heartfelt and I would love to help you.” It only takes one. Do I recommend cold-emailing people? Within reason. Had I not been persistent in contacting offices around the city, Barefoot may not have happened. I was passionate and I trusted my gut and I couldn’t be more proud of how Barefoot turned out!
I’ll also say, around when that was happening, because so much time had passed and no options had come up, people started to tell me to give up and to accept the fact that it’s not going to happen. But I wasn’t willing to give up or stop trying. If there’s one thing to learn about me is that, if you tell me not to do something or that I can’t do it because it’s too hard, I’m not only going to do it but I’m going to give 120% of my energy and expertise into making sure it happens.
I faced a similar situation with my upcoming short Going Overboard, a story about a couple that get stranded out to sea after accidentally knocking their captain overboard. My biggest challenge yet as a producer and many people have told me not to do it because it’s too hard. My response, thank you so much for giving me the extra motivation to bring this story to life because it’s happening and it’s going to be epic!

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?

For non-creatives, I would love to invite them to connect with the same resources I recommend for aspiring filmmakers. Treat it like a new skill to learn about the things you enjoy at home. Listen to a podcast with guests that are working directors/cinematographers/actors (Team Deakins, Just Shoot It, A24) or watch video essays on YouTube of actor round tables, Cinemastix, or even Hot Ones! You will learn so much about the inner working of the film industry and what goes into creating the entertainment you consume at home and I would hope you develop a new appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of people that work in this industry. If there’s a person in your life that wants to work in this industry, don’t be quick to judge, but ask them about what inspires them or what they enjoy creating and being a part of! If your kid is interested in the industry, encourage them to be creative and try new things and in different positions! Every day I am on set, I learn something new. I have had the privilege of working in almost every department from camera, to art department, sound and production, in front of camera and development. Every part is difficult and thrilling and has made me not only a well-rounded filmmaker but a well-rounded person, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliaknox.me/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejuliaknox/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/juliaknox

Image Credits

1. Julia Knox & Eric Delgado at the premiere of Gringo Latino & LALIFF
2. Still from Gringo Latino
3. Headshot by Arthur Marroquin
4. Editorial by David J Crewe
5. Fashion Editorial by Kasey Orthmann
6. Julia Knox & Kasey Orthmann at a screening of Barefoot AT CCIFF
7. Julia Knox & others on the set of Time Quest in Paris, France
8. Julia Knox at the Producers Club in New York City for a screening of Barefoot