Check Out Kelly Burns’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Burns.

Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When acting didn’t work out in high school (hey, I’ve never been known to be subtle) I tried a screenwriting degree at my first college in England. Writing was great but I couldn’t be in my head for 8+ hours a day and that wouldn’t pay the bills. After taking a year off I went back to finish my degree at Emerson knowing I wanted to be in film but not sure on what part.

Out of the blue, I was offered and AD gig on a student project. I had no idea what the job entailed but, low and behold I found my fit. From the fast-paced set life, focus on communication and interacting with creative people, I loved bringing it all together. The best was seeing how that work translated on to the screen.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like everyone a bit of both. I struggled with mental illness since before my diagnosis in high school. It’s still a struggle to manage both my professional and personal career. No one ever tell you that when you hit your 20’s you don’t magically start liking waking up early, know how to cook and balance your life perfectly. (What can I say the movies lied to me). But I’ve had incredible support and privilege as well. My parents never blinked twice when I told them I wanted to work in film (as a trying to be rebellious teenager, I was a bit put out about that one). They paid for my school and always supported my ups and downs along with many anxious filled late night calls about the future. My friends I made along the way both with in the industry and not have done have always been excited to hear my ideas and experiences and support each other along the way. Finally I have a cat and a husband (Rojhat) who keep me sane and remind me that eating and sleeping are both necessary and to be enjoyed and plus having a little fun never hurts anyone.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in the film industry as a 1st Assistant Director. Unlike the title my career isn’t creative based like the director. More so I coordinate communication between the director and the other departments (DP, Gaffer, HMU, PD etc.). I work with in the confines of the budget, actor availability, locations etc. to come up with a schedule. From there, I create an approximate timing for the shots in a more detailed version with the schedule and refine it with the DP and Director. I also do pre-production work determining and organizing what is needed each day on set. On set, I help communicate across departments and advise based on the schedule and troubleshoot any problem we run into.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Having dinner with my parents on Colorado (both chefs I got lucky), especially during the holidays. It was always a food bonanza with my favorite being peking duck or dim sum for Thanksgiving. Santa always got my mom’s passed down through the generations cookies and a beer (apparently Santa likes Heineken?). And at age 8 or 9, I could proudly say one of my favorite foods was Eggs Benedict.

Pricing:

• 300 (flexible depending on budget)

Contact Info:

• Phonr: 9703330701
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: kellykburns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly_k_burns/

Image Credits
Kerigan Kenny Annie Yan Annie Yan Kelly Burns Annie Yan