Meet Susan Lambert Hatem of 134 West in Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Lambert Hatem.

Susan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a writer, producer and director originally from Decatur, GA now based in Pasadena, CA.

Back in Georgia, I told my high school college counselor, I wanted to be a director. And she thought I meant a camp director, but I meant film director. And she said, “I have no idea how to help you.” So I did my own research (pre-internet) and I got into USC School of Cinematic Arts – Came out to California, went to film school and spent my 20s making movies, tv, music videos, anything I could do. Had some success and a lot of failures, but I found myself drawn to more indie work, which of course, pays terribly.

So I got real broke, got sued by an unstable producer for trying to leave an unpaid project, then took a “real job” and spent eight years at Walt Disney Studios, ending up as Director of Creative Content in marketing. Produced over 100 digital movie campaigns for Disney and Touchstone films, including Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Incredibles, The Chronicles of Narnia and O Brother, Where Art Thou? I then was a high-level consultant for studios and agencies and it was a great experience, but my heart is in independent film and theatre. So I started my company, 134 West and started developing and producing projects I love.

I am passionate about stories that seem traditional but are unexpectedly subversive. 134 West develops and produces independent theatre, film and digital content. Our mission is to create new work, promote diverse voices, tell great stories for all ages and develop the voices of talented people in the early stages of their careers. I strive to make sure my productions are gender-balanced and inclusive.

Though I have eclectic tastes, my favorite projects are female-driven and explore questions of gender, power and love. I work on everything from smart family entertainment to gender-bending historical dramas and dark thrillers.

I like to be in the place between the fringe and the mainstream. Working at the beginning of digital marketing, I found out how much I like to build something from almost nothing. I got to help invent digital marketing at Disney, which was very exciting. As a creator, I like to find the boundary of a thing and then take one step outside it. I prefer stories where you can see the forest and the trees. I think it is because I am both an introvert and an extrovert. I can spend a lot of time writing or editing alone in my office, but I also love production, where you’re just in the midst and thick of things -collaborating with all sorts of different people and artists.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think many people have a smooth road if they feel a need to go far from where they start. My grandmother used to say, everyone has a bag of rocks to carry. When I started at USC and then in Hollywood, there were not a lot of women doing what I wanted to do. We faced a lot of sexism in film school and beyond. And film students of color faced shocking amounts of racism. I guess it wasn’t shocking to them, but as a kid from the South, I assumed that since Los Angeles was more diverse, it was less racist. I was wrong.

Being in entertainment is challenging enough, but unexpected prejudice and bigotry can just stop you in your tracks. There was a small moment early in my career, but I will always remember it. The producer in the next room, was arguing with the other producer that I shouldn’t be paid for my first draft – per my contract, and yelled out, loud enough so I was sure to hear it, “Who does that girl think she is?” It should have made me angry, but it made me feel small.

I often felt I was hacking and paving the road I was trying to walk as a young filmmaker and writer. I was broke and felt unsure and faced a lot of rejection, but I had success as well. Hollywood likes to kill you with enthusiasm. Love your work, but never actually hand you a check. I have so many stories where I was “this close” to a movie deal and then it just wouldn’t happen. Or drag on so long, that all the fun and financial benefit was sucked dry. However, I’ve also had privileges and some lucky moments that others didn’t have. My bag of rocks is heavier than some, lighter than others.

What I’ve found works for me is realizing that success is not a destination – a final place where “Ah! I have it all.” What you want is just more road ahead of you. Being successful means, you get to keep going. You get to make the next thing. The amazing opportunity about living right now is that access to creative tools is readily available for most of us. You can make a movie on your phone. You can create a piece of theatre in a parking lot. You can self-publish your book from a public library. If a big studio or platform tells you no, you can often say, “Okay, I’ll make it myself.” You can give yourself the “yes” you need.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about 134 West – what should we know?
I’m really proud that 134 West has helped develop projects that might normally have not been given a chance at a bigger platform. I’m proud of Bend in the Road: The Anne of Green Gables Musical that we took to New York to great success. It is a beautiful show. I’m proud of Ty the Pie Guy, which won Best Family web series at the Vancouver Film Festival and is now in development as a feature film.

We have a mission to be a positive force in the community, so we were excited to help produce Homeward LA the past two years, which uses storytelling to raise awareness and money to help solve the homelessness crisis in our city. Our projects strive to have gender parity and be inclusive in our casting and crew decisions.

The ethics of our business is important to me. We recently made the decision to stop our Facebook advertising. That is going to be tough. For small productions, it’s the easiest and most effective place to advertise. They built an amazing platform. But their practices are wrong and I believe dangerous. We’re a small business, so Facebook won’t care. But they won’t get any more money from 134 West until they change.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’ve learned how to be more confident in my work and in sharing my work. That’s difficult. And I’ve learned better how to listen to that little inner voice – that can be so hard to hear – when she says “Yes, say yes.” or “No. Stay away.” And most importantly, I amplify that voice when she says, “Good. Keep going.”

Contact Info:

• Website: http://susanlamberthatem.com
• Email: Susan@134West.biz
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/134west
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/134West
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/134_west
• Other: https://134west.biz

Image Credit:
Ashly Covington, Ramsey Lyric, Richard Hillman

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