We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Roxanne Griffith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Roxanne below.
Hi Roxanne, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
I feel to be successful you need to be open to new opportunities because you’ll never know where they may lead, but also intentional with what you say yes to. When I produce short films, I chose the projects based on the director and script in the hope that it may lead to more projects down the road and will lead to a successful collaboration. You also never know where your next job may come from. I produced one short film and the cinematographer from that film recommended me to another short she was on, where I had a great collaboration with the director and we continue to collaborate to this day. From experiences like that, I learned that I never know where my next opportunity may come from and try to be open to as many interesting projects as possible.
Roxanne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I first moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to attend the AFI Producing Program and after graduating, I got started in the industry by working as freelance UPM at Moonbug Entertainment on their “Blippi” show. Since then, I’ve worked on short films, an indie feature, and am now primarily working on vertical web series. I have recently set up on my own company, Lucky Black Cat Films, and the goal is to grow my company to be a one-stop shop for production where I take a project from development through post production. For every project I take on, I always strive to create a professional environment for the team and work with the client and/or director to deliver on their vision
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
What feels most rewarding to me is when I am working with a director on a script or an idea and bouncing ideas back and forth, and then seeing those ideas show up in the final product. It is very satisfying to see the results of your hard work and knowing that you bring more to the project than just the logistics. Working on the story and script is my favorite part of producing, and when a director listens and values my notes I also know that I have earned their trust as a creative partner.
Any advice for managing a team?
Every project I am the producer on, I am responsible for managing a team of different personalities in a short but intense time, and often working in rushed stressful conditions. I find by leading the team in respect, professionalism, and kindness is the best way to manage the team. By establishing a mutual respect and professional environment, then I know that the team will support the project and take their roles seriously, but will also have the space to bring up concerns or challenges they are facing and need support in solving. For maintaining a high morale, I find having good snacks and treating everyone with kindness and respect goes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10435000/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_roxanne%2520griffith
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxygriffith/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanne-griffith-945a4a111/
Image Credits
Jeremy Wellhausen, Tony Zamarripa