Meet Jessica Ramirez of Film Gals in Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ramirez.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I studied Journalism at the University of Texas and decided early on. I was going to move to the West Coast. Although Los Angeles wasn’t really part of the plan, I decided to give it a shot through an internship program sponsored by the University of Texas. It was the best decision I’ve made. I quickly fell in love with the city and its pace and the fact that opportunities were abundant here.

I knew no one in LA, so I immediately started networking and interviewing for jobs to establish new relationships and demonstrate my work ethic. A month into my internship program in LA I attended a conference and met my now dear friend and colleague, Sandra Varona. I truly believe my life changed for the best that day. In Sandra, I found a mentor and friend, and she graciously taught me the ropes of producing content.

This led me to move away from a career in journalism and put me on the path to becoming a producer. We always have these conversations and/or meetings where we share ideas and expand on concepts or goals, and she came up with Film Gals as a platform for women behind the camera to connect and share new and noteworthy subjects.

We discussed how we always work with women who are rockstars at their craft and decided to showcase these incredible people and host gatherings to spread ideas and network! And that is how Film Gals came about!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I like to think that if you aren’t struggling, then you aren’t making progress. I believe that progress and accomplishing anything comes from struggles and finally overcoming them. Struggles lead to success and accomplishments! That isn’t to say you should always be struggling because it always leads to success.

A struggle is more like a spark! It should ignite your will to persevere and to rally resources and build a community to support your endeavors—which in turn helps you overcome obstacles and get past the struggles. This is a long-winded way of saying no, it hasn’t been a smooth road but I accept any and all challenges because each time they teach me something new about myself and my capabilities.

The major struggle right now is allocating time for the passion projects and levels we want to take Film Gals to. We’ve discussed some fun plans for this platform/network in 2019, so now it’s just about figuring out logistics and execution—especially in the midst of our chaotic jobs, productions in development and balancing our work with our personal lives.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Film Gals – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a producer. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to bring several short films, features, music videos and branded content to life! Every day I’m grateful that I have the pleasure of saying that! I’m passionate and invested in bringing these unique stories and/or points of view to life!

Every day may not be rainbows and butterflies, but there is a silver lining to each decision and each project I have the opportunity of collaborating on. With Film Gals our hope and mission is to elevate the work, story and style of these talented women in the entertainment industry and give them a space to share and collaborate.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
This year, Film Gals is looking forward to more gatherings. It is these events that inspire change, evoke thought and elicit conversations and we can’t wait to host new panels, mixers, and collaborations! I also just wrapped principal photography on a short film titled City Lights which focuses on three separate Latinx stories in the city of Los Angeles.

We are moving into post-production and creating a timeline for our film festival submissions and strategy. I’m quite proud of this film because of how much passion, kindness and dedication went into it from everyone involved and even beyond that group of people. The crowdfunding campaign donors, locations representatives, vendors, crew and cast were all instrumental in putting this unique story together.

The way everything came together so generously and nicely in such a short turnaround, I just can’t describe in words the gratitude I feel. I’m also writing scripts on my own and with my colleague Sandra that we will either shop around or produce ourselves. This year will be a jam-packed one for sure!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmgals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/filmgals
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/filmgals

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