Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda (AJ) Prager.
Hi Amanda (AJ), thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started making “movies” when I was around six. Using my dad’s camcorder, I cast just about anyone — friends, siblings, cousins. When I was fifteen, my town had their first film festival, and I decided to apply. I shot a film about a boy who dreams of flying — and quickly learns that six-year-olds don’t have wings. That project took me on a completely unexpected journey; I became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, went to the White House, and somehow met Michelle Obama (Barack was at Chipotle during our meeting — understandable). From there, I was recruited by the University of Pennsylvania. Then I worked at a commercial house, building up my resume as a one-woman writer/director/editor/produce
It has not been the smoothest road. I think there are a lot of built-in obstacles for filmmakers; in order to produce your first short, you must accumulate enough money to be able to fund it yourself (in most cases). This financial barrier immediately dictates who’s able to make art and who isn’t. There are also the obstacles of sexism. I’ve had to come up with major workarounds. People respond faster, kinder, and more respectfully to my male assistant than to me (little do they know — I AM HIM AS WELL!).
I would also say it’s important to compile a team of not only competent department heads but passionate ones. You want to hire people who will iterate upon your work conceptually, improving it by bringing their own perspectives to it. This means hiring people who have a diversity of viewpoints (age, race, gender, sexuality). And it also means hiring people who really care about the art of it, what you’re trying to say and express. People who connect with the idea behind your work, so they understand they are not just working for you, they are working for the message.
I’d also say be courageous. You might think you’re unable to do this – you don’t have the finances, the emotional support, the whatever – but ask yourself: is this a risk you can’t afford not to take?
Lastly, I’d say you want to create a childlike set. By that, I mean: you want to create a set where everyone feels like they can play. If the camera team can grab that unique shot from that unique angle, if actors feel like they can improvise and be flexible, you get a product where everyone’s voice is inside of it. And that’s ultimately your job as a director: to create a sandbox for everybody else to play in.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer and director who focuses on high-concept science fiction. Right now, I am most proud of my new science fiction short, SEEING OTHER PEOPLE. This short is about a woman who’s struggling to break up with her manipulative boyfriend… only to realize her boyfriend is an omniscient hivemind. She needs to escape from the bar as he controls the patrons and waiters to prevent her from leaving. It’s kind of a reverse superhero film – but it also has heart. It’s about emotional abuse but wrapped in a metaphorical, science-fiction cloth. The script was about seven years in the making, and it’s been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life to hear an audience’s reaction to it. It just privately premiered at the Los Feliz 3 to two sold-out crowds. People seem really touched by it, especially those who have ever been in relationships like that.
We are shopping around the feature version of the short right now.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I think the pandemic forced a lot of artists to sit with themselves and really think about which direction they wanted to go artistically. The pandemic demanded a slow-down and an internal probing around what stories needed to be told.
More practically, the other lessons I learned all had to do with being on set. We had to replace our lead actress thirty-six hours before shooting because our original lead got coronavirus, and on set, all day, each day, there were people we had to keep on replacing because they got sick. Thankfully, all recovered, and all our actors killed it, but the lesson here was to have a list of names ready to go for each role in case of emergency.
I’ve also learned that worrying does no good. While filmmaking, there are only some elements you can control, and the rest is mostly out the window. As long as you’ve done your homework and you’ve managed what you can, there is no point in running up anxiety over what you can’t. Part of the fun of filmmaking is not knowing what’s going to happen come set day, despite months upon months of preparation. The pandemic taught me how to lean into the unknown more and respect the unpredictable process. As long as you hire a team that truly supports your vision, you don’t just have one mind behind you – you have all your department heads and your producers working dutifully together to iterate and improve upon your concept.
When the dread comes, I think of the John Burroughs quote – leap and the net will appear.
Contact Info:
- Website: amandaprager.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livechickens/
