We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keely Yulla Kemp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Keely Yulla, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
In the entertainment industry, there is a lot of competitiveness which is surprising for an industry that relies heavily on collaboration. I saw this in my early days when I first entered the industry at ground level almost two decades ago. Back then, it was more of a hobby but as the years progressed and I knew this was going to be my career I wanted to change the game, or at least MY game. There’s the old saying, “a rising tide lifts all ships” and I live and breathe this mantra. As exciting as it is to progress in my personal career, I get the most joy from seeing other’s dreams come true whether it’s an actor landing a lead role, a screenwriter getting their script shot, or a producer making their first movie it’s really amazing to see their joy and progression. For me, if that’s either as a professional or as a friend, if I can help facilitate that, I will.
My early days really taught me a lot about fairness AND prosperity for all. I still remember my first contract for a lead role, and I was just so excited to be booked I signed the papers. That project turned out to be the most grueling set to ever be on and the entire project was riddled with mistakes and legal errors. Not surprising, it never finished production, was never released and my first lead role basically never existed. It was this point I decided I would become an entertainment attorney, sticking up for talent and crew rights.
Fast forward a decade, as my career path grew and changed (slightly) I am now doing what I set out to do. While I never fully completed traditional law school, I handle all the legal and financial aspects of film. I am content with where I am and where I am going. I take all the skills I have learned over the years and apply them in a manner that rising tides lift all ships.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. When I was 8 years old I asked Santa for an agent. When I was 11 and my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I said “actress”, he gently told me to think of a more viable career (sorry to mention that dad!) But, he was right in a way, Duluth was NOT the hotspot for film like it is today. So, I took acting classes at the local playhouse and continued to act as a hobby. My business career took center stage for the years to come. It never dawned on me that there was an entire industry BEHIND the camera. As a young child growing up in the Midwest, all you see is what is on the screen. It took until I was an adult to even ponder the idea I could have a viable career in film (take THAT dad!)
In 2014, I took my daughter in for a casting call for a diaper brand. The scout asked me if I ever considered acting/modeling, and while I hadn’t for years the 8-year-old inside me audibly said YES! That was the start of it all, I met my agent, went to NYC, won a ton of awards, actually would file my taxes stating my occupation as “ACTRESS/MODEL”, and really enjoyed the life. I’ve always been a bit uncomfortable in front of the camera and I really missed my career in business. It was also hard traveling all the time because my children were so young. By then, I learned there’s a whole world behind the camera. I was that annoying model that in between takes would go up to the crew asking what their position was called, how they got into that career, etc. It’s almost embarrassing that I was that clueless but I had no exposure to behind the camera before.
As much as I enjoyed living that life for a few years, it never really felt like my path, I missed business (I had owned and operated 9 companies by then) and when I finally learned enough about the industry, I knew that in order to be home more with my family and use my business-oriented mind, I would start a production company. I did, I established Polished Perception. I began by producing commercials and industrials. I really enjoyed it. Back then, we still didn’t have a film industry so I knew it would be years before I produced film and I was okay with that. I was fresh on the scene as a producer in an area that didn’t have an industry beyond advertising. I was able to really hone my production skills. I still acted here and there but nothing substantial. I loved establishing my own little “industry” in Duluth, casting my actor friends in commercials, putting together little specs for my creative writer friends. I really thought we were on to something back then! Turns out, we kinda were! A few years later the film industry in Duluth would blow up! I never would have predicted that, but as a “master manifestor” I like to thank myself for that..haha.
Fast forward to 2019, the Catalyst Television Festival put roots down in Duluth. Since I already worked in production, that first year I helped establish the MN Production Guide for them. I had already created my own production guide for my company prior to the festival coming. My goal back then was to have a Rolodex full of each crew position so whenever I had a shoot, I could call upon my crew. I held onto these details and if a large production came from out of state, I would sell them my production guide. So, when asked if I could make one that would eventually be a public database it was a bit conflicting, but I wanted to do what was best for the industry as a whole, so we made a public database for MN.
