Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridget Johnson.
Hi Bridget, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story starts in your stereotypical Midwestern suburb in the early 2000s where kids raced each other on bikes while their mothers gossiped about which neighborhood mom baked which cake better or how Karen just got divorced to Bob. I wasn’t like most girls. I preferred playing football with the guys than playing Barbie. I was that “weird” kid writing and storyboarding stories about headless horsemen and covens of witches fighting evil forces.
My dad showed me horror movies at such a young age (probably too young) but hey, I turned out okay, better really. Horror movies taught me that I was capable of escaping the monsters that live under the bed or the monsters that live inside our heads. They taught me that I can overcome fears and turn fears into opportunities.
My mom bought me a little red sh*tty Nikon Coolpix that became my Corvette. I’d take that thing everywhere and document every little thing no matter how mundane. My heart holds a special place for my mom and how she always supported my dreams. Without her support and her gift to me, I don’t know where I would be today. Then, the beautiful chaos ensued. I dragged my friends along to make horror shorts and music videos to top 20s pop songs in the 2000s. I thought back then I was Steven Spielburg but today looking back at them they could win the top prize for cringe-worthy. Thankfully, I didn’t end up on MTV (yet).
I continued my passion throughout high school and film became a vessel of self-discovery of my identity. Filmmaking was my outlet to express my authentic self. I stumbled upon lesbian short films on YouTube and for the first time felt seen and heard like I wasn’t the only one like this and it was normal. My mom raised me to believe that marriage only consisted of a man and a woman. Period. Growing up in a midwest suburb where there were no openly out queer people was isolating but being online I could be my authentic self without feeling judged or feeling like I was committing a sin.
My dream was always to have my own production company where I could hire people who looked like me and tell the stories I wanted to tell. I remember just after my sweet 16, feeling like a changed woman, I strutted to my dad’s office and requested he help me fill out the paperwork for starting my own production company. His eyes bulged almost out of his sockets. “Are you crazy?” he shouted. “You’re too young. When you’re older.” he dismissed. Each birthday, I would ask him and the answer was always no until something remarkable happened.
When I was 17, I thought why don’t I create my own lesbian film, they make me so happy, and I want to make others happy. Thus, the film Girl at the Library was born. The story was a simple love story about two girls meeting and falling in love at their local library. I wanted to create a romantic film with a happy ending, something that is rare in queer cinema. I posted it on YouTube on my birthday with no expectations. This film was a letter to myself of self-acceptance and to make others feel less alone. It was my coming out story. My jaw dropped. Within a week, somehow my little short film shot in the small Midwestern suburb of Des Plaines, IL went viral.
Views really don’t matter to me. The impact is what’s important. Queer teenagers and kids from all over the world were commenting on how much the film meant to them, connecting with each other in the comments and even making romantic connections! My heart blossomed. I knew from that day on this feeling was all I ever wanted to achieve. To feel heard myself, to make others feel loved, and despite whatever is going on at their home or inside they are safe here and accepted. For the first time, I felt understood and that I had a supportive community of people like me. It was magical. It made me believe in myself more. I knew that I needed to keep following my dreams because what I’m doing makes an impact.
My inner child’s dream came true when I turned 20. My dad came into my room saying how proud he was of me and how it was time that I made my dream happen. I officially signed the papers for Dare to Dream Productions and it’s been a breathtaking journey since then. Being a filmmaker during the pandemic was very difficult but I utilized the resources I did have and made the best of it by creating Zoom films and spoken word poetry films during quarantine. It was a transformative time of self-discovery, planning how I want to run our film sets, and what stories I need to tell, what my soul wants to tell.
I’m working on some very exciting films right now that are very near and dear to my heart. This November, I’m also starting to work on a project that my inner child has been wanting to make happen for a while now. Dreams are not always concrete. Sometimes they’re supposed to be molded and changed. Sometimes they don’t work and that’s okay too. There’s something bigger on the way. The important thing is to always follow what your inner self is telling you and that you’re truly happy.
I don’t know where my journey is headed but that’s the exciting part of life! Live in the present, follow what makes your soul sing, and see where life takes you.
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?
Overcoming struggles is just part of being human. I think that’s what unites each and every one of us (if we let it). Struggles teach us transformative lessons about life itself and about who you are and who you want to be. After I graduated college, the plan was to move to California and work as a director’s assistant to get my foot in the door. Then, the global pandemic hit. However, I had the fantastic opportunity to work for a director on an amazing much-needed film with queer characters but unfortunately, her film never got greenlit. My dreams were put on hold.
