BRAND NEW EPISODES: Go behind the scenes of directing a music video with our two newest episodes of Dissecting the Scene with, Katheryne Johnson (Director of 'Magic' Music VIdeo) and Kelly Reed (Director of 'First Mistakes' Music Video)! Learn how these creators are making their vision a reality!

We hit 100 followers on tiktok! Are you following us for filmmaking tips and relatable posts? What are you waiting for!?

Remember, every day is an opportunity to invest in yourself. If you have trouble keeping your goals, read our article on how creative people can set and keep goals.

“There is nothing more unique than your cultural background, your upbringing, family dynamics, and how you perceive things.” - Mary Kim, director of Hajun Blooms

A special congratulations to TLL friend So Yun Um, who we interviewed back in 2020 for her documentary feature film, “Liquor Store Dreams”. This past week, her film had an international premiere at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival! #KillingIt

Big deadlines are coming up this month for all sorts of fellowships, mentorship programs, grants and more! Check out our Creative Opportunities list to make sure you stay up to date- this list is updated weekly, so definitely bookmark it!

From the archives: our team loves a good ole’ horror movie marathon. Here are our top picks for What We’re Watching: Spooky Season edition!

Tired of rewatching the same old movies and shows? Check out our Project Spotlight series, where we feature short films created by up and coming filmmakers.

Ava DuVernay is named guest Artistic Director of AFI Fest 2022.

Latinx heritage month is over but celebrating this vibrant culture and its’ storytelling continues - check out and support these Latinx films!

Warner Bros. has announced it has cut their 40-year old pipeline Writers’ and Directors’ Workshop programs, amongst other news of company layoffs that unfortunately have targeted company units dedicated most to diversity within Warner Bros.

Everyone deserves an opportunity to break into the industry- and this might be your chance. Sign up for the Group Effort Initiative program, a pipeline program for all ages and levels of experience!

Calling all HTGAWM, Bridgerton and Scandal fans- what if you could be mentored by someone at Shondaland & Netflix? Apply now for this 8-week virtual program for emerging line producers! 

Get advice straight from the source! TLL Friend & Guest Writer Maya Korn shares with us the top 5 questions to ask yourself before becoming a producer.

Here at TLL, we value our community's needs and creative ideas. That's why we created The Light Leaks Feedback Form. Is there something you want to see more or less of from us? Submit your thoughts and let us know!

Like what you see? Be sure to follow us on social for more highlights, more empowerment, and more education. Here's to spreading light! ✨

✏️It's hard to keep up with our projects during this pandemic (trust us we know) so, come hang out with us THIS WEDNESDAY at our Writing Session + Virtual mixer. The first part of this zoom event is dedicated to quiet coworking then the second half is an opportunity for creatives to network in a no pressure, safe environment! RSVP for free here. This event is monthly, check out last month’s smiley group! 

WATCH: Kz Elizabeth is a queer, award winning filmmaker and performer from Chicago and our latest project spotlight! She’s the director and producer of ‘Pathetic Woman,’ a surreal LGBTQ+ short film that follows Andy and Kathryn, two office co-workers, who find themselves in a sudden and absurd codependent relationship. 

Kimmie Devereux is an NJ based singer songwriter. As part of our youtube series, Dissecting the Scene, she took us through how she directed, Normal, her WLW teen crush music video. 🏳️‍🌈 Check out what she had to share! 

“I realized that I had to create my own path and be fearless, even in its kind of windingness; that even if it wasn't straight and clear, that I would have to forge something for myself. And then that's what kind of led me to go to grad school.” - River Gallo Read more about River Gallo! They’re an acclaimed rising filmmaker and a recipient of the 2019 GLAAD Media Rising Star Award, the 2020 Ryan Murphy HALF Initiative for television directing, and was a 2021 Berlinale Talent fellow.  

🎬 Branded video director extraordinaire Blair Waters is used to challenges like creative work for Amazon, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and more! But learning how to shoot her first short film came with it’s own unique struggles. She shares with us 10 things to keep top of mind when shooting a short film.

Our friends at the Women X Film Festival are going to be answering your burning submission questions! Tune in this Wednesday and remember, you can get 20% your submission to when you use code: WXTLL 

Do you have a project you’re crowdfunding on Seed & Spark? Guess what! Anyone in our TLL community (yes, if you’re reading this, you’re our friend) can book a free consulting call with a crowdfunding expert on their team where they will answer questions. This is not a public office so, yeah, you’re special!

💸Discount time!! 💸Soundstripe is site for creators to find stock music, SFX, or stock video for their projects. Use our Soundstripe affiliate link or code THELIGHTLEAKS to get some $ off!

“Them” and “Two Distant Strangers,” among other Hollywood projects, are under fire for presenting the brutalization of Black bodies as entertainment. Critics are noting that while directors and producers aim to make strong artistic statements about race and racism, the images of violence are more triggering than impactful. 

Whether in front of or behind the camera, the statistics are still pretty abysmal for women, nonbinary folks, POC, and LGBTQ+ creators in Hollywood. This is a REAL issue. How do we know? The proof is in the research!! 

We may think that in 2021, Hollywood is beyond ageism. But unless your last name is Streep or McDormand, chances are you’re not working much in film. Here’s why.

Writers! The application cycle for this year’s ViacomCBS Writers Mentoring Program closes May 1st 11:59 PM PST. This eight-month mentoring program pairs writers with exec mentors for regular check ins, access to industry leads through workshops, and the opportunity to observe the creative process. 

🚨We’re featuring women and nonbinary filmmakers on our website🚨 You can submit your work to be considered for our Project Spotlights, Dissecting the Scene videos, interviews and future social media content!

Join our Facebook group! We’re building community, sharing opportunities and hyping each other up throughout the week — log on to  stay up to date with what the TLL crew is up to! 

Looking to apply to fellowships, workshops labs, festivals and more? We’re keeping tabs of creative opportunities for filmmakers and artists. You can check them out here!

Pitching creative ideas is a PROCESS😅 On May 24 we’re teaming up with Seed&Spark to help you highlight what makes your project special! RVSP for the workshop livestream link and an email from us with educational resources.

👀 PS, we're on tiktok at @thelightleaks sharing more tips, clips and fun stuff! See ya there!

Here at TLL, we value our community's needs and creative ideas. That's why we created The Light Leaks Feedback Form. Is there something you want to see more or less of from us? Submit your thoughts and let us know!

Like what you see? Be sure to follow us on social for more highlights, more empowerment, and more education. Here's to spreading light! ✨