Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Gerding.
Stephanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Growing up, some of my favorite hobbies were watching movies with friends and writing. I did everything creative, from professional musical theatre to playing instruments. For a while, I wanted to be an author. Then, I wanted to be a film actor.
I attended Elon University and fell in love with filmmaking. I graduated with a BA in cinema and television arts with minors in creative writing and Spanish. In college, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to do with my life. At first, I was set on being a screenwriter. I spent one summer in LA and had an internship doing scripted development. I loved it, but by the end of the summer, I knew two things: I didn’t want to work in an office and I didn’t want to be a screenwriter. I’m a major extrovert and need to be around people while I work. I’m creative, but also very organized and motivated. I’m a go-getter and a problem-solver. With all of this in mind, I decided I wanted to be a First Assistant Director. For those that don’t know what that is, I always tell people something I heard once: a director directs the actors; a 1st AD directs the crew. In a nutshell, that’s what I want to do and what I am currently pursuing as a freelance film creative. Amidst COVID, I’ve been able to work on some small film gigs and help independent filmmakers bring their dreams to life. I am currently working for a major film studio.
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 film industry is thrilling, but it can be tough to break into because it’s all about connections and who you know. I recently graduated from college in May 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic. I had plans to move to LA, but with COVID shutting everything down, I chose to postpone the move and stay in Atlanta to pursue the film industry here since opportunities for film are rapidly growing in Georgia. It’s been tough, but I’ve always been of the mindset that it’s not all about the situation we’re in; it’s about how we deal with it. I spent much of quarantine doing informational interviews with anyone in the film industry that I could connect with. Luckily, I had been living at home with my parents so I didn’t have to pay rent while also being unemployed. I worked a part-time job at a restaurant while I established local connections.
It would’ve been easy for me to not do anything. It was heartbreaking to not have the last semester of my senior year or an in-person graduation. On top of that, people were getting sick, dying, America was, and still is, in major social unrest, and there wasn’t much hope for us recent graduates to get jobs. But one thing I’ve learned is that in times of chaos, there are always opportunities that can come out of hustling more than everyone else is willing to. For me, I was fortunate enough to be healthy and able to work and make connections, despite the struggles of the pandemic and a very different start to my career than I would’ve imagined.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
The film industry is a creative industry and working in production is where the creativity is brought to life. I’m a team player ready to lead but also there to serve. Since basically everyone on a production crew is a freelancer under contract from project to project, we have to carry ourselves like we are our own company. Our own business. We promote our work, our references, our skills, and, most importantly, our personality.
To start out, I’ve been working as a set production assistant (PA). I know with my experience and knowledge that I can be an incredibly hardworking and reliable PA that can work with actors, run errands, give reminders, handle a walkie, and help a production run smoothly. Being known as a good PA will lead me to a full-time career as a 1st AD.
As someone who wants to be known as a 1st AD, I have to be a timely person. I keep people on schedule and am great at giving reminders. I have my own strategies on how to be organized and be a good leader. As a 1st AD, you are the top-dog on set in charge of every department. I’m proud of my ability to lead with assertiveness and kindness and my determination to work hard to reach my goals. While some of my friends have been quarantining by watching Netflix and visiting friends (which can be great in moderation and something I definitely have done too), I have been working hard to stand out in times of trial. I’ve read and watched dozens of books, guides, and interviews on the film industry, specifically being a production assistant and assistant director. I’ve worked with some amazing filmmakers to make trailers, short films, and tv series’ safely and efficiently during COVID. I’ve continually followed up with contacts and have even been given the opportunity to share some of my experiences and advice with other recent graduates trying to make it in the film industry. So what really sets me apart? Nothing too special. It all comes down to my determination, preparation, resilience, and my ability to just say yes and show up.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been many times when I have been proud of a film I created or an award that I won for it, but when I think about where I am right now, the only thing that comes to mind is how my grit in times of uncertainty has led to success. My world, like many others’, was flipped upside down with this pandemic. But I kept going, and I trusted that God had a plan through it all. I worked hard despite many challenges I faced, and after months of trying to be optimistic and working hard to find opportunity, I was given the offer to work for a major studio on the production team as a health and safety assistant in Atlanta.
This department is brand new specifically because of COVID, and had I not fought hard to make connections and check-in, I wouldn’t have landed this job. And, ironically enough, without COVID, this department wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t have been able to get a job with a big company that will hopefully lead me to many more connections in the future. So I’m proud of my grit and the fact that I shamelessly and continuously checked in with my contacts to find an open door when so many others had closed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sgerding.weebly.com/
- Phone: 4043765129
- Email: stephgerding@gmail.com
- Instagram: stephanielauren56
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