Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Rose.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was younger, I never thought much about the rest of my life. I was really oblivious and observant at the same time. But I remember I would watch all kinds of movies and would re-direct them or re-tell the story to my liking. As a black girl, I really didn’t see much of myself or my people on-screen casually. Ever since middle, I’ve always considered “making movies” career for me in the future. I was still figuring out how do I even make a movie and what kind of stories I want to tell and if this is something I would want to see in the theater myself. It wasn’t until I was in the 11th grade when it was time to start picking out colleges and picking out a career for ourselves, and I had to make a decisions on what I wanted to go to school for, what I would be happy doing so, I finally made up my mind and I picked Filmmaking. One of the best decisions I’ve made. Now I attend SCAD majoring in Film & TV with a minor in Dramatic Writing. Since I’ve been in school, I’ve done a ton of projects with my friends that I’m proud of. The more I did the more I learned whether it’s directing, producing, or writing I keep learning and figuring out things about myself as a filmmaker. It just keeps getting better and better.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth and It’s only going to get bumpier the farther I go. As a black woman, it’s always going to be 100 times harder because they will always underestimate you and what you know. Even now when I work with my friends on a project, I’m one of (If not the only) girl at our meetings and sometimes I have to yell for them to hear me. As women, we have to SHOW them what we got and that we can do this just as good as them if not better. But when you think about your film, your story that you’re going to make it seems like a breeze at first, but in reality, your anxiety is going to be at its all-time high. In my production class, my professor once said, “If it can go wrong, it will” and I felt that. The road always looks smooth from afar but once you go down it, there’s gonna be bumps that you ride right over and there’s gonna be bumps that might knock you off your horse but as long as you hold on your going to be alright trust me.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
At first, all I wanted to do was write and produce. I didn’t think directing was for me even after I tried it. But the more I did it, the more I learned and the more I loved it. It made me feel like I had control over my stories, the visuals the whole nine and it honestly gave me more confidence. But right, I’m more focused on screenwriting because I want to be a master at telling stories in a beautiful way, especially black stories. One of my most proud moments in screenwriting is this short I recently wrote called “Indigo” about an 8-year-old black girl in the 60s who has to deal with the death of a close cousin who was hurt in the bombing of Birmingham Church. Stories like these matter and I feel that no one is going to tell stories like these in such a way, so I’ll write them. I just love to write and screenwriting is something I really want to dominate (just like everything else in the industry).
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Keep going no matter what. There’s going to be moments where you’re not sure if you want to keep going anymore but that’s just pressure and fear that you need to knock out. It’s never going to be easy but as long as you keep going hard and you go into your story with love and devotion you will be ok. Trust me. Whatever they think about you, if they underestimate you block them out, the worst thing is letting someone else’s fears get in your way. Don’t let a man come on to your set or your writing space trying to “give advice” about your story. This especially goes for black women as well, don’t listen to any white people who want to “give advice” for your story. If it’s not technical, then it’s not beneficial. If they’re not funding the story, don’t let them tweak it. Always work with love.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5130 South Wood Bridge Trail
- Phone: 4703160811
- Email: lankfordshantel@gmail.com
- Instagram: officialjanetrose
Image Credit:
The actor in the images is Luigi Thomas ( IG @lui_archives)
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