Meet Natasha Patrick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Patrick.

Hi Natasha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
I truly started learning about the film industry at around 8 years old when I got to go to Warner Brothers Studios for the first time to visit my uncle, who used to work there. I immediately fell in love and actually started taking acting classes when I was younger for about three years. I knew I always wanted to work in the industry but I started doubting acting and wanted to explore new areas. 

My first film class in my senior year of high school honestly put me back on track to follow my dreams of working in the film industry because it encouraged me to try to be a director. Unfortunately, I was a 2020 high school grad, and the pandemic prevented me from being able to finish the film I was directing and the rest of the year. I did apply to a few film schools in LA and NY, but didn’t get accepted to any of them, which really discouraged me until I found out about the film program at my local community college, Saddleback. Since the pandemic was in full force at this time, it ended up making the most sense for me and one of my few limited options to attend Saddleback for two years. However, I am so grateful that I ended up going that route because I got to meet so many of my current friends, worked with so many amazing creative filmmakers on student short films, and built connections that have helped me book so many other jobs. After getting the chance to explore different roles at Saddleback, I was able to focus on producing and assistant directing, which I love doing, and I have now been a producer for music videos and a 1st Assistant Director for an independent feature, a proof of concept short, YouTube series, and more music videos. My teachers at Saddleback were so supportive and taught me so much about working in the film industry, and I graduated in 2022 with an Associate Degree in Film Production. 

I moved on and transferred to UCLA, where I am currently attending and will be graduating in June with a major in Gender Studies and a minor in Film/TV/Digital Media. The past two years I moved to LA and have been working on sets when I can and also got to work part time for a company called Palisades Park Pictures that works in international distribution and sales. I have been able to learn a lot about some more of the distribution side of the film industry and was even able to attend the American Film Market last year with this company. I now just started this week as the full-time assistant for Palisades Park Pictures and am getting to work my dream job of being able to work remotely, travel throughout the year for film festivals, and work in the film industry. I am beyond excited for this new chapter of my life and can’t wait to continue growing and changing. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely, some of the struggles have been COVID-19 for sure, and getting my first full year of a film class taken away and my projects cancelled. This also set me back when starting college because I wasn’t able to go to in-person production classes for the entire first year of Saddleback College. 

Moving to LA was also a big struggle for me for the first time because I was only 20 years old when I moved out of the house and had to completely financially support myself. Thankfully, I had saved up over Covid and was working at a part time job to help support me, but I had to also find roommates without knowing anyone who wanted to move to LA. After many failed attempts to find different roommates, I was able to move to an apartment in Sherman Oaks with a friend that I met at Saddleback. That big of a change definitely took adjusting and being flexible with a crazy work and school schedule. 

I also definitely struggled to meet people in LA, even though I had only moved from Orange County, my roommate was the only other person I knew, and I was not meeting many people in my classes. I joined a networking group for women and non-binary creators called Not Your Daddy’s Films and started going to a few events and have already met and connected with so many people because of that group. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I often work as a 1st Assistant Director on sets and have thrived in that position, but I have also loved to produce and work as a production assistant as well. Although I would love to continue working on sets, especially as a 1st AD, I’m sure that will now slow down for me a bit as I am starting a full-time job in the distribution/business side of the industry. I am truly proud of my perseverance, I feel like there have been many moments in my life in the past 5-6 years when it could have been a lot easier to give up and pursue a different career, but I kept trying to go after my dreams, and I am already making them come true at 22 years old and going to the Cannes Film Festival next month. I have had to give up a lot of my free time/social life, work for free, and work extremely long days of 12 to sometimes even 16 hours. So, while it definitely has not been easy, I’m proud of continuing and also doing my best to put myself out there by reaching out to people and fighting my insecurities to attend networking events on my own and speak to new people to make connections. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasha.patrick/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-patrick-8baa06217/

Image Credits
Kai Vargas
Robert Weiskittel