Today we’d like to introduce you to Winter Dunn. We interviewed Winter as part of our collaboration with Platonic. You can learn more about the cast and crew here.
Winter, we’d love for you to kick things off for us with a bit of background on yourself (personally and professionally) and how you got to where you are today.
I’m an actress turned director/producer. I moved to Los Angeles in 2015 after graduating from drama school at Fordham University in New York City. When I first got to LA it was hard for me as an actress. I realized it was a very different animal from working in the theater so I began working on set. That’s when things really started falling into place. I was blessed to find some great mentors that helped me navigate the industry and I started working pretty quickly. I’ve collaborated with several production companies in the digital space working as both producer and director for short form content, web series and short films. I produced my first feature film called Jezebel that just world premiered at SXSW. My acting career is also soaring. I’m seeing that my experience behind the camera has made me so comfortable in audition rooms and on set.
We’d love to hear about you experience working on Platonic. How did you connect with Moni and why did you decide to work with her on Platonic?
Moni connected with me pretty early when she was still working on the script. From there we began developing the overall tone and trajectory of the show. This project was fun for me because I was working with a blank slate. I got to establish the visual aesthetic and do what I thought was fun. I decided to come on board because I loved the characters. In many ways I’ve been Brea and so directing this project felt very natural to me.
Can you tell us more about being a director? What’s the hardest part? What’s the best part? Are there certain experiences or lessons you learned earlier in your career that have shaped the kind of director you are today?
The hardest part of directing for me, is being able to look ahead at the final project. I have to really sit and watch the piece in my mind to help navigate the best way to make decisions on set. The best part is the collaboration. Our team is the reason this show is successful. There isn’t one person who can take full credit for this show. A huge example of that would be our post-production supervisor and 1st AD Lauren Heavrin. Lauren brought so much creativity to this piece and brought out the best in everyone. I can’t count how many scenes she saved in the edit or how many performance were enhanced by her. She’s someone I want to continue working with throughout my career. If there’s one thing I’ve learned is that the team is everything. In the past I thought, I just want to work. It doesn’t matter with who. Now I’m seeing that the best work comes when there’s trust in the room. I only want to work with people I trust and who feed the creativity. If you find a great tribe there’s no stopping you.
Any advice for those who might be hoping to follow in your footsteps one day?
Find your people. Be tenacious. Be flexible. It’s not going to happen the way you thought it would and that’s okay.