I felt a bit lost. I didn’t want to take the risk of moving to LA without a job already lined up but I also didn’t want to stay in my hometown and be one of three queer people. I struggled with finding a full-time film job in Chicago for a long time. My best friend and I’s sci-fi short that we put our heart and soul into was getting rejected and rejected from film festivals around the country. I became very depressed and struggled with confidence in my work because of all of the rejections.
But then, my best friend called me at 10 p.m. on a Monday telling me they were going to build a skatepark from scratch and they wanted me to film the process. This phone call changed my life. It gave me something to look forward to and I felt inspired to create again. We created a proof of concept short last summer highlighting the people behind OnSite, Chicago’s first-ever DIY public mobile skatepark built by and for non-traditional skaters. We made Chicago history.
I fell in love with the process of interviewing and creating documentaries. Hearing and documenting people’s stories brings me such joy. We decided there were other topics we wanted to explore and we embarked on creating a feature film. It’s called Breaking the Barrier and it’s not just about skateboarding but about building community and supporting one another while overcoming personal barriers. We just wrapped principal photography and I couldn’t be any happier. I’m working with my friends and telling a story that means so much to me.
Struggles and obstacles make us stronger and discover new aspects of ourselves we didn’t know about. Through meditation and journaling, I’ve gained the strength to keep pushing toward my dreams and believe in myself more. I’m coming for you, Hollywood.
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?
Dare to Dream Productions is a Chicago-based inclusive production company that creates thought-provoking films that explore the unknown and answer life’s biggest questions. My films are portraits of queer characters navigating the complexity of love and loss. I’m interested in telling stories that connect to the universal human experience and transcend our differences to unite us. I make films to spark deep discussions that inspire others to take action and follow their dreams.
Dare to Dream Productions prioritizes our cast & crew’s mental health on/offset. We say no to 14-16 hour days, the norm for film sets. We only work 8-10 hour days and provide an optional meditation/quiet time at the beginning of the day. We always do check-ins on set with everyone and make sure we prioritize everyone’s needs. We always ask our cast & crew if there’s anything they would like for us to know before we work with them and provide accommodations.
Our optimistic approach to storytelling means telling authentic queer stories where being queer is not the plot. It just so happens to be that the characters are queer. The endings of my films are happy and leave the audience feeling inspired or hopeful for their own future, something that I yearned for but never had as a young queer person.
Inclusion doesn’t just start in front of the camera but also behind. We believe who should be telling which stories matter. Our crew is made up of LGBT+, women, trans/GNC, and BIPOC filmmakers. Working with our communities is vital to us. We host virtual & in-person screenings globally for our films. We’ve worked with local schools’ GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) clubs & youth programs at libraries and non-profits to screen our films and host Q&As. We screened our LGBT+ short, The Girl at the Library for a GSA in India.
One of my favorite memories is screening The Girl at the Library at the library we filmed at for the GSA club for youth. It made me so happy to hear kids proudly talk to me after the screening about their own gender and identity. I created a safe space where they felt comfortable and proud to share their experiences with others. One girl who was about twelve came up to me with a big smile on her face. “I’m going to come out to my mom now. I’m not scared anymore.” she beamed. My soul smiled. I knew I had to keep continuing to make films. This was the reason why I make films.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My mentor actually taught me this but it’s always stuck with me. She said, “Always ask for advice, not for a job, work, or a mentorship.” I believe finding a mentor should happen organically and you should start to build relationships rather than expect or seek out mentorship.
My advice for networking is to just be yourself and believe in yourself. When you are authentic and have a positive mindset/energy, you will find yourself meeting people who you connect with and it just flows. When you know, you know.
I believe all artists sometimes struggle with comparing themselves to others. It’s hard not to in this day and age where everyone’s showing their best self on social media. It’s important to take a step back and instead of comparing ourselves to others, think about how far you’ve come and how proud your younger self would be. We’re all on our own paths and we should be supporting one another. Everything is working in divine timing, love. You are where you need to be. Remember that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dare-to-dream-productions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridget_johnson_1212/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/moviemakerbridge12
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/dtdproductions/?hl=en
Image Credits
Perimortem BTS Photos by Patrick Reponse “Only Love” BTS Photos by JMJ Creations Breaking the Barrier BTS Photos by Margarita Litchfield
