Check Out Elaine Roberts’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Roberts.

Hi Elaine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My love for the entertainment industry started when I was young. My family is from Cuba and Spain but I was born in Miami, Florida. My parents loved movies and the performing arts and my sister and I inherited that trait. Since young, I was always creatively inclined. I taught myself how to play instruments. I’d hear a song and play the tune on the piano, so my parents put me in piano lessons where I learned to properly compose. I wrote countless books of lyrics and poems. I loved to act. Dancing is a big part of the Latin culture and so I grew up dancing many styles, primarily Latin and belly dancing.

My love for books led me to write my first short story in the third grade, and my love for movies led me to write screenplays. I wrote my first screenplay as an assignment for school and won the screenplay contest. To my surprise and everyone else’s, I showed a talent for describing sceneries and writing even better dialogue. Writing screenplays bridged the gap to making movies. I always loved cinema. I loved stories and the magic you can make in movies. I loved how my imagination turned on when I’d read stories, but I loved seeing it put all together in a film. I wanted to be in it, playing the character, but I also loved the craft.

My dad took his video camera everywhere. If anything, he was a DP in another lifetime and it was his love for filming that set me on a path from performing to creating. I grew up working with these kinds of equipment – cameras, lighting, computers. I learned to film and edit and became able to create something from start to finish.

As much as I loved the arts, I had another passion. My father is a business owner. I grew up in a business-savvy environment which seemed to stem naturally in me… I entered Corporate America and worked in the heart of what runs any business in the world – the accounting and finance department. I enrolled at the University of Miami and obtained a degree in Finance and Business Law. Deep down, I always knew whatever I’d do in my life, even if it was in the entertainment industry, I’d run my own business. And so, I co-founded Chase Your Dreams Productions, Inc.

From there, I went on to produce my first short film, “One Last Breath”, which was selected to be a part of the Paterson Falls and Flathead Lake International Cinemafest events. Additionally, it received a screening invitation by the Miami Indie Film Festival and was officially invited by HollyShorts. I also produced my first feature film “O2 Negative: Death and Rebirth of Seeker 4143” which I co-wrote and produced to critical acclaim. It won the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and was nominated at the Golden Fox Awards. It was also officially selected in the Prince of Prestige Academy Awards and Auckland International Film Festival and received an Honorable Mention at the Silver Scream Film & Comic Festival.

During the pandemic, I managed to produce a short film “The Pill” with an international team which is currently running its film festival campaign. I also co-produced a short called “The Woods Encountered” which was halted at first but managed to resume when conditions were safe.

I currently have a few films in production and developing several projects, some of which are being pitched to platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, and some features which are set to shoot this fall.

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?
Nothing worth it ever comes easy. Life often throws a set of obstacles where you have to decide on the best course of action, and the trials and errors one faces when venturing on a new path are rarely skipped yet usually necessary because it’s where you learn the most.

This pandemic certainly caused many obstacles, including plans and projects to be put on hold. The world went into a hiatus and during that time everything changed. The way we network and do meetings shifted to online. I had to produce films as best as I could remotely. Writing scripts became about telling stories in a contained environment with the least amount of characters as opposed to building a world that required dozens of people on set. These are all challenges everyone in the industry has faced. In the end, I’m proud of our teams for coming together and making the films we did. We’ll always look back at it and remember – that’s the film we did in the middle of the pandemic.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Being an independent filmmaker has allowed me to wear many hats and become involved in each stage of production including developing, writing, being assistant director, working as a camera op, editing, overseeing logistics and managing the films’ finances to maximize efficiency and provide high-quality content on lower budgets. I’m an advocate of environmental sustainability and so I always focus on making our productions as eco-friendly as possible.

Since then, I partnered with HPD Media, a worldwide distribution and international production company which has allowed me to expand on a global scale. My projects range from LA and Miami, to Europe, UK and the Middle East. I also became a moderator at the Paris International Film Festival whose director, Jenna Suru, is also a big advocate for change and has a unique track record for eco-friendly projects.

I’ve focused on being a writer and producer. I love telling stories, creating worlds, building conflict and paving the journey the characters go on to face their obstacles and become their own heroes. I also love to produce. My business side allows me to be adept at producing but beyond the business aspect, I love helping others bring their dreams and creations to life. This synergy between my passion for the art itself and my passion to help others in the industry is what allows me to be proficient at what I do. If I’m known as anything, it’s for helping others, and as the producer that directors actually like, but don’t tell the EPs that.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Never give up on your dreams. I know we all have our comfort zones and putting yourself out there is difficult and scary. I usually find that writers have a harder time sharing their work and networking. My advice is to build your team. Find your people, your tribe. Seek a mentor, talk to others in the industry. The film industry is a community and many of them love to give back.

For those on social media, there is a Facebook group called The Entertainment Industry Collaborators created by Tina Imahara where you can network and meet industry professionals. For those looking to learn the business side, Kaia Alexander created The Entertainment Business League cohort. I co-founded the Leading Ladies where we support women and invite guest speakers. These are just a few resources but there are many more out there. The bottom line is work hard, network, and don’t give up.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://chaseyourdreamsinc.com/
• Instagram: @laineycyd
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laineyro
• Twitter: @elainecyd
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hK_JOtH8OEJXGLOyIlsMA?app=desktop
• Other: https://hpd-media.com/

Image Credits:
Monika Frias David Verjano Elaine Roberts Martin Manuel Nuza