BTS from set of short film Professional Fluff – December 3, 2020
Amid COVID-19, this is a challenging time for filmmakers. I am grateful the shoot for short film Professional Fluff, written and directed by myself, Briana M. Andrews, was able to take place without a hitch. The shoot took place in Alexandria, VA over the course of two days. The entire cast and crew were willing participants with coronavirus testing and associated safety measures. The production also included an on-set COVID manager and ample PPE.
I’d like to extend a special thanks to all of the following individuals:
AD: Elon Riley
DP: Brandon Wilkerson
AC: Megan Sims
Mixer: Richard Schertzer
Gaffer: Allen Mays
COVID Officer: Josh Lowrey
Lead Actress: Kathleenah Accilien
I cannot wait to share the finished product! As always, I appreciate your continued support. In the meantime, below are some behind the scenes photos with the film crew.
June 2019 was an action-packed month! One of the most memorable events I had the pleasure of being involved with this month was the screening of Heroic Episodes and The Shades. These short films were both directed by Lisa Regina, the founder of A Write to Heal, a 501(c)(3) organization. The cast consisted of military veterans, and the screening took place the weekend after Memorial Day.
Below are some photos I took at the event:
In the month leading up to the event I assisted with grassroots marketing efforts and used both Canva and desktop publishing software to design a 16-page program / theater booklet with cast bios, sponsors, advertisers and more. I also handled BTS / event photography and edited a photo-story and video collage for socials. The premiere took place on June 4, 2019 at the historic Broadway Theater in Pitman, NJ.
I received a referral for this opportunity from Professor Rachael Shapiro, a Writing Arts, Research and Technology professor at Rowan University who taught my New Media Practicum / senior seminar course. Lisa Regina is a professional actress and coach by-trade. Her partnership with Bridging the Gap helps soldiers with communication skills and confidence building for reintegration into society after deployment. To learn more about Lisa Regina, these film projects, or her acting classes visit her website.
Briana M. Andrews with Inspimind staff at the Alliance Latino Youth Leadership Conference May 16, 2019
In recent weeks, I worked as the Director of Photography (DP) for the Fifth Annual Alliance Latino Youth Leadership Conference. I supervised the interns, camera and light crew for the one-day, multi-cam shoot (currently in post). This event was co-sponsored by Inspimind and took place at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. This year’s theme was “Rompiendo Barreras” (breaking through). The conference was open to high school students of Latino heritage and consisted of workshops about success, overcoming life hurdles, financing college and getting scholarships.
Group photograph at Alliance Latino Youth Leadership Conference at FDU Madison
Last year, I worked at Inspimind as an intern in Film Production and Multimedia. In that capacity, I assisted with pre-production, onsite production, and post-production (editing and debrief meetings). Other responsibilities included recording and editing footage, photography, assisting with the planning & scheduling of production shoots, and collaborating with the Content Development team. I connected with Inspimind, not only as an employee, but on a personal level because I value their mission and witnessed firsthand all the amazing work they do in the community as an educational services non-profit. I started out as an intern, but when I received the call to come back this year for a paid freelance opportunity supervising their new 2019 interns at the Alliance Latino Youth Leadership Conference, I jumped at the chance. It was an amazing event! Learn more about Inspimind.
CREW – To Each, Her Throne – (L-R) Danielle Privat, Morgan Jones, Briana M. Andrews, Alicia Allen
Here are some behind-the-scenes shots from To Each, Her Throne. I am incredibly excited and thankful for the opportunity to Produce this series. I am pleased with how everything turned out thus far; our guests were amazing and I cannot wait to share this project with the world. Check out these BTS pics from the shoot by Photographer, Victoria Lewis @veedotk.
CREW – To Each, Her Throne – (L-R) Morgan Jones, Giovanni Jackson
HATTIE – To Each, Her Throne – Season One Cast Member
MARLEY NICOLE – To Each, Her Throne – Season One Cast Member
ASHLEY KELLEY – To Each, Her Throne – Season One Cast Member
MOJO DISCO – To Each, Her Throne – Season One Cast Member
YEWA – To Each, Her Throne – Season One Cast Member with Director Danielle Privat
Read more about the TEHT project, cast and crew => #ToEachHerThrone
Celebratory Crowd Photo from Women’s Weekend Film Challenge (New York) Official Screenings at the Museum of Moving Image. Photos by Terrence Hamilton, April 18, 2019.
