Rising Stars: Meet Roxanne Griffith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanne Griffith.

Hi Roxanne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Ottawa, Canada and moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to attend the American Film Institute Conservatory, and got my MFA in Producing in 2021. While in school, I produced multiple short films and started to build up my network both in and outside of AFI. I continued making shorts after graduating and also worked on the children’s web shows “Blippi”, “T-Rex Ranch”, and “MyGo!” as a Unit Production Manager and Associate Producer.

Alright, 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?
Coming into AFI, I had only made one short film before so there was definitely a learning curve to filmmaking. I had never worked with unions before or with crews larger than 10 people, so it was initially a challenge to learn how to best work on set and lead a crew. Managing the interests of the different departments along with the director’s vision is a skill that I am always building on each project. Then with the pandemic, there was a lot we all had to adjust to and learn about on-set production in order to keep working but to also keep everyone as safe as possible. I’ve had to handle positive Covid cases on set multiple times, and each occurrence was unique in the challenges that it brought to the production.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My main interest lies in working with writers and directors who I feel have an interesting story to tell and a unique perspective. I love knowing why a director/writer wants to tell this particular story and then finding a way to connect to the story and characters. It helps me as a producer to understand the story and characters so I can better help the director execute their vision.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success is being able to work on the projects that interest me and to have those projects be financially successful. Often, they do not go hand in hand, so I aim to be at a place in my career where I can focus on the projects I want to and on the directors/writers who inspire me. My goal is to be able to work creatively with a director/writer to develop the story according to their vision and to have the financial support to do so.

Contact info:

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10435000/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxygriffith/?hl=en
• Email Address: [email protected]

Image Credits
Saksham Gumber, Malcolm Bodon, Ariel Skovera