Because of my involvement in Catalyst, I met two of the most amazing and inspiring humans, Mandy June Turpin and Aaron Roberts. Aaron hired me for my first ever “produced by” feature film ever, The Cast Members. Mandy, is a kick ass producer boss lady that I have had the honor to work underneath and learn from over the past couple years. Which leads me to present day…
Nowadays, I have produced a handful of my own films, and on major movies I serve in an administrative role, during active filming I have coordinated, associate produced, but most manage finances. I enjoy my career immensely but am always hungry for more. Recently, I have leaned more into executive producing because it aligns with my talents of legal and financial aspects, but I also get to assist filmmakers and writers bring their vision to life. I now own Friday Night Pictures, and Film Finance Management. I help filmmakers create strong financial plans for their projects from budgeting, funding, sales and revenue management.
So many creators are like me when I booked my first lead role, just happy to be involved so they just sign the papers. To me, this can be a travesty because they are often taken advantage of. A creator is just so happy to have their project be put out there that they often don’t understand the contracts, or what contracts to ask for. They don’t understand the different deals out there so when presented with a deal they will just take it having no clue how and when they will make money. I detest people being taken advantage of when we live in such an abundant world. My goal, as a dive deeper into the EP role, is to ensure creators have a solid plan before the film is even made. Film Finance Management will take full advantage of the market for films, then “make a film backwards”. Strategically choosing the right script, creating financial projections based on the market, budget the film to allow for maximum profitability, show investors real-life numbers, acquire funding, make the movie, then distribute, and have a damn good time doing it! I believe there are magic formulas for success and when a creator can put their best foot forward, it sets them up for success. You 100% should be able to live your dream and be prosperous doing so.
I have spent years looking behind the curtain so I can help others be successful. Rising tides lift all ships!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Most people don’t know my backstory, there’s reasons I have this ridiculous happiness and tenacity. It’s true, I have been pretty even-keel since I was young, but I have experienced more in life than most. I’ve experienced relatable issues such as pregnancy loss, divorce, being a single parent, being broke, but I’ve also experienced homelessness, extreme domestic violence, terminal cancer of a partner and more.
I remember in 2015, when I was literally having the “best” year of my life, I was simultaneously going through the “worst” year of my life. Honestly, I think God gave me the good with the bad so I would have a little bit of hope. It was through those times that I learned true resilience. When you are facing death each day you have two options of how to live your life, positive or negative. I chose positive.
Looking further back prior to 2015, I practiced manifesting. I created a vision board, ironically checked everything off my list so I had to create a new list. The thing is, you can manifest many beautiful things, but that doesn’t stop life from happening. I accepted the “bad” because it really showcased the good. Think of anything negative simply as a “pointer” of what you really want. On that vision board way back when I had a house. When I put it on the board I was literally stuck in an upside-down mortgage, and it would be years before I’d get out of it. To glaze over details, when I got divorced, I gave him the house I bought when I was 19. I moved into a house (rented) that was just like the picture on my board! Check! Check! Fast forward more time, life happened and during the cancer bubble I became homeless. I was really depressed and couldn’t control my life at the time, but I could control my mind. I decided becoming homeless was the best thing to happen to me, I practiced on changing my mindset. I focused on the positives, like I could save money, I could spend more time with family. I was able to get out of my situation in about 3-4 month’s time and that entire experience broke me down to rebuild me for success.
Looking back, I can see how each and every “bad” thing that has happened to me has been a tool to propel me in the right direction. Where I am today, at 40 years old, is a direct result of trauma and practicing a positive mindset. I am SO happy where I am in life and SO excited for what’s next!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I always say two things will get you far in life, having a good attitude and being humble, everything else can be learned.
People that genuinely know me, people I have directly worked with, know my core values and that I’m authentic. I think in our industry there are a lot of “fakes” so initially people are guarded or keep you at an arm’s length. I really strive to break that mold and show other’s that I genuinely care about them, their success, their projects.
Fostering trust is something that needs to grow organically. Helping the other person grow in confidence, reminding them of their awesomeness is easy if you can adapt your mindset to see the good in people. Nurturing someone’s good qualities far outweighs focusing on the “negatives”.
I think because this is where I keep my mind space and heart space, I maintain a good reputation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Polished-Perception.com, www.FilmFinanceMGMT.com
- Instagram: @KeelyYullaKemp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kgelineau/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keely-yulla-kemp-ba749a103/
Image Credits
The photo with the man and lantern is a behind the scenes photo from my most recent movie made, His Name is Michael, the photo credit goes to Ryan McBoyle.