Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Corsie.
Hi Jillian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve loved theatre for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I would force my little sisters to act in plays I’d written, but I quickly realized my parents and their friends weren’t always the most captive audience. Luckily, my dad had this clunky old VHS camera and I figured out how to make short films using in-camera editing. Throughout high school, I improved my skills by turning every project into an opportunity to make a movie, and so it seemed only fitting that I go to film school.
I became a documentary filmmaker by chance. I was working at a post-production house in New York City and was anxious to prove to my boss that I could cut things myself. Since I didn’t have a script or actors, I headed to Union Square and started interviewing people, thinking I could use my editing skills to tell the story in post-production.
I decided to ask them about Trichotillomania, a body-focused repetitive behavior where people pull out their hair. A friend of mine had it growing up and I’d always been curious to know more. I had a little camera and a lot of passion!
When I launched the Kickstarter for the film titled Trichster in 2012, I realized I was onto something big. Young girls all over the world started emailing me and told me how alone they felt, how their parents didn’t believe that they couldn’t stop pulling out their hair, and how desperate they were for relief. I watched donations trickle in from 20 countries.
Sitting in my tiny Manhattan apartment and realizing that I could have an impact across the globe was life-changing for me. Suddenly, making this film was not about editing but about helping people feel less alone and making a difference in the world. And that’s continued to be a driving force behind what I do.
I’ve continued to work in the commercial and documentary space as an editor while also making films on the side. My short documentary, Second Assault (2018), explores the trauma of reporting sexual violence and the “second assault” survivors often experience when they are not believed. Trichster and Second Assault have been featured in Huffington Post, Refinery29, ABC News, and ABC’s 2020 and continue to have an impact as educational documentaries on college campuses. Second Assault is also currently used as a police training tool at several police departments across the US.
Obviously, 2020 threw a wrench into things and the world was feeling pretty heavy. I wanted to make something fun, so when my mom gave me all of my baby teeth (yes…she had kept them all), I knew there was a film there! I spent 2022 making my first narrative film, TOOTH, about a woman whose teeth fall out, come to life, and then murder her. TOOTH will have its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2023!
I also work as a programmer for the Los Angeles-based Salute Your Shorts Film Festival.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In my experience, Independent filmmaking is NOT a smooth road! I have days where I’m pacing my room thinking “I can’t do this. Why did I think I could do this?” and then days where I’m so consumed with the creative process that I feel brilliant!
Ultimately, funding continues to be my biggest struggle. I’ve made 3 films with crowdfunding and my savings account. I just got my first grant in 2022, which was so awesome, but it takes a lot more than one small grant to get a film made.
I feel I’ve reached a point in my career where I’ve proven myself and I’m hoping that my track record will help carve out more funding opportunities for me in 2023.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a true chameleon—I make most of my income from cutting commercials for brands such as Lexus, Walmart, Gatorade, and Uniqlo, and I also edit feature-length documentaries on the side. In 2023, three of my feature docs are being released: Desert Angel, a portrait film about a man who spends his life searching for lost migrants on the US/Mexico border; Body Electric, a documentary exploring body image in the LGBTQ community; and Invisible, a documentary that looks at the often unseen autoimmune disorder fibromyalgia.
Although I am best known for my documentary work, I have recently made a 180 and created a horror/comedy film, TOOTH. It is the film I have always wanted to make but never trusted myself to be able to make. Documentary work is important and has the power to change lives, but right now I am most proud of TOOTH because I created something I really wanted to make, no matter how silly it seemed. I grew up admiring Spielberg and Shyamalan, so it feels like I’m following the dream I’ve had since I was a kid. And that’s something to celebrate – I feel like I’m stepping into myself, in a way.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Ooof, that’s a tough question given the pressures of Hollywood! I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I want my post-quarantine life to look like.
I want to make enough money to support myself and work on projects that make me feel like I’m doing something good for the world while also working with people I like, respect, and admire. It can be hard to feel like I’m not achieving as much as my filmmaker friends when I scroll through Instagram, but I remind myself that I am making progress in my own way and on my own terms. I prioritize working on projects that make me feel mentally and physically healthy rather than blindly chasing a dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jilliancorsie.com/
- Instagram: @jcorsie
- Twitter: @JillianCorsie
- Other: @SaluteYourShorts (tiktok)
