Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Bertling.
Jennifer, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Like many kids with fathers in active military service, I moved around a lot. From a Canadian Forces Base in Lahr, Germany to various houses and schools across Ontario, Canada and finally settling on Canada’s east coast for my last two years of high school. I had just turned 15 when my parents felt the need to make a major change in their lives.
They had become weary of the rat race and bought 154 acres of oceanfront property over the internet. We moved from a bustling suburb in a city just outside of Toronto to a very rural area on Prince Edward Island (Canada’s smallest province) to live a new life completely off the grid. We built a small agri-tourism based eco-farm that harnessed renewable energy, raised happy animals of all kinds, and grew organic food. It was unlike any life I had ever known or even known existed. Living off grid, using sustainable energy, agri-tourism, tiny houses and van living are all very common now, even trendy. But in 2001, we were ahead of the curve, 3 and 9 years respectively before social media giants like Facebook and Instagram would emerge to revolutionize global marketing and give small tourist-based farms a fighting chance. I stayed on the east coast for University, graduating in 2008 from Dalhousie in Halifax, NS with a BA in English Lit. Having an arts degree with no intention of writing or teaching for a living, I left school with a great sense of aimlessness. I was told I would find my purpose during the course of my studies (I didn’t) and “figuring out what you want to do with your life is what university is for” (it’s not). It took four years of waiting tables after graduating before I was tired of waiting and sat myself down to make a plan.
Growing up, our household was split into two different mindsets; military and artistic. My British mother is a true creative empath and I was raised with heavy European influences. I would tag along to her theatre rehearsals and spend time backstage which blossomed into a very real passion for theatrical production. Seeing artists and crew members work alongside each other all in the name of creative expression felt like home. It wasn’t until I found myself years into my TV and film career that I realized, funnily enough, how closely production runs like a military operation. There’s no easy way to break into the industry unless you have a healthy dose of nepotism on your side. I was lucky enough to have an “in” (a friend’s sister worked in news and knew someone who worked in production) but having that name won’t do anything for you if you can’t be persistent (respectfully, of course), confident and capable. On the flip side, those who are in positions to give people a shot should. I’m a big believer in paying it forward because everyone has to start somewhere. I’m still close with the person who gave me my first job and I’ve been very blessed in my career. Now ten years in, I’m able to produce full-time and co-own an independent production company on the side. Still, in its infancy stage at only a year old, Little Monster Pictures, named for the ideas that creep around one’s mind, is about satisfying my passion for curiosity and creativity and will serve to fulfill my dream of leading a team within my own production company.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Imposter Syndrome. It’s widely experienced, very tough to deal with and I have it in spades. For me, a big part of it came from my not having gone to film school. It was a choice I made to avoid spending more time in a classroom when I was eager to start working but that resulted in the feeling that I didn’t belong right from the beginning. I started with zero knowledge about film production so there was a steep learning curve and I was learning in front of everyone. I’m incredibly proud of the producer I have become and the projects I’ve invested myself in along the way. By all accounts, I feel successful, both personally and professionally and yet that feeling of inadequacy that remains even when personal success is present continues to drive career-based anxiety and I have to work hard to quiet those negative thoughts. I’m able to quiet the harsh critic in my head by reminding myself that your brain is lying to you when it lets imposter syndrome take over. Say it out loud if you need to. Say it to the mirror. Or say what Shonda said best “You always belong in a room. The very act of being in the room means you belong in that room. And anybody telling you don’t belong in the room, they should get out.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a producer and storyteller, it’s my job to bring stories to the screen. Narrative content is always what I wanted to focus on but I have a long history in documentary which set the groundwork for my deep seeded need to tell honest stories. I believe in the power of storytelling as the exploration of truth and am drawn personally to stories that are raw and unexpected. I met my producing partner at a UCLA film program and we now co-own a female-led production company, Little Monster Pictures. LMP is a creative hub where we can foster talent and nurture ideas at any stage of a project in an inclusive environment with a commitment to diversity in front of and behind the camera while improving representation on screen. We’re currently in post-production for “Off Limits”, a short film thriller about the perils of rideshares and are incredibly proud that writer, director, assistant director, producer, sound technician, and DOP roles were all filled by women. We make it a priority to hire woman in key positions and hope to do it again on our upcoming quarantine era love story called “Love and the Deadly Virus” set to film by the end of March.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
It’s about measuring success and what that word means to me. From the day I started working in film I wanted to win an Oscar for “Best Documentary”. It was my secret dream. To me at that time, it was the highest form of success I could imagine. Now I think the Oscars are very flawed, and the idea of pitting art against art to determine which is “the best” is a fundamental departure from the intention behind creating art. Success for me now is much more closely linked to happiness and personal fulfillment. Figuring out what makes me happy, especially on a daily level, continues to be about trial and error. I have found that focusing on prioritizing daily values like self-development, self-discovery and living authentically do a pretty good job. My fulfillment comes from doing meaningful work, acting in the service of others and setting and meeting my own goals instead of comparing myself against a standard that somebody else set. Of course, neither of these things would be possible without the support of the wonderful people in my life. Having a sense of community has become so important to me because moving so often as a child meant I didn’t feel I had one. I have so much gratitude for my friends, family, friends who feel like family and colleagues who feel like friends whose influence and support continue to inspire my best life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.littlemonsterpictures.com
- Instagram: @littlemonsterpictures
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMonsterP
Image Credits:
James Rafferty
