Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Perez.
Hi Laura, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my career as a filmmaker right after law school. I had studied theatre in college, and had spent most of my youth as an actress. However, after law school, I began to become more interested in how things came together behind the camera in movies. I started working for free as a production assistant in little projects around town, but always stepped up to do more than just what was required of a PA job no matter what gig I was working on or whether or not I was getting paid. Slowly but surely my organizational skills led me to get production coordinator and production manager jobs, and once word got out that I had a law degree, I started getting line producer and producer jobs. My law degree helped me know how to handle all the numerous SAG and production contracts that are needed to get a movie made. All of that experience in production helped me finally gain the confidence to write and produce my own movies, which is what I am doing now.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been an easy road. I started at the bottom in entry-level positions in this industry and paid some dues to work my way up. This stage of my career, I have been determined to make my own movies. That is difficult to do because, as an independent filmmaker, you are rarely ever given money to develop and write your own scripts, so you have to find a way to make a living and make ends meet while you are pursuing your own projects. The trend has always been that it is even more challenging for women to get their projects funded, so we have to work even harder to get our projects off the ground. While making movies is my passion, I am also 100% committed to being a mom as well, so it’s challenging to find the time to do all those things at the same time, but it definitely makes the journey interesting.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am most proud of being one of the few Latina filmmakers to write, produce and direct her own scripts.
Here is my bio below to answer the rest of the questions:
Laura is a film producer and consultant, specializing in multiple forms of media and entertainment. Much of her work has been in the Latin space, however, she has worked on a diverse range of feature films, music videos, educational videos and documentaries.
All of Laura’s production skills including writing, shooting and editing, have all been self-taught. She regards the low-budget projects she worked on early in her career as her “film school” because they each required the successful juggling of multiple roles, although her academic education has also been vital to building a career in the entertainment business. Laura has a Juris Doctorate from Saint Mary’s University School of Law, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Communications, and an Associate’s Degree in Theatre.
Laura began her entertainment career as a writer. “No More Empty Chairs” – the stage play which she co-wrote, was recognized by The National Coalition of Hispanic Health for outstanding advocacy. In addition, the feature film “Harvest of Redemption” which she also co-wrote, won the “Best Foreign Feature” award at the International Family Film Festival in Hollywood, and was distributed nationwide by Target, Wal-Mart and CineLatino. “Harvest” features the touching true story of a Latino migrant farm worker family and an unpunished murder that they must not only face, but learn to let go.
Her directorial debut, “The Place in Between” about an estranged mother who gets to know her biological daughter on an impromptu road trip, is set to be released in late 2022. She is currently producing and directing a feature documentary entitled “American Orange,” which explores the “mysterious” decline and demise of an impoverished citrus-producing Latino border community that coincidentally also housed an Agent Orange producing plant during the Vietnam War.
Laura is a 5-year member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She has been a screenplay judge for Final Draft’s Big Break Script Competition, The American Screenwriter’s Association International Screenplay Competition, Scenarios USA’s “What’s The Real Deal” Screenplay Competition, a consultant and panelist for The CineSol Latin Film Festival, and honored for her contributions as a speaker by The Migrant Students College Assistance Program.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
A lot of people do not know that I have a Juris Doctor (law degree). I don’t mention it often, but it has been vital to giving me the business acumen necessary to have the conversations and negotiations that are required to get a movie made.
A lot of people also don’t know that I am originally from a border town – 7 miles from the Mexican border. My parents were migrant farm workers as children, and worked incredibly hard to get educated and give my brothers and I better opportunities than they had.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lauraperez.com
- Instagram: producerlauraperez
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraperezproducer/
- Twitter: tweetlauraperez
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/producerlauraperez
Image Credits
Brandy Hays
