Meet Miranda Guzman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Guzman.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Miranda. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I came to LA as an actress and accidentally fell into producing. The first project I produced was my BFA thesis film at NYFA. I was simply checking down the list of things to make my ambitious short film. I didn’t know what a producer did, but I was determined to find out.

Meanwhile, I met a production and distribution company looking for contacts in Latin America.“I can help with that” spurted out of me, “You can?” I didn’t have a clue. Despite my lack of experience, I made many calls and got them what they needed. Then, I asked them for a job and… they said no.

A podcast I had heard resonated in me: “If you ever want your dream job, memorize this.” So I did and told them (with a little passion and spice): “I’ll work better, faster and smarter than anyone else, and I’ll do it for free for 60 days. If at the end of those 60 days I’ve added enough value to the company that you’d rather keep me than lose me- great. All I ask in return is experience, learning, and contacts.”

In 2017, I began working for them, wondering how a girl from a Mexican small town could add enough value to this international company. Soon, I realized I was a great talker, was great at selling the company and our mission. In just a few months, I got them powerful scripts, actors, directors, writers, producers, and investors.

By the time I graduated from college, the company had invited me to Cannes to acquire films for distribution and make production deals alongside them. In those weeks and later months ahead, I contributed to acquiring over 200 films. I also kept producing my own short films, working on several other projects and interning with other producers and companies. Following my diligent schedule, and working my butt off.

I started getting exciting offers. The problem was: they wanted me but not the company. By then I had also begun seeing their flaws. Project fundings had been ignored, film distributions were stalled, a constant pursuit of money over art and belittling of me for my age and lack of experience. If I was so useless, why had I accomplished so much and why was I getting all of these offers? It took me a long time to leave, longer than it should have.

The second I quit, phone calls started coming in. To my surprise, everyone showed amazing loyalty and support. A few people even decided to hand me their projects and leave the company. That’s how I became independent and learned to stand up for my beliefs.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
From having people yell at me to having someone look me in the eye and tell me I’m a worthless, terrible person, I’ve had a wide range of experiences of people wanting to put me down.

But I also consider myself to be an extremely lucky person. I could be more grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve had. And all of those negative experiences have made me grow so much as a producer and as a person. They have made me more patient, passionate and perseverant.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m an independent producer, in the past couple of years, I produced 20 short films, a music video, a short documentary, eight interview segments for MAMPSongs artists, collaborated in a feature-length documentary featuring Mace Neufeld and Harrison Ford, and a feature film called “A World Away” starring Rowan Blanchard.

I also developed ten feature films, three of which have locked scripts and have acquired initial support. We all have passion, and I am very passionate and enthusiastic, but I believe that my discipline to work hard, smart and fast is what sets me apart from others.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’ve always been a very artistic and loving kid. This combination made me very different because I didn’t care about fitting in with the cool girls, they were mean and seemed empty.

I wanted to dance, sing, write, paint, act and think. I’ve always been a creator of stories through different art forms and always took “playing pretend” too seriously.

Contact Info:

• Website: mirandaguzman.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: mirandaeguzman

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