Exploring Life & Business with Paula Lauzon of HarLau Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Lauzon.

Paula, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

Well, when I was little, both my parents loved watching tv shows, movies, etc. As kids, we spent our days outside playing but in the rainy weather or when the streetlights came on, we were in the house watching what they watched on the television. We didn’t have the choices that we have today. I grew to love those shows and films. I pretended I was in them, interacting with the characters. It was incredible to me. Their passion for film ranged from Spaghetti Westerns to classic horror, suspense, musicals, and iconic films like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, and King Kong.

I was inspired by SO MANY classic Hollywood icons; Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert, Doris Day, Myrna Loy, Lucille Ball; I wanted to be these women; whether they were sad, funny or serious, I later learned of how strong these women were in their careers and the choices that they’d made. I wanted to be that and knew that I could be.

As the years went on, life took its course. I married (twice), had a son and decided that I’d cut my acting teeth in community theatre. I began with ensemble roles and then had a supporting role in Oklahoma! That was very challenging for me because it was in front of a live audience. I’d never memorized lines before, my anxiety level was peaked but with the help of all of my castmates on that production, I made it through. Those individuals are family to me. I felt that I found my ‘place’, my ‘people’, my ‘community’. I miss musical theatre and hope that I can get back to it.

I also spent my time honing my craft through Master Acting Classes with former Days of Our Lives star Steve Blackwood and continued acting in local theatre and music videos. While I still resided in Boston in 2015, I decided to make the leap to commercial work in NYC and then onto LA. I quickly became recognized as a diverse character actress in both film and on many television shows.

My son gave me his blessing to leave for LA in 2015 where I arrived with $40 in my pocket; go me. I did a little bit of research and I hit the ground running, doing background work with Central Casting (I credit CC greatly because it brought money in and I learned something on EVERY set I was on, PLUS I got to see the studios where all the old films and tv shows were filmed at!), and taking on roles in student films and short films, all of which have been submitted and won various awards at Film Festivals around the Country and at Cannes.

I did my four (4) years of acting class while I lived in LA, from 2015 to 2019, all on various sets. I didn’t attend an acting school. When I did have the cash, I took classes at various schools in Burbank, and briefly studied with Anthony Montes and was also tutored by the well-regarded Brionne Davis-Davel.

In early 2019, the East Coast called for me, and when I arrived here in July 2019, I decided to open The Durham School of Acting as well as my production company, HarLau Productions. The production company opening happened in the middle of the pandemic; I don’t know what I was thinking but it actually worked out for me. I’d spent that time reading screenplays and optioning scripts and stories and now have a slate of films with an approximate budget of $12MM. I am in the pre-production stage of my short film, ‘Inimicus’, which delves into post-traumatic stress disorder via the story’s lead character, a former soldier struggling to adapt to life after several tours of military duty. I am so looking forward to directing this one; I’ve cast it also, talent is so strong in this region. I have also just purchased another screenplay, entitled, ‘Consequences’, written by Matt Higgins. This one is about a former attorney who is asked to help an inner city teen facing jail time, but first he must confront his own troubled past. My team and I are actually in Development of this project.

I also have more screenplays in the pipeline with development funding as it’s available. The process is extremely slow right now because of the events transpiring in our nation but I keep busy with the advancement of screenplays and script reading to make my selections appropriately that align with my production company’s mission statement.

I’m also a Member of the Television Academy and I judge for the Burbank International Film Festival, The Raleigh Film and Art Festival, The Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards for ©The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, The Hollywood Horror Festival and the Experimental Film Festival. As if I don’t have enough to keep me busy, but I enjoy doing all this, I really do. While there’s never enough of me to go around, I make an attempt to reach out to one to two people in the Industry a day, even if it’s just to catch up.

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?
Having my son was one of THE best things that’s happened to me on my journey. He’s my heart with arms and legs on it.

While the road hasn’t been smooth, he told me early on in this journey that, ‘Smooth seas never made for skilled sailors, mom’. SO much of what I’ve experienced in my personal life has contributed to me being where I am today. My upbringing with two (2) alcoholic parents who suffered from depression most likely added to the choices that I’d made along the decades. These learning curves as I like to call them, set me up in both my professional and personal life to have a thick skin in this Industry, along with my background as a legal assistant and later as an administrator and business developer. All of this has taught me critical problem solving and fast-paced decision making, the value of intensive research, analytics and how to observe and adapt in the field and gauge potential. I feel that this has proven invaluable in my work in the film industry. Now if only I’d applied all of that to the types of relationships I’d had in the past, I would’ve been more successful in that arena, right?

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Well, I put a lot of thought into what I wanted for myself and my community. I decided that I wanted my production company to be dedicated to the production of feature and short films along with music videos. I have been researching and reaching out to artists, filmmakers, screenwriters and other creatives from around the country to create incredible stories. I have been directing short films and music videos. I’m extremely excited to be on this part of my journey behind the camera as a Director.

My team’s creative approach for every production is a dynamic collaboration in visual storytelling. Each project consists of treatment (script), and when finalized, we use this document as a blueprint to begin the detailed pre-production process.

We focus on crucial project elements such as set design, lighting, makeup, wardrobe, music and overall dynamic visual style and we work extremely hard in pre-development, obsessing over the details to ensure that we’re 100% ready to execute the concept for our film as well as the films that we’re hired to direct and produce.

I’m also in development of my film, ‘Inimicus’. I know that I mentioned this earlier. This short film is about a former soldier who has struggled to reintegrate into normal life after several tours of duty overseas. Despite his best efforts, his inner demons take center stage as his wife and friends try desperately to keep his PTSD from consuming his life. This film shines a light on the very real trauma that so many of our military veterans that return from the battlefield face daily. It also offers a platform to bring this very serious issue to the screen. I am bringing awareness to the signs of PTSD and that there is help available as well as enabling the sufferers the knowledge of what tools are available for them. Family and friends of veterans will be able to see and understand their loved ones in this film. This was my first acquisition in opening my production company. I am also seeking investors/financing to produce my film(s).

HarLau Productions’ mission statement is to develop, finance, produce and distribute Feature Films and Short Films, including Web Series, that deal in various genres. This will be done by purchasing screenplays from writers around the country and possibly the globe. Writers are very good at their craft and I intend to have their stories told. HarLau Productions’ aim is to ensure that its films are viewed by mass market global audiences and to return profits to the film’s investors and all its profit participants. My intention is to be working on films that not only offer entertainment to the viewing audience but that also have a purposeful mission.

I am also Executive Producing a Feature Film with a $6.5MM budget with a production company located in Utah.

I have been fortunate enough to have private investors in my projects, that believe in me as well as my mission statement.

I feel it is key and paramount to ensure that my crew and talent are paid for their time and effort to assist with my projects that I feel have meat on the bone.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I don’t believe that I have anything surprising that most people who know me might not know about me. I don’t exercise; I LOATHE it. I smoke daily. Not a pack, but I do smoke. I like a good bourbon. I drop the ‘F’ bomb a LOT. I crack jokes and laugh a LOT. Oh, I got a good one, I tailgate when I drive, not sure why I do it, it just happens. I’m from Boston, it must be in our DNA. Hmmmnnn, I do get mad quite easily and while it’s difficult for me to curb my anger, I’ve learned to be professional about it (is that a thing?).

Contact Info:

• Email: plauzon@harlauproductions.com
• Website: HarLauProductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulalauzonofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarLauProductions313
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauzonPaula
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp2o2oNzPmlnY5Net4Jc6pA/about
• Other: paulalauzon.com

Image Credits
@Glucerna (unknown) Remainder are BTS @SheldonBotlerPhotography