In honor of the 45th anniversary for the Women of Film & Video of Washington, DC, the Strategic Communications Committee, which I am a member and the Chairperson for, created a panel discussion that was held on September 10th called, “Protecting the Gains Women Have Made.” It focused on the current negative trend to erase the accomplishments of women and how we can ensure that underrepresented voices continue to be heard.
We organized talented panelists who were trailblazers in their concentrations in the media industry. They were: the panelists were:
Dr. Sheila Brooks, an accomplished entrepreneur, author, Emmy-award winning journalist, and expert in marketing, media, communications and public relations. She is founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, which specializes in creating and executing brand awareness, outreach and public education campaigns. In her storied career, she has received some of the most prestigious awards and recognition in the industry. Among them are two Emmys and The Washington Association of Black Journalists created the Dr. Sheila Brooks Community Impact Award – presented each year to a local business leader or organization that demonstrates an outstanding dedication to community service.
The first woman ever to be nominated for an Emmy® for television direction, Joan Darling. She was nominated four times winning both the Emmy® and the DGA Award. She is considered the first woman director of the modern age. She directed the “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, which was named “the number one TV episode of all time” by TV Guide and “the funniest episode ever on TV” by The New York Times. Joan created the Directing the Actor workshop for the Sundance institute and has taught directing at the Sundance Lab for 30+ years.
Abby Greensfelder is the founder and CEO of Everywoman Studios, a full-service media company with a mission to tell female-focused and -driven stories, creating positive cultural impact. It was founded to address the massive gender gap in the media ecosystem via high-quality and commercial content. The company’s first feature doc, LFG, chronicles the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay. She was the co-founder of Half Yard Productions, an award-winning production company specializing in non-fiction series and documentaries, including the global hit franchise SAY YES TO THE DRESS (TLC), HOW THE STATES GOT THEIR SHAPES (History), and the critically acclaimed THE LAST ALASKANS (Discovery).
Megan Holley was named one of Variety’s 10 Screenwriter’s to watch in 2005. Her screenplay, SUNSHINE CLEANING, was made into a feature film starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin. SUNSHINE CLEANING screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. She is based in Richmond, VA and continues to write for film and television.
Along with moderator and a member of WIFV’s Strategic Communications Committee, Connie St. John who has been an industry executive for more than 30 years. She began her entertainment career in publicity at Columbia TriStar Television in Los Angeles. She then joined Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in Atlanta then joined Harpo Productions, managing PR for Oprah Winfrey. In 1999, Connie founded her production company No Weapon Productions, which produces family friendly entertainment for the screen and stage. Connie has written and produced more than 100 stage plays and skits, and her first short film THE MESSAGE screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Connie returned to Washington, DC in 2019 and established a consulting company, the St. John Consulting Group, through which she works with cultural influencers.
Connie began with asking, “What was your proudest moment looking back in your career?”
Joan shared that during her time, there was no female director but she was being encouraged to direct. Her first passion was acting so she decided to direct for one year and then go back to acting. It didn’t work out that way. Over her career, she, as I had pointed out, coached directing and remembered when one woman came up to her, expressing how her life has changed after taking her workshop. That woman is, Lesli Linka Glatter, the President of the Director’s Guild of America. So that example makes her think of all the progress that has been made over the decades since when it was just Joan directing to all the women and diverse directors were inspired by her actions and her workshop.
Abby shared that for her, the prodest moment was for her courage to leave a corporate job at Discovery and start her own production company, Half Yard Productions. She sold that company and had the courage again to start again with Everywoman Studios.
Sheila knew that she was doing what no one else in her family was doing, she started in documentaries, and enjoyed it but when someone she trained became her boss, she decided, to quit and started SRB.
Megan explains that it is important to celebrate each minor win because it’s such a tough industry. But, that first job getting paid though, “That feeling someone is going to pay me…I am a screenwriter!”
Connie also asked for strategies when undoubtedly there are times someone would give push back because of their gender.
Abby said, first understand people will give you pushback, underestimate you and then listen to it, file it and learn how you can use and leverage it for your own gain. She shared a few ways she was able to do that for herself as examples.
Sheila said meet the challenge, face head on, then kill them with kindness by showing what you can do.
For the moment we were all worrying about, Connie asked, “Do you think efforts will be successful to erase women’s contributions?”
Sheila began that she speaks as a black woman, she believes it will not because racially and gender wise, “we’ve been fighting the good fight for centuries” and there there have been many instances before where there were efforts to stifle similar efforts and it had not worked.
Megan shared that when she is in meetings for film and tv projects, women are already in the power seats, making decisions, proving women are a necessity and essential so no, it will the efforts will not be successful.
We went on to discussing about who their mentors were and if they ever were mentors for others.
Sheila says she has been a mentor for others because she believes in giving back but for herself, she has not had a mentor. If she had to choose one, she would choose her mother but as Sheila gained her PhD at the age of 59 and kept going, encouraging many others along the way.
Abby shared one mentor one told her that she believed Abby could be a Supreme Court Justice and that stayed with her. Someone believed in her that much but as far as an entrepreneur mentor, she had none. She decided to start a mentorship program called Propel to fill the holes that were missing she had noticed, especially for women and minorities.
Megan said that her biggest mentor was a community of writers that she would met and write with in programs and workshops. They were all in the same journey, learning and growing together, encouraging each other and that was the best part.
Joan explain that her mentor was Norman Lear. A prolific showrunner, he knew what he wanted but he was smart as to what was needed, hiring female writers and when he saw Joan had a knack for directing, he tricked her into it. Once she realized she was directing, he then encouraged her to edit an episode so that she can learn how to better direct. He recognized talent and what was worth it.
And of course, with all of her own experience and teaching, which Megan has done, she calls herself an overwhelmed mentor!
A question from the audience was what are plans or advice on how to preserve your hard work?
Abby said that it is important to own your products. Her first company, she would sell the shows and not own them. She learned in the second time around that ownership and the rights to control is key.
Sheila pointed out that when you have that ownership and can decide how your work is disseminated, you can help where to put it such as public libraries.
There were many other great questions from Connie and the audience during the panel. I am so proud of what were able to put together. It was recorded and now you can watch it all on WIFV’s YouTube Channel:
