Today we’d like to introduce you to Kseniya Yorsh.
Hi Kseniya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I came to LA in 2013 to be closer to what I always felt passionate about – film. A 2-month study trip turned into a whirlwind of events that led to my staying here and pursuing film producing as a career. It’s been eight years of this journey so far and those years encompassed studying in 2 film schools and then producing more than 35 projects.
I am a planner by nature but this endeavor was completely unplanned. It was a living-in-the-now kind of thing and I honestly think that’s the biggest factor that contributed to my busy and fulfilling work-life in LA. Truly enjoying each project that came my way, I lived through the experience of bringing it to life with enthusiasm and gratitude, giving it my all.
That state of being in the flow and living mindfully really helped to not kill possible opportunities with overthinking, overplanning, or anxiety. So, that’s my trick of the trade, I guess. Dream big, yes, but also focus on what you are working on now, bring it to completion – and the next thing will come. The road unravels itself when you walk it step by step.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
What is a smooth road? I don’t think anything ever goes smoothly, right? Especially if it’s a creative field and a volatile job market. I am a foreigner who has been working in the film industry in the film’s world capital as a freelancer. Can you now picture how many waves one must ride for this path to lead somewhere instead of having these waves crush you?
I could talk about obstacles and struggles all day long but I don’t really like focusing on those. I feel like whenever you pause to observe everything that is going wrong for you, everything stops and you kind of float in this sea of self-pitying.
Struggles are like a pit of mud on a sunny walk in the forest: once you stepped into one, put all of your effort into getting out, washing the mud off, changing your shoes, and then walk forward. What’s the point in looking back to count how many times you got dirty when right now the sun is warming up your face, the views are fantastic, and there is so much left to walk through!
Besides, more mud pits will come soon, don’t you worry. But I still think that focusing on the overarching journey and the experience of it is more satisfying than counting your wins and losses along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work as a line producer for film. I produce shorts and features, music videos, commercials – you name it. Basically, if there is a concept or a script, a budget, and a creative person who wants to make it, I can produce it for them. I don’t really deal with financing or creative development but I am really good at production and subsequent distribution.
What I give to each project that I take on besides measurable good results is care and attention to detail. I care about the project as my own, I take care of the people I bring on board. And I work equally hard on big-picture things the project needs and the tiniest details that come up.
I don’t strive for perfection but I strive for wholesomeness and authenticity instead. If everyone involved keeps showing up for the project and for each other with the best they have in each moment (not the best they are capable of in general, because that can lead to burnout), the process becomes enjoyable and fun. And when that’s the case, the finished product will speak for itself.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think the 2020 pandemic made us realize how unsustainable certain process practices are and how valuable our mental health and our creativity is.
I believe we are on the cusp of shifting towards more people-oriented industry. That is people who work in it, who are behind the scenes of each film made. Right now, the industry is driven by output metrics: all of the new platforms need content to fill themselves with, studios need revenue to generate. And so we film, film, film – burning through people and resources with unimaginable speed.
I believe the future is in a selective and sustainable approach instead. The viewers can’t potentially watch all of the thousands of films and shows being created. We all sitting at home want quality when we flip through the VOD catalogs. And so the studios/productions will start being more selective at a certain point. And sustainable, in terms of how people working on these shows are treated and what their working conditions are.
That’s the goal. And I think change can and should be implemented on small productions as well. For example, one thing that I want to introduce to the sets I run is childcare for kids 1 to 5 years if their parents are working on a show and they are either single parents or primary caregivers with no other childcare arrangements available.
Being a single mom myself, I had to get back into production when my daughter was five months old. The pandemic limited our childcare options drastically so I was taking her on sets with me. I quickly realized that a) it is more than possible to work with a baby/toddler on set if proper arrangements are made, b) no parent should have to turn down a project because they have a small child they can’t leave at home. The last project I produced already had two toddlers on set and we made our day and filmed what we needed, and both mamas were calm having their kids with them.
Now I want to start adding a playroom on location maps when preparing a project the same way how we find space for a hair and make-up room, wardrobe, and crafty. And also hire someone professionally trained in early childhood development who could look after the kids on set.
That’s the change I want to start implementing and I hope it will become an industry trend at some point.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kseniya_yorsh/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6286592/
