Today we’d like to introduce you to Pinar Binay.
Hi Pinar, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hey, thank you for inviting me for the interview! These days, I’m working on a new short film, a dark comedy fairytale, but I’ll take you to the beginning. My journey as a creative producer started all the way across the globe in a small town called Biga in Turkey. I’ve always been fascinated with entertainment, and even as a child, I’d write “scripts” for my friends and me to act in and would record them with a home video camera.
Later in high school, my passion for filmmaking grew stronger and shifted more towards behind-the-scenes. Then, when I was 17, I got into Tisch’s summer program, and it was the first time I realized the multicultural perspective I brought to the table and the importance of it. During that time, I fell in love with New York and the film scene in the city. And soon, I got into the undergrad film program at NYU, which changed everything.
During my first semester of college, I learned about producing, and it felt very right to my skill set and personality. That said, at the time, producers were only seen as glorified PAs at school, and people didn’t understand the creative aspects. It’s one of the reasons that I still call myself a creative producer today and actively advocate for the importance of having a dedicated and skillful producer. So, as a freshman, I jumped into the opportunity to produce thesis films for seniors. While on the side, I did a bunch of internships and really dived into the development world. Ultimately, my next step after graduation was to understand the business better. So, I packed and moved to LA.
I started at Entertainment 360 (formerly known as Management 360) a week after graduation and worked on a double desk for two lit managers. It was definitely challenging but also extremely rewarding. I got to workshop scripts with working writers, sit in on note sessions, casting meetings, and many more. That’s also when I got my first assistant to producer credit; what a rollercoaster.
Now almost two years out of school, I’m back to producing full-time and working with a newly formed production company, Rainy Day Entertainment. We are preparing our first short film and the company’s launch. At Rainy Day, we focus on deep curiosity and a childlike spirit of play in our approach to projects. At the same time, some projects I produced last year are making their rounds at various film festivals, which I’m very excited about.
Now I spend my days meeting up-and-coming writers and directors, reading material, and focusing on building a slate of short and feature-length projects.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a creative, it’s always a challenging road! However, I enjoy (mostly) every second of it, haha. There are two ongoing struggles; the first is the matter of taste. Understanding what you like and cultivating it is an ongoing process that never stops. Taste is one of the most crucial things that sets you apart in the industry, so I’m continuously reading and watching content to hone my taste. So far, I summarize what I like as genre-bending stories which break stereotypes.
Secondly, it’s the reality of paying the bills. I was lucky that my first job out of college was steady and taught me a lot. Now, I have a part-time job that still allows me to practice my skills as a producer. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was if you want to produce, you gotta produce something every day, even if it’s for a little bit.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Long story short, I’m a creative producer. I always say it with a grain of salt because all producers are creative. However, it emphasizes my passion for joining a project early on and seeing it through to the end. You will rarely see someone who wants to do paperwork but also wants to read every single draft of your script.
Over the years, I have built a network of writers and directors with whom I work continuously on different projects. This helps us build trust and develop our careers together. Of course, I still meet new people and accept new projects, but I take pride in building ongoing collaborations where I get to know someone’s brand early on.
I’m also very proud of my approach of “everything is possible.” I’m a big supporter of self enabling. Following the wise words of Charles D. King, who is the founder of MACRO and a big role model for me, you got to put in the effort and continue creating instead of waiting for someone to discover you. My go-getter mentally took me to productions across the globe, from Spain to Turkey, and I appreciate it deeply.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people don’t know about my passion for film festivals. It started back in Turkey, and my love grows greater every year. In high school, I founded a film festival for French high schools across Turkey. Later, while living in New York, I was on the organization team for New York Turkish Film Festival. I joined them as a volunteer and climbed up to festival coordinator. I’m an active attendee of the Sundance Film Festival, which is my favorite film festival in the States. I’m also on the programming committee for Santa Barbara Film Festival and screen films for them. As you can see, I like them quite a lot. I closely watch line-ups, and seeing people break into the industry through the way of festivals is a big joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rainydayentertainment.com
- Instagram: @binaypinar
- Other: www.rainydayentertainment.com
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Jerome A. Shaw (IG @photosbyrome)
