We’re looking forward to introducing you to Paula Lauzon. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Paula, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are where grit meets grace. I live with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, along with Fibromyalgia, so my mornings aren’t rushed — they’re intentional. I start with dry brushing, a hot shower, and gentle movement to ease into the day. While the pain never really disappears, I’ve learned how to work with my body instead of against it.
From there, it’s coffee (strong), water (with a splash of OJ), and a quiet moment with my dogs, Bella and Bosco — my little anchors. Then, depending on the day, I dive into whatever hat I’m wearing first: reviewing actor submissions for San Gabriel Talent, drafting production plans for my feature Cell Block Z, organizing social content, or following up on casting emails. I run two companies, direct films, manage talent, and still find time to be human — which usually includes laughter, a little journaling, and checking in with what I’m manifesting next.
My mornings are not glamorous — they’re real. They’re where the discipline lives. I don’t wait for inspiration to strike — I create space for it. And that starts the moment I wake up.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Introduction to You and/or Your Brand
Hi, I’m Paula Lauzon — filmmaker, and founder of San Gabriel Films and San Gabriel Talent, based in Georgetown, Texas. I direct with a deep love for story and character, cast with an eye for truth and soul, and represent actors who are ready to break through. My background spans more than a decade in front of the camera and six years behind it, and I’ve poured every lesson I’ve learned — about resilience, risk, and reinvention — into the work I do now.
San Gabriel Films is where my vision lives. I tell bold, character-driven stories that reflect the messy, beautiful complexity of being human — often through the lens of horror, suspense, and emotional transformation. Our upcoming feature, Cell Block Z, is a genre-bending horror film that I optioned from writer Joe McGarvey. We’re currently in development, building a team of fierce creatives who aren’t afraid to take risks.
San Gabriel Talent is my boutique roster of working actors — all hand-selected, all ready for the work. As a director-led company, I approach talent representation differently: with care, advocacy, and strategic vision. I don’t just submit actors — I build careers.
What makes my story unique? I’m doing this while living with a complex chronic illness, rebuilding from scratch, and betting on myself — every single day. I’m here to create, to collaborate, and to carve out space for others to shine. The art is the mission — and I’m just getting started.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that I had to earn love — that being quiet, accommodating, and “good” was the safest way to exist. I thought I had to shrink myself to be accepted. I didn’t see many women around me leading boldly or creating freely, and I internalized the belief that someone like me — a working-class girl with big emotions and even bigger dreams — should play it safe and stay small.
I no longer believe that.
What I’ve learned, through decades of life, loss, healing, and creative work, is that the very things I once tried to hide — my voice, my fire, my vulnerability — are exactly what make me powerful. I’ve stepped into leadership as a filmmaker, casting director, and talent advocate because I finally stopped asking for permission. I create space for others because I know what it feels like to grow up without it.
I no longer need to earn love by being small. I now lead with truth, and that has made all the difference.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it was the very thing that gave my stories their power.
I’ve lived through spinal surgeries, chronic illness, divorce, depression, financial collapse — and I survived it all quietly for a long time. But once I stepped into the director’s chair, something shifted. I realized that every scar — physical and emotional — was shaping the way I saw the world, and more importantly, the way I told stories.
My short film Consequences was born from that awareness. It’s a psychological portrait of fallout — and it wouldn’t exist without my own experience navigating pain and survival. And Cell Block Z, the horror feature I’m directing next, is more than just a genre piece — it’s a metaphor for confinement, trauma, and transformation. Those themes aren’t random. They come from me.
Pain no longer isolates me — it connects me. It’s given me a sharper eye, a more compassionate heart, and the courage to tell the truth. I use it to lead, to create, and to carve space for others who’ve been through hell and are still standing.
That’s not weakness. That’s power.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely — but it’s not the entire me.
What people see publicly is real: I’m a director, casting director, and founder. I’m confident, direct, creative, and committed to lifting others up. That version of me shows up in every casting call, every production meeting, every email I send advocating for my actors. It’s not a façade — it’s a distilled version of who I am when I’m in service of the work.
But the fuller version? She’s layered. She lives with chronic illness and pain. She’s rebuilding from scratch. She has moments of doubt, exhaustion, and quiet grief — and still shows up. What I don’t always post are the behind-the-scenes realities: the late nights, the flare-ups, the financial tightrope, the hustle that doesn’t always pay off immediately.
So yes — the public version of me is real. But the private version? She’s where the courage lives. She’s the one who built the brand, stood back up after every loss, and kept going when no one was watching.
And the longer I do this work, the more those two versions align. That’s the real power.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m doing what I was born to do — and it took me a long time to trust that.
I wasn’t raised to believe a life like this was possible. No one around me was making films, running a talent company, or leading with creative vision. What I was told — directly and indirectly — was to stay small, play it safe, and survive. For years, I did.
But deep down, I’ve always been a storyteller — not through writing scripts, but through vision, collaboration, performance, and truth. I don’t write the story. I shape it. I cast it. I bring it to life. I direct with intuition, precision, and heart. I guide actors into deeper versions of themselves. And I build companies — San Gabriel Films and San Gabriel Talent — that reflect what I never saw growing up: bold, unapologetic, woman-led creative power.
So no, I’m not doing what I was told to do. I’m doing what I was meant to do. I may not write the scripts, but I damn sure bring them to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sangabrielfilms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sangabrielfilms/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sangabrielfilms/?viewAsMember=true
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanGabrielFilmsTX
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/SanGabrielTalentTX/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sangabrieltalent/?viewAsMember=true
https://www.instagram.com/sangabrieltalent/
