Meet Emily Barber of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Barber.

Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Filmmaking was a career path I was neither encouraged nor advised to go into. My family would always cite Harrison Ford’s carpentry background saying that even he had a backup plan. I was never the lead in any plays, or a featured vocalist in choir, in fact I wasn’t even allowed to watch tv and film growing up without my parent’s permission. So I pursued the path of least resistance and went to school for biochemistry under the impression that someday I would become a doctor and help people.
My freshman year of college was so fraught with disappointment in my outlook on life and misalignment with my values that I went from being a National Honor’s Student to failing my freshman year of college and placed into remedial classes. I had to make a change. So I left school, moved back home and enrolled in a local community college while I “figured it out”.
What my family didn’t know was that I had already figured it out but was too fearful of disappointing them to share that I had been accepted into Columbia College of Chicago where I would study filmmaking.
My first day of school I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt like I had finally found the place where I belonged. I still had no idea what I wanted to focus on but I was there amongst people who thought in stories like I did. Who were moved by wonder and worlds and wanted desperately to contribute to the media in a meaningful way.
After deciding on cinematography I ran into a few obstacles, one of which was being one of a handful of women who were attempting to succeed in a very male dominated field. This trend would carry on into adulthood often being the only woman in the room. I grew frustrated with being mistaken as the makeup artist when I showed up on set which my tool belt around my waist and hot hands on. This experience didn’t stop me but made me feel very alone.
After graduation I tried to day play on shows, commercials, anything I could get my hands on. I was often hired as a swing working in G&E. As I began to receive opportunities to shoot some very small projects I grew restless with the distance I felt between myself and the story being crafted. Yes I was contributing but in a way that felt like adding icing to cake that its flavor already decided upon.
So I began to explore other areas of the filmmaking world. I studied acting for years and worked as a producer helping other people organize, fundraiser, and get their stories told to the world. One day, under the mentorship of a very senior Producer I had mentioned that I had always thought I was supposed to be a cinematographer because I saw pictures in my head. She responded with, “Well that’s really more of what a Director does.” And it all hit me like semi truck to the chest. Directing was a path I hadn’t even considered because I didn’t know any women doing it. I was also under the impression that the art of directing was pre-ordained, something you either had or didn’t have but nothing that could be learned, cultivated, and refined over time.
So I started making small projects. Sketches, shorts, photo campaigns, anything I could do to learn. Until one day I was offered a Directing position on a commercial project for Walgreens. It was a local campaign but it was being handed to me to lead. In hindsight, I barely knew what I was doing. With great support from an incredible Producer, I was able to put something together. What I lacked in experience I made up for in communication and connection with people. Luckily that was enough and I was offered the role full time at a Production Company in Chicago.
My road has been winding since then though still with a Directing focus. I’ve learned so much by doing and failing and working with excellent collaborators. When I’m Directing I feel like all the disparate skill sets I possessed were congealed into one clear, and defining path. I was made to do this and I absolutely love it.
I’ve worked on several national campaigns for brands like Gatorade, Samsung, Tide, and Deloitte. I completed a dark comedy short film called “Buttress” that won several awards and am currently working on a proof of concept for a tv show about a woman who changes her personality by materializing various manifestations of her emotions and am currently writing a feature film about a world where super powers are real but they’re not what you think,
I know the next chapter of my life will be the best one yet.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My path certainly hasn’t been linear but I’ve been very fortunate to find collaborators who’ve educated me, stood by me, and helped me through some of the more trying projects.
The main issue I typically face is misogyny. This can manifest in all the shades of sexism. I had a male client scream in my face in front of the entire crew because I, as a woman, would never understand the seriousness of what he was trying to achieve all the way to male DP’s flat out ignoring my shot lists and shooting what they wanted.
I don’t think anyone pursuing a career path wants to be distilled down to checkboxes on a medical form. We all want to be hired by the merit of our creativity, our drive, and our ability to achieve. I’ve worked hard to surround myself with people who are of the same belief so that friction has waned as I’ve gotten older.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I worked for many years as a freelance director for commercial campaigns around the country. Currently I’m employed as a film director for a tech company telling the success stories of our customers. I’ve been writing a lot of my own work in my downtime and have several personal projects simmering in the pipelines.
Currently I’m best known for directing the short film “Buttress” and my work with the Second City. People also reach out to me when it comes to interviews as my style helps put people at ease.
Currently I’m most proud of some scripts I’m writing as it’s some of my first forays into the duality of the writer/director field. These projects are an amplification of myself and feel the most true to how I see the world.
After working in so many fields in filmmaking I think what sets me apart is my ability to understand the system. I am not a director who fights for a crazy budget overages because it’s “my vision”. Boundaries and limitations are a gift and allow you to really understand the why behind your choices. So I don’t make arbitrary decisions for the thrill of the visuals, they all play a role in the outcome of a piece.
I also think I’m very good with communicating with actors. I would say I’m an actor’s director and care deeply about character and performance.
In everything that I pursue I fight for equality and fairness so working with me is a collaborative endeavor where voices are heard and all people are treated with respect.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Though I’ve chosen filmmaking as my craft I’m not an avid tv/movie watcher. I first think of myself as a storyteller so wherever the story is strongest is where I exert my time and energy. This means I read a lot of books, seek out experiential plays and improv, visit many art galleries, and follow fashion. Though I love filmmaking there are many other ventures telling just as unique and inspiring stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Emilyebarber.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/emilye.barber