In April 2019, I had the pleasure of being selected to participate in the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge in New York. My crew, Team Banks created Daughters of Solanas which was screened at the Museum of Moving Image. I detailed my personal experience from that night here, but wanted to share some of the incredible images captured at the event from Photographer, Terrence Hamilton – @theimagetaker
Last night, we finished shooting season one of To Each, Her Throne. TEHT is a female-centric docuseries where diverse women participate in discourse about preferences, views and struggles in today’s society. This project was partially funded by an IndieGogo campaign which secured over $2000 from 44 backers. Each episode will focus on a different obstacles and how it affects the everyday life of a woman. Learn more about the project here. Visit the Instagram account here.
To Each, Her Throne – Docuseries Graphic
Below, meet some of the talented women behind To Each, Her Throne.
Giovanni Jackson is the DP on To Each, Her Throne.
Giovanni Jackson – Director of Photography – To Each, Her Throne
Giovanni is an NYU Tisch alumni who majored in film and television. Her passion is being a writer and videographer. She also loves to travel and make new experiences for storytelling.
Julie Gribble is a Producer on To Each, Her Throne.
Julie Gribble – Producer, To Each, Her Throne
After 19 years and 2 Emmy nominations in sound mixing, Julie left a successful career at NBC Universal to launch New York Media Works, LLC, a creative production company which provides content for New Media, Film, Television, Theater and Publishing and creates “street docs” – short films that document citizen action. As a screenwriter and independent filmmaker with strong storytelling skills and technical ability, she provides narrative fiction and documentary content for NYMW projects. Her specialties include writing, directing, and producing narrative films.
Morgan Jones is the Sound Mixer on To Each, Her Throne.
Morgan Jones – Sound Mixer, To Each, Her Throne
Morgan is a sound artist from Milwaukee. She loves to record, mix and edit sound. She also loves experimental cinema.
Victoria Lewis is the Gaffer on To Each, Her Throne
Victoria Lewis – Gaffer. To Each, Her Throne
Victoria Lewis is a New York based creative: photographer/lighting tech. As a photographer she specializes in portraits of young people of color. She upholds a high level of sensitivity for her subjects, and high attention to detail to achieve accurate skin coloring. This plays right into her work as a video lighting tech, in which she blends colors to create great lighting for skin. She also focuses on storytelling via color. Victoria currently works at a digital media company as a studio manager, and her biggest goal is sharing her knowledge as a visual artist with the youth.
Here is the 3rd and final installment of Behind the Scenes – Meet the Team from Daughters of Solanas. If you missed the last post, check it out by clicking here. You can also visit the Instagram and Facebook pages. Be on the lookout for upcoming posts to Meet the Team Behind Female-Centric Docuseries, To Each, Her Throne produced by BibbyFame Digital, LLC’s own Briana M. Andrews.
Angele Cooper, Director – Daughters of Solanas.
Angele Cooper is the Director of Daughters of Solanas. Angele is the co-founder of Alpha Female Films and the only African American female union electrician working within IATSE’s New York Local 52. She stays abreast of the latest technology and tools and has played many roles from Gaffer to Best Boy. She developed a love for film and writing while attending the University of Texas at Austin on a full athletic scholarship. Her recent credits include Gotham (Fox), Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party, and Day 5 (Rooster Teeth).
Jennifer Liu, First Camera Assistant – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Jennifer Liu is the 1st AC for Daughters of Solanas. Born and raised in Queens, NY, Jennifer got her start by teaching Photography. She was trained on 16mm and DP’ed her first film at 16. She is also a talented gaffer, 1st and 2nd AC. She has DP’ed over a half dozen projects as half of the Take Two XX Duo. You can learn more about Jennifer by visiting www.TakeTwoXX.com
Mayunah Kelly, 2nd AC – Daughters of Solanas
Mayunah Kelly is the 2nd AC for Daughters of Solanas. She is an aspiring DP from Orange, NJ who freelances as a photographer. She is also a graduating senior at Montclair State University. She grew up in Orange, NJ. Few fun facts at Mayunah: She hates cheese but loves pizza.
Asha Smith, Make Up – Daughters of Solanas.
Asha Smith is the MUA who handled Make Up for Daughters of Solanas. Her experience is so extensive, it’s difficult for her to summarize, however … you can visit her website, www.facesbyasha.com for a comprehensive overview containing bio, reel and portfolio. Fun fact about Asha: She has hardcore aerial hobbies: Lyra, Fabrics, Pole.
Briana Andrews, BTS Photo / Video & Socials – Daughters of Solanas
Briana M. Andrews handles BTS Photo / Video and Social Media for the Daughters of Solanas. The owner of BibbyFame Digital, LLC, Briana freelances in photography, videography and editing. She also works as a studio photographer in a retail setting and is a graduating senior at Rowan University. Fun fact about Briana: She loves sushi and tacos.
Briana M. Andrews at George’s Kaufman Astoria Studios after the screening of Daughter’s of Solanas at the Museum of Moving Image
I had an incredible time working on Daughters of Solanas with the talented Team Banks cast and crew for the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge. Creating a film with a diverse group of women in each role above-the-line and below-the-line was something on my filmmaker bucket list for quite some time.
Our dramedy-short film premiered at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria, New York on Thursday, April 18, 2019 with an after-party at George’s at Kaufman Astoria Studios. I’m proud of our work and can’t wait for the festival submissions to see this project really take flight. I’m Producer for To Each, Her Throne which is another project with an all-female cast and crew, slated for shoot next weekend.
Increasing diversity in storytelling, inclusion and representation in TV/Film are causes near and dear to my heart, and also a major part of our mission here at BibbyFame Digital, LLC. I am grateful for having the opportunity to work with so many skilled and experienced women in the industry.
Women’s Weekend Film Challenge Official Screening Program Guide
Museum of Moving Image Main Theater with Women’s Weekend Film Challenge Graphic
The film, Daughters of Solanas is now complete and on IMDb. I am credited under Camera and Electrical Equipment for my work on the set handling BTS. I also manage the social media presence for the film; you can read about this in the previous blog post. The screening for Daughters of Solanas will take place next week at the Museum of Moving Image. Here are a few photos I took of the crew, which consisted of 27 women. Bravo!
Director Angele Cooper and DP Jodi Savitz – Photo by Briana M. Andrews – April 5, 2019
Jennifer Liu First Camera Assistant – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Actress Alexis Floyd on set – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019
Actresses Rebbekah Vega-Romero, McKenzie Mayle and Malinda Logan – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Team Banks Cast and Crew for Daughters of Solanas – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Writer Chantel Simpson placing finishing touches on script – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019
Daughters of Solanas, Film Graphic – designed by Rachel Fischman of Planet Papaya
Creating the dramedy, Daughters of Solonas was an incredible experience and I’m excited about our screening next week at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria, NY. One of the items on my filmmaker bucket list was to work on a film with an all-female cast and crew. This month, I will have the opportunity to complete that, twice over. The Women’s Weekend Film Challenge bought together women from all walks of life … different races, different socio-economic statuses, different religions, different education levels … complete strangers, all coming together with the common objective of creating a short, in a really short period of time. The footage looks amazing, the film was submitted, the screening is next week and at a later date, the festival submission activities will commence.
Personally, I would like to thank Tracy Sayre and
Katrina Medoff for their work organizing the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge,
and for all of their efforts for women in film.
They emphasize how much representation and diversity matter. These are causes that are obviously very close
to my heart. Some of the challenge
sponsors include RED cameras, Gotham Sound, IDX, Zeiss Lenses, AbelCine Brooklyn
Lighting and Grip, Lightbulb Grip and Electric and Below the Line.
I handled BTS photo / video on this project. I also created and manage the socials. Check out and follow @DaughtersofSolanas on Instagram and Facebook. A photo-story BTS montage can be found below. I’ll be sharing some video of the crew (Team Banks) in action in the near future, stay tuned.
60-second social-video containing behind-the-scenes stills photography montage for Daughters of Solanas by Briana M. Andrews
BibbyFame Digital, LLC: Photo, Film & Interactive Media 