Today we’d like to introduce you to Francesca Brice-Martin.
Hi Francesca, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was a kid, about 10- 11 years old, my parents offered me a camera. At that time, we frequently had family reunions with my cousins and uncles and I would use my camera to capture those moments. Sometimes I would make them pretend to be a character and do things in front of the camera. It was just amazing to me. I didn’t know that it was directing, but I loved it. I was also watching a lot of behind the scenes of movies which were focusing on production design, constructions and arts. Later on, I had the opportunity to work as an actress on TV shows. I started writing scripts when I was 15 and had the opportunity to attend screenwriting workshops with like-minded people who had as much passion as I had for film. I also worked as assistant director for a company called Sentinelle Production at the time they were making their tv show Waga love.
I come from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, formerly know as the Republic of Upper Volta and unfortunately my country doesn’t have a big film industry and opportunities do not flow all the time. It’s very difficult to earn a living as a full-time filmmaker, and when you live in a place where everything is about survival, dreams can easily be shut down or reduced to fantasies. So after high school, I had to reorient my career but I never lost sight of my dream of being a filmmaker. After 10 years-ish away from the entertainment industry I had a lifetime opportunity to fly to the famous City of Angels to attend the Master’s in film and video Production at the New York Film Academy. It was a big change for me and I had the occasion to work on multiple projects which made me fall even more in love with filmmaking.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think choosing an art path is a smooth road for anyone. There are always doubts and fears about the outcome. And those fears come from people who are close to you, who love you and want the best for you. Those fears are usually unbiased. As artists, we don’t always see the problems other people see when we are starting our journey. We just want to express ourselves. For me, it was a very bumpy road and I had to face a couple of obstacles including my family. But the biggest one I had to face was myself. I had to overcome those fears that were projected on me while acknowledging everything that could happen along my journey. I had to work on my self-confidence to be able to fully commit to the process. I was in-ish and out of entertainment for a long time because of these doubts and if I had to describe the road I would say it was a zigzag line with mountains and rivers along the way. Maybe also a couple of forests to cross 😂.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a film producer, director and writer and my art is about telling stories that touch people and create different type of emotions. Even if I have a predilection for dramas, I am flexible on the genres I produce. One of my films “Rats In The House” that was released in film festivals is a drama/ thriller that follows a couple dealing with miscommunication, unfaithfulness and shows how our choices can lead to tragedies. My most recent film “The Perfect Size” is a comedy that portrays men insecurities about their “manhood”. I usually select my projects based on the connection I have to them, and both these films are very close to my heart as well as the other films I have produced.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have always considered myself a very lucky person. Even though I believe hard work plays a huge part in advancing someone in any aspect of their life, I also believe you need a bit of luck to help. When I think about the fact that somewhere in the world, some people who work as hard as I am can’t even think about dreaming because they don’t have food on the table, I feel lucky and I will forever be grateful that I have so many opportunities around me in my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francescabricemartin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/francesca.bricemartin
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChARJFR9x03nSIvJas1PEzQ
Image Credits
– Sarah Konopaske, Ray O’Brian –
