Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

I started out performing improv and sketch comedy for years before I started acting in film. Eventually I got into filmmaking and formed “Call it a Whim Productions;” bringing relatable comedy into film; I try to infuse improv in scenes whenever possible.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

I don’t try to create based on what I think people want. I create content based on what I want, and based on what I’ve experienced.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

People can check out my production company’s web site: www.callitawhimproductions.com

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

I won for “General – Comedy” for my feature film “Wallie’s Gals.” It all started from a discussion online about having more comedy footage for demo reels. I had mentioned that I didn’t have a lot of recent footage and other women chimed in on how they’d like to do more comedy. So I said, “I’ll write us a script!” And the script started. It evolved from a short script about women reuniting over dinner in a restaurant (30 years after working together in a discount clothing store callled “Wallie’s Big Deals”) to something that had more character development.

I suddenly got invested in these characters and wrote scenes with the 80s versions of these characters. I actually wrote a separate 40 page pilot with just the 80s versions of these characters! I didn’t produce the pilot but it really did help me flesh these characters out more. I think character development is so important and helps an audience get more invested in your project.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

I am proud that I finished it! The year we started filming (2019) I was temping and making very little money. I felt very overwhelmed and stressed that year. There were many hurdles definitely, including financial. I think being a veteran of being on film sets taught me what could go wrong and how not to do things when things change unexpectedly. So I kept my cool and compromised as much as I could, and learned some skills so I could help with the process of completing the project. I think being an actor I know now it feels when a project you act in stays incomplete. I have several projects that I acted in where I have no clue where they stand. So I think that lit my fire to do whatever I could to finish. Before it was done if people came to me for footage I gave it to them. This project started as a way for for people to get more comedic footage for their demo reels. I just kept reminding myself of that so I could do my best in completing it.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

Just create Art. If you can’t afford to get a full crew and post production people, learn as much on your own. If you love the craft things will come easier to you.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

I had an online fundraiser to help raise money for the film. There was a woman in NYC that purchased a speaking role in the film for her daughter. So the daughter (Cathie Theofanis, who plays a patron of Wallie’s Big Deals back in the 80s) travelled from Queens, NY to Warren, RI and got her speaking role. I was just so tickled by that.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

I really loved a review from Rome Prisma Film Awards, they really seemed to “hit the nail on the head.” Here is a snippet:

Equal parts nostalgic and irreverent, this is a film that reminds us the past is never as far behind as we think—and that the people who knew us “back then” might still be the ones who know us best.

Don’t miss the deal — it’s weird, warm, and just right. Full review here.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… starting from the inside out.