Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Combe.
Caitlin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am from Ireland, but I was born and raised in South East Asia. I have lived in Singapore, Venezuela, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tibet, and the US. This multicultural upbringing has had a huge impact on who I am and how I navigate my work life. I went to Emerson College in Boston and graduated out in LA with a BA in film production. I interned at FilmNation Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures. I then began working at Management 360. Working there taught me so much, so quickly about the entertainment world here in Log Angeles. It is so vastly different from the worlds I grew up in. I was so grateful for the people I got to meet and the connections I made during my few months there. At the time, I started to feel disconnected from what I was truly passionate about and that I wasn’t opening myself up to experiences the way I used to. Having grown up with constant change and movement in my life, making big life decisions comes pretty naturally. Thankfully this next decision ended up becoming the most incredible two years of my life. I began producing the web series “Twenty” that my girlfriend, Lily Richards, wrote, directed and starred in. At first, this was purely a passion project, but we quickly discovered that we were creating a show that was approachable and relatable to both the LGBTQ community and the non-LGBTQ community. With an international fan base growing, this became a full-time job. We have met so many incredible people and had so many phenomenal experiences through the show. It highlighted to me that I am someone who thrives in the unknown and that being surrounded by individuals who like to take the road less traveled is so important in today’s world.
Has it been a smooth road?
Considering everything, it has been a surprisingly smooth road. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that I have the perfect business partner to take everything on with. Lily’s skill set is completed different to me which means it’s easy to split up what we both do, but it also meant that we had two very different perspectives coming together on every challenge we had. Working with almost no money can be incredibly difficult. It means that you have to let your crew and cast prioritize their paid work, which means scheduling filming, photoshoot, and additional content can be very tricky. One thing that really helped us overcome this struggle was having honest conversations and allowing everyone involved to see their voice come through in “Twenty.” Reaching goals with others is so much more rewarding than reaching them alone.
So let’s switch gears a bit and tell us more about your work.
As a film producer on a low budget independent show like “Twenty,” I am in charge of everything logistical. This includes locations, shooting schedules, call sheets, craft services, on set problem solving, hosting premiere parties, uploading the episodes to Youtube, running the social media, reaching out to press, submitting to film festivals and scouting out networking opportunities. What sets our show apart is the fact that it is an LGBTQ show that is not about being LGBTQ, rather it is about being in your twenties and learning that other peoples successes aren’t your failures and that everyone finds their path in life through an eclectic collection of experiences. Due to this, we had a lot of our fans tell us that they watch our show with their friends and family as a way to come out and connect with them.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Honestly, the digital world is moving so fast in so many different directions I couldn’t tell you. Clearly, short-form digital series are on the rise. What I am most excited to see is how Hollywood is slowly merging into the tech world. This excites me because the opportunities are abundant and the choice of how you showcase and make your content is so vast that the world is connecting on a much more rapid rate.
Contact Info:
- Website: youtube.com/twentythewebseries
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/caitlinacombe
Image Credit:
Nydia Hartono
