In the Mix with Aaliyah Miller

Happy spring everyone. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but here in Connecticut spring has only somewhat sprung. While it isn't as hot as I would like it to be. I'm proud to profile Sarah E. who is heating up the film season here in Connecticut with her documentary Swan Day CT. Thanks for your interview Sarah. Bio: Sarah E. took her first formal screenwriting course when she was 18 years old and a student at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2006, she received a B.A. in Fine Arts from Eastern Connecticut State University; and then spent a month at the New York Film Academy to pursue filmmaking.  In April 2008, at the age of 23, she founded her own production company, Hells Bells Productions, LLC.   Miller: Please tell our audience about your documentary Swan Day? How did you get involved? Why did you decide to produce this film? Sarah: I first got the idea to make "SWAN Day CT" when I was looking at Jennifer Hill’s MySpace pag...

It's hard to believe that it was just two years ago that I received my MFA in Professional Writing from Western Connecticut State University . Time flies. Since graduating from the program I've been slowly but surely working on screenplays and enjoying the free time I've gained back. However, the free time I've come to enjoy is going to get ready for another hiatus. Why? Because I've decided to go back to school. Even though continuing one's education can be tough at times, I believe the benefits I will receive will make the overall experience worth while. And though I still dream of the day when I option (sell) one of my screenplays or have the money and the connections to self-finance a film (I'm not giving up on that dream either) I have to live in the here and now. Lately, I've been thinking about specific things I can do today that will impact my life tomorrow. I'm blessed to work in the field of communications. It'...

 Official poster of Little Black Dress The next profile in my Emerging Women in Film Series features Deborah Correa. She secured a deal where she sold her short film, Little Black Dress to IndieFlix , a website that showcases independent features. Viewers are able to buy DVDs or rent streaming films to support the work of indie filmmakers. Today is Deborah's official launch date with IndieFlix and I'm excited to share my interview of her with you all. Kudos to Deborah.           Bio: Deborah Correa graduated from Emerson College with a B.F.A. in Writing and Film, where she produced a short documentary about Colombia.  This Little Old Town was sold and premiered on PBS’ FRONTLINE/ World.  Since graduating, she’s worked on PBS documentaries. Deborah was also accepted, out of hundreds, to participate in the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, where she directed Little Black Dress , which premiered at the LA Shorts F...

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. --Jim Rohn Last night, I did something that was long over due. I read a script. You are probably thinking I probably read scripts all the time, after all I am a screenwriter. And while my goal was to read a minimum of a script a week since we rang in 2011, I wasn't following through with the task. I was reading a script about every 6 weeks, if that. I'm happy to report I'm ready to change this pattern. I had the pleasure of reading Auntie by Deirdre Patterson. Deirdre is a fellow screenwriter in the Connecticut Screenwriters group that meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the West Hartford Public Library.  Auntie , her feature length script was a top 10 finalist in the 2010 Emerging Screenwriters Competition . Before I got to the script I was busy doing my usual tasks like cooking lunch for the next day and then getting myself ready for work. These tasks tend to derail me and by the ...

I'm really excited about this entry. This is my first profile in a series I will post for the remainder of 2012. I'm looking forward to highlighting, sharing, and promoting the work of emerging women screenwriters, directors, and producers. My hope is that this blog not only acknowledges the hard work of the women I profile, but will also inform readers of the challenges women in film face and despite these challenges the women in this series continue to strive to achieve their goals and pursue their dream. Today's profile features screenwriter/director Patty Richardson.  Patricia Richardson Bio: Patty Richardson is a licensed physician's assistant (PA). She worked as a PA for fifteen years. She was also a Captain, in the United States Air Force Reserves, for eight years. After realizing an interest in law enforcement, she became a campus safety officer with Union College in Schenectady, New York. Richardson has always had an interest in writing. Four year...

When Kate Bigelow was the first woman to win an Oscar for best direction I was excited and felt that a chip was made in Hollywood's glass ceiling. but the reality is that women directors, producers, and screenwriters are still a scarce commodity in Hollywood. Less than 10 percent of films with a theatrical release were directed by women. In the report, The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 250 Films of 2010 , Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D found that, "In 2010, women comprised 16% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films. This represents a decline of 1 percentage point from 1998 and is even with 2009 figures." I'm not writing this blog entry to be a "Debbie downer," it's a reality check. Besides, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the wonderful professional film organizations for women that  are committed to recogniz...

Hello all, In the world of social media, it seems like a lot of people want to get out what's in their head and share it with the world. And while sharing is caring ( the Care Bear's slogan), sometimes people disseminate TMI, too much information. I  know we've all seen it in our facebook or twitter threads at some point and have thought to ourselves, should we unfriend this person. I want to change that dynamic for myself and post for a purpose. I feel like I've already begun that with my facebook and twitter accounts, but even I stray and may over share at times. Some of you've may have seen my fact of the day, online petitions, and numerous articles that reflect news that interests me.  In addition to these main posts I want my status updates to reflect a theme. I realize I can I can cut back on my own, "I'm going to workout," or "This is where I'm at," posts.  I may still write these status updates on occassion but my goal is